Pikes

About Pikes

Sitting as a rugged western outlier to the higher summit of Caw, this rocky top offers a quiet vantage point over the Duddon Valley. It is a quintessential Dunnerdale fell, characterised by scattered crags and bracken-covered slopes that feel far removed from the busier Coniston giants to the east.

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Did You Know?

• •The name is a straightforward plural of the Old Norse 'pík', referring to the series of distinct rocky knolls that crown the summit ridge rather than a single, uniform point.
• •Alfred Wainwright included this hill in his 'Outlying Fells of Lakeland' guide, grouping it into a circular walk from Seathwaite. He regarded the area as having a 'charming and intimate' character, distinct from the more austere central fells.
• •From the summit cairn, there is an exceptional and specifically framed view looking north-west across the deep trench of the Duddon Valley toward the distant, jagged skyline of the Scafell massif.
• •Though technically a subsidiary of Caw, both Bill Birkett and Tim Synge classified it as an independent summit due to its distinct rocky identity and the clear dip of nearly 30 metres separating the two peaks.
• •Despite being categorised as an 'Outlying Fell', the terrain is famously unforgiving; the combination of hidden rock steps and persistent bog ensures your boots will be well-tested before you reach the top.