The Old Pike

Rising above the Rawthey Valley near Sedbergh, this grassy summit offers a quiet alternative to its busier Howgill neighbours. Part of the distinctive velvet-like ridges characteristic of the range, it provides an exceptional vantage point for surveying the steep eastern flanks of Arant Haw and the distant Lakeland peaks.

• •The name derives from the Old English 'pīc', typically denoting a pointed hill. In the context of the rounded Howgill Fells, it refers to a prominent shoulder on the ridge rather than a sharp rocky summit.
• •It is frequently bagged as a short detour on the popular ascent of Arant Haw from Sedbergh, sitting on the spur that divides the Settlebeck Gill from the lower slopes of the Rawthey catchment.
• •From the summit, walkers can look directly across the Lune Valley to the Lake District, where the unmistakable jagged skyline of the Langdale Pikes is clearly visible on a fine day.
• •Despite the name suggesting a rugged or ancient landmark, the summit is a characteristically smooth, wind-swept hump of grass with very little to distinguish it from the miles of similar terrain surrounding it.