Harrison Stickle

About Harrison Stickle

Rising steeply above the dark waters of Stickle Tarn, this is the highest and most imposing of the Langdale Pikes. Its craggy, tiered summit offers a rugged playground for scramblers and hikers alike, providing a dramatic vantage point over the Great Langdale valley and the nearby pyramid of Pike of Stickle.

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Did You Know?

• •The name is a hybrid of a local surname and the Old Norse 'stikill', which describes a steep spur or a sharp peak. It is a fitting descriptor for a fell that presents such a sheer, jagged face to the valley floor.
• •Alfred Wainwright regarded this fell as the central hub of the Langdale Pikes, noting that while Pike of Stickle has the more unique shape, Harrison Stickle offers the superior summit experience and more interesting rock scenery.
• •The summit is formed from the volcanic tuff of the Borrowdale Volcanic Group. This specific rock was highly prized during the Neolithic period; nearby slopes were part of a vast stone axe 'factory' system, with examples of Langdale axes found as far away as Ireland and the south of England.
• •For those approaching from the south, the climb alongside Stickle Ghyll offers a close-up look at the dramatic waterfalls before revealing the massive cliff of Pavey Ark, which stands as a silent neighbor to the main summit.
• •The view from the top is exceptionally well-earned, offering a clear line of sight down the full length of Windermere. To the west, the rugged profiles of Bowfell and the Scafell massif provide a stark, mountainous horizon.
• •If you find yourself enjoying a quiet, solitary moment on the summit, you have likely climbed it in the middle of a January blizzard or have accidentally wandered onto a different hill.