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735 m · Wainwright — Central Fells · Birketts to bag nearby, parking, buses, my hikes and live summit weather.

Harrison Stickle - a stone cairn on a rocky summit, looking across rocky tops to distant high fells under blue sky
Wainwright — Central FellsAlso a Birkett

Harrison Stickle

Harrison Stickle at 736m (2,415ft) is the highest and most prominent of the Langdale Pikes, a magnificent crag-crowned summit that dominates the head of Great Langdale and is one of the most recognisable profiles in English fell walking.

735 m
Height
~3–4 h
Typical time
+8
Bonus Birketts
See routes & download GPX →

Home › Fells › Harrison Stickle

Written and walked by Lee McCoy · Last reviewed

735 mWainwright — Central Fells✓ summit is also a Birkett+8 bonus Birketts within 3 km Straightforward in cloud

Is it worth going? — Today’s conditions & 7-day summit forecast

Modelled guidance for the 735 m summit. Always check the Met Office mountain forecast and MWIS before you set off.

On the summit today (Tue 28 Jul): 14° to 12°C, gusts to 38 mph, 11.8 mm of rain forecast.

Tue 28 Jul
🌧️
14° / 12°
💨 38 mph
🌧 11.8 mm (100%)
Wed 29 Jul
🌧️
14° / 10°
💨 27 mph
🌧 5.0 mm (100%)
Thu 30 Jul
🌦️
12° / 4°
💨 28 mph
🌧 1.3 mm (78%)
Fri 31 Jul
🌤️
14° / 1°
💨 24 mph
🌧 0.0 mm (78%)
Sat 1 Aug
🌦️
14° / 3°
💨 15 mph
🌧 3.6 mm (54%)
Sun 2 Aug
🌫️
15° / 5°
💨 19 mph
🌧 0.0 mm (24%)
Mon 3 Aug
🌦️
15° / 5°
💨 16 mph
🌧 0.2 mm (23%)

Forecast snapshot from 28 Jul 2026, 04:58 UTC — refreshed nightly and updated live in your browser. Temperatures and gusts adjusted to the 735 m summit altitude via Open-Meteo. Summit conditions are always harsher than the valley — check the professional mountain forecasts before you go.

Pro mountain forecasts: MWIS · Met Office mountain forecast

About the walk

Key information

Harrison Stickle

Harrison Stickle - a stone cairn on a rocky summit, looking across rocky tops to distant high fells under blue sky
© Lee McCoy

Harrison Stickle at 736m (2,415ft) is the highest and most prominent of the Langdale Pikes, a magnificent crag-crowned summit that dominates the head of Great Langdale and is one of the most recognisable profiles in English fell walking. Wainwright devoted many pages to the Pikes, capturing the excitement of their approach from the valley — the crags growing ever more impressive as the path from New Dungeon Ghyll steepens. The views from the summit across Langdale to the Coniston Fells and south to Windermere are superb. Pavey Ark and Pike of Stickle are natural partners on the classic Pikes circuit.

Routes up Harrison Stickle

Hand-mapped, with GPX to download — full maps further down.

Langdale Horseshoe
20.2 km · ~6.5 hr · Severe
The full Langdale Horseshoe — fifteen tops, 1,500 m of ascent and one of the hardest days in the Lakes that involves no rope. The Langdale Pikes, Bowfell, the whole Crinkle Crags ridge and Pike of Blisco in a single round. It is long, rough, and the Crinkles will try to lead you down the wrong side. Do not start it late.
Langdale Pikes Round
12.3 km · ~3.9 hr · Moderate
A grand round of the Langdale Pikes and the fells behind them. From Great Langdale it climbs past Stickle Tarn to take in Pavey Ark (by the walkers' line, not Jack's Rake), Harrison Stickle, Pike of Stickle and Loft Crag, then loops over Thunacar Knott, High Raise and Sergeant Man before dropping back to the valley. It's a simpler line than my previous version, which added Blea Rigg — boggy on the approach from Sergeant Man. Handily, there are toilets at the car park at the end.
Classifications & hill data
Wainwright
Central
Birkett
Fellranger
Synge
Nuttall
735 m
Height
2,411 ft
In feet
NY 2817 0740
Grid ref

Map & nearby Birketts

Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap (switch layers top-right). Parking positions are approximate.

Nearest parking: Old Dungeon Ghyll (NT, paid), about 1.5 km from the summit (straight line). Full parking, toilets and bus details are below.

Birketts near Harrison Stickle (within 3 km)

These Birkett tops are not Wainwright summits — detour to them on this walk and they are pure profit. Distances are straight-line; allow extra for terrain.

0.3 km SWThorn Crag644 m · Central
1.8 km NNECodale Head732 m · Central
2.3 km SSESide Pike362 m · Central
2.5 km WSWWhite Stones - The Band568 m · Southern
2.6 km ECastle How (Raw Pike)498 m · Central
2.6 km NLow White Stones731 m · Central
2.7 km WNWBlack Crags (Mickleden)588 m · Southern
2.9 km WBuck Pike (Mickleden)606 m · Southern

Routes over Harrison Stickle

Langdale HorseshoePlanned
20.2 km · ~1497 m ascent · loop · ~6.5–8.5 h · Severe
Summits: Pavey ArkHarrison StickleThorn CragLoft CragPike of StickleBlack Crags (Mickleden)Rossett PikeBowfellShelter CragsCrinkle Crags - Gunson Knott (Fifth Crinkle)Crinkle Crags - Fourth CrinkleCrinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle)Crinkle Crags South Top (First Crinkle)Cold PikePike of Blisco

⬇️ Download GPX

⚠️ Warnings: The Bad Step (Crinkle Crags, Long Top). A short, awkward rock step that turns a walk into a scramble and regularly stops people dead. There is a bypass path to the left — use it if you are unsure.; Do not attempt Jack’s Rake on Pavey Ark unless you know what you are taking on. It is a graded scramble with real exposure, not a path. The walkers’ line goes round.; 20 km, 1,497 m and fifteen tops. This is a full, committing day. Start early, and decide your turn-back time before you leave the car.; The Crinkles are the classic place to descend the wrong side in cloud. Know which valley you want before you are in it.

