Pike of Stickle

About Pike of Stickle

Towering above Great Langdale with a profile like an inverted bowl, this rocky dome is a standout Wainwright. Its summit feels precarious and airy, offering a dramatic vantage point over the valley. The climb is steep and satisfyingly rugged, often tackled as part of the classic Langdale Pikes circuit.

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Did You Know?

• •The name is derived from the Old English 'sticol', meaning steep or lofty, and the Middle English 'pike'. It is a purely descriptive title for a hill that appears almost vertical when viewed from the floor of Great Langdale.
• •During the Neolithic era, the scree slopes were the site of a significant stone axe factory. The local green tuff—a hard, volcanic rock—was fashioned into tools here and traded across Britain; axes from this specific site have been discovered as far away as the Thames Valley and Ireland.
• •Alfred Wainwright considered this the most interesting of the Langdale Pikes, describing its appearance from the valley as 'unmistakable' and noting that it 'possesses a loftiness and a grandeur' that belies its actual altitude.
• •The summit provides an exceptional earned view of the Scafell massif to the west and the long, deep trough of Langstrath to the north. On a clear day, the silver ribbon of Windermere is visible stretching toward the southern horizon.
• •While the 'Great Gully' on the south face offers a direct line to the top, it is a notorious and eroding scree-scramble. Most walkers opt for the steadier stone-pitched path via Loft Crag, saving their knees and their dignity from the sliding stones.
• •The summit consists of a remarkably compact rock dome; on a busy Saturday, finding a seat requires the kind of strategic spatial awareness usually reserved for a crowded London Underground carriage.