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Scafell & Slight Side from Eskdale

Lake District Walk

Nat Park - Lake District - Lake District Southern Fells

Wainwrights - Scafell, Slight Side

County/Area - Cumbria

Author - Stephen Starkey

Length - 9.5 miles / 15.4 km    Ascent - 3450 feet / 1045 metres

Time - 8 hours 10 minutes    Grade - hard

Maps Ordnance Survey Logo Anquet Maps Logo

Ordnance Survey Explorer OL6Sheet Map1:25kBUY
Anquet OS Explorer OL6Digital Map1:25kBUY
Ordnance Survey Landranger 89Sheet Map1:50kBUY
Anquet OS Landranger 89Digital Map1:50kBUY

Walk Route Description

Photo from the walk - Scafell & Slight Side
Click image to visit gallery of 6 images.

This Lake District walk starts in Eskdale, which is the least preferred route to the summits of Scafell Pike and Scafell and offers a route devoid of the hordes using the main "tourist" tracks. Scafell also has the advantage that not being the highest peak in England it attracts far fewer walkers.

The Lake District walk described below takes in the peaks of Scafell and Slight Side, climbing Scafell by means of a scramble up the ghyll to Foxes Tarn. The route could be extended to take in Scafell Pike as well. Irrespective of whether or not Scafell Pike extension is included, UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU ATTEMPT TO CLIMB SCAFELL VIA LORD'S RAKE. Lord's Rake has been "closed" for a little while now following a number of rock falls in to the gulley. The rocks are loose and unstable, making a trip up Lord's Rake foolhardy in the extreme, and quite possibly fatal. There are plenty of opportunities for exposure and excitement on this route without taking irresponsible risks.

For many, the excitement of the day can start by driving over the Wrynose and Hardknott Passes from Little Langdale to Eskdale. The preferred parking area is set just off the Eskdale road opposite Whahouse Farm (Grid ref. NY201009). In the event that this area is full, an alternative starting point would be Brotherikeld - approximately 1.2km back up Eskdale (NY212011), next to the red telephone box.

From the parking area at Whahouse Bridge, head East along the road for 150m to where a track leads off left, past Birdhow and on to the farm at Taw House. Here there is a choice of routes - following the public footpath to the right and through the farm, or taking a permissive path to the left. I tend to opt for permissive paths whenever they are available as the farmer has usually provided them for a good reason. In the unlikely event that you do this walk at the end of a drought, the permissive path to the left will be a dry, stony path. At other times, it has a tendency to resemble a (not so) small stream.

Irrespective of whether you follow the permissive path or the public footpath, they eventually merge near a pair of stiles. On this section it is well worth turning round every now and again to take in the views down Eskdale with Hard Knott over to the other side of the valley. Continue along the path to the bridge over Scale Gill, with the picturesque waterfalls thundering down to your left. An awkwardly placed tree makes great photos difficult but doesn't detract from the beauty of the waterfall.

After crossing Scale Bridge, the next key point to aim for is How Beck at the Northern end of Cam Spout Crag. How to get there is a choice for anybody doing the walk.

Turn left on the clearly visible track just after the bridge and climb, quite steeply at first, the lower slopes of Brock Crags. This path is fairly obvious at all times but does get wet as it traverses the marshy ground. Following this route will give a hugely impressive first view of Scafell, Scafell Pike and Great End just as you round the corner at the end of Silverybield Crag.

The main route crosses the beck and then takes the easy scramble up the rocks on the right of How Beck. All three possibilities lead on to the clearly visible path, often a small stream, climbing ever higher in the gap between Scafell on the left and Scafell Pike on the right. When level with the impressive bulk of Scafell's Eastern Buttress, proceed no further up the valley, but instead turn to the left where you will see a narrow gully with a stream / waterfall cascading down. Head towards the stream. The OS map indicates a path to the right of the stream, next to the buttress. Reality is that the path climbs up the stream - a fairly straightforward but hugely exhilarating and rewarding grade 1 scramble to the picturesque Foxes Tarn.

An obvious stone stepped path then climbs to the North of Foxes Tarn, zig-zagging it's way up through the scree slopes to the plateau summit of Scafell. Providing the summit is not shrouded in cloud, the views from Scafell are stunning. The summit of Scafell is the only vantage point I have found in the Lakes where Scafell Pike appears to be higher than Scafell - from all others Scafell appears to be the big daddy of Lakeland. As you soak up the views, almost certainly with very few other people, you will be grateful the hordes head to Scafell Pike just for the sake of climbing England's highest peak.

The peak of Slight Side to the South is obvious in all but bad visibility though the path isn't always clear. Descend to the South along the edge of the escarpment, passing through rocks and scree, to reach the rough moorland grass. Continue in a basically Southerly direction across the broad, fairly flat moor, with the best views being from the edge of the escarpment to the left. The summit of Slight Side is easily climbed but doesn't offer any views not already seen on the descent from Scafell.

It is however another tick on the list of Wainwright's. From the summit Slight Side, continue in a Southerly direction, swinging left (East) then right (South again) on the initially steep and rocky descent. Until reaching the easier going below the rocks / scree, the path is not always obvious. Some cairns marked on the OS map would appear to have been dismantled to provide material for the "path" in places. Once down to the more level ground, the going is much easier, but also becomes much wetter once more. The path is obvious now and the going is easy all the way past Cat Crag and back to a stile at the edge of the car park.

Other walks nearby

Walk 2226 The Scafellsvery hard12.0 miles
Walk 1916 Harter Fell and Low Birker Tarn from Hardknott Passmoderate6.5 miles
Walk 3419 Scafell Pike an Eskdale circularvery hard12.5 miles
Walk 2467 Green Crag & Harter Fellmoderate7.9 miles
Walk 2355 Blea Tarn & Eskdale Greeneasy/mod6.5 miles
Walk 1668 Silver Knott & Muncaster Fell from Irton Road easy/mod5.0 miles
Walk 3485 High Birkhow & Low Wood from Wast Watereasy4.2 miles
Walk 1176 Yewbarrow from Wasdalemoderate4.5 miles
Walk 2341 Circuit of Nether Beck and Over Beck from Wasdalehard11.3 miles
Walk 1690 Netherbeck Horseshoe - Middle Fell, Steeple & Red Pike from Wasdale Headmod/hard12.5 miles

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