Full route guide ↗

✎️ Planned route — drawn but not personally walked or checked yet.

A planned line is a suggestion, not a guarantee — conditions change. Navigate independently and carry a map & compass.

Langdale Pikes RoundRevised
12.34 km · ~830 m ascent · loop · ~3.5–5 h · Clockwise · Moderate
Summits: Sergeant ManHigh Raise (High White Stones)Thunacar KnottPavey ArkHarrison SticklePike of StickleLoft CragThorn Crag

⬇️ Download GPX

Best season: Any season in good conditions; the plateau behind the Pikes is featureless in cloud.

⚠️ Warnings: Avoid Jack's Rake on Pavey Ark unless you're a confident scrambler — the walkers' route reaches the same summit.; Boggy ground and confusing navigation on the High Raise and Sergeant Man plateau in mist.; Steep, rocky ground around the Pikes.

Full route guide ↗

A planned line is a suggestion, not a guarantee — conditions change. Navigate independently and carry a map & compass.

The View from Harrison Stickle

A computed 360° skyline — every visible named top labelled by distance and bearing, from the terrain model in perfect clarity, not photographed. Drag to pan; reveal the far four-nations horizon.

drag to pan · arrow keys
Computed 360-degree skyline from Harrison Stickle36 labelled tops shown (10 distant behind the far-horizon toggle). Theoretical visibility in perfect clarity; computed from terrain, not photographed.eye levelNNEESESSWWNWScafell Pike · 7 kmHelvellyn · 10 kmSkiddaw · 22 kmGreat End · 6 kmGreat Gable · 8 kmHigh Crag · 9 kmRaise · 12 kmFairfield · 9 kmBlencathra · 21 kmCrinkle Crags · 4 kmGreat Dodd · 14 kmGrasmoor · 17 kmHigh Street · 16 kmRed Pike · 12 kmHart Crag · 10 kmHigh Stile · 14 kmThe Old Man of Coniston · 10 kmGrisedale Pike · 17 kmGlaramara · 5 kmRed Screes · 12 kmDow Crag · 10 kmGrey Friar · 7 kmWetherlam · 6 kmIll Bell · 16 kmLittle Stand · 5 kmClough Head · 16 kmCold Pike · 4 kmBowfell · 4 kmLord's Seat · 21 kmLoft Crag · 0 kmIngleborough · 56 km · clear daysWhernside · 52 km · clear daysWard's Stone · 58 km · clear daysThe Calf · 40 km · clear daysSwinklebank Crag · 22 kmBirk Fell Man · 6 kmBroad Crag · 6 kmHelvellyn Lower Man · 10 kmDollywaggon Pike · 9 kmStybarrow Dodd · 13 kmSt Sunday Crag · 11 kmScoat Fell · 13 kmCrag Hill · 16 kmKnowe Crags · 20 kmGreen Gable · 8 kmDove Crag · 10 kmThornthwaite Crag · 15 kmLooking Steads · 4 kmHigh Raise · 2 kmBlack Sails · 7 kmCombe Head · 5 kmLong Side · 21 kmYoke · 16 kmCausey Pike · 15 kmBlack Combe · 26 kmCrinkle Crags South Top · 4 kmThunacar Knott · 1 kmBuck Pike · 3 kmWild Boar Fell · 48 km · clear daysCaw · 14 kmLingmoor Fell · 4 kmHawk Rigg · 6 kmBrunt Knott · 21 kmGreat Intake · 6 kmGreat Knoutberry Hill · 55 km · clear daysSide Pike · 2 kmSkelgill Bank · 14 kmBlack Fell · 8 kmArnsbarrow Hill · 16 kmHolme Fell · 8 kmReston Scar · 20 kmBigland Barrow · 25 kmBrant Fell · 17 kmSnowdon · 167 km · a handful of days a yearCorserine · 112 km · a rare clear dayTinto · 131 km · a handful of days a yearYr Eifl · 187 km · a handful of days a yearGreen Lowther · 111 km · a rare clear dayBoulsworth Hill · 97 km · a rare clear dayGreat Whernside · 79 km · a rare clear dayWinter Hill · 100 km · a rare clear dayCyrn-y-Brain · 159 km · a handful of days a yearBillinge Hill · 109 km · a rare clear day
What you can see from Harrison Stickle, by direction
  • North: Knowe Crags (20 km), Gategill Fell Top (20 km), Blencathra (21 km), Skiddaw South Top (21 km), Skiddaw Middle Top (22 km), Skiddaw (22 km), Skiddaw North Top (22 km)
  • North-east: Dollywaggon Pike (9 km), High Crag (9 km), Fairfield (9 km), Cofa Pike (9 km), Nethermost Pike (9 km), Hart Crag (10 km), