Scafell Pike

About Scafell Pike

England's highest point is a rugged, boulder-strewn landscape that feels more like the moon than the Lake District. Hiking here involves navigating steep, relentless scree slopes and shattered rock, particularly on the classic, lung-bursting ascent from Wasdale Head.

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Did You Know?

• •The name 'Scafell' derives from the Old Norse 'skalli fjall,' meaning the fell with the shieling or the bald mountain. For centuries, it was mistakenly thought to be a lesser shoulder of its neighbor, Scafell, rather than the higher peak.
• •The summit plateau is composed of Borrowdale Volcanic rocks, remnants of a massive caldera collapse that occurred roughly 450 million years ago. This volcanic history is responsible for the incredibly jagged, blocky terrain that characterizes the top of the mountain.
• •In 1919, Lord Leconfield donated the summit of Scafell Pike to the National Trust in memory of the men of the Lake District who fell in the First World War. This makes the mountain one of the UK's most significant high-altitude war memorials.
• •Navigation on the summit is famously treacherous in the mist because the plateau is a vast, featureless expanse of grey stones. Even experienced hikers can find themselves walking in circles around the massive cairns if they don't keep a very close eye on their compass.
• •During the summer, you'll rarely be alone at the top, as the peak is the centerpiece of the National Three Peaks Challenge. Be prepared to share your hard-earned summit selfie with dozens of exhausted walkers, some of whom may inexplicably be dressed as giant inflatable dinosaurs.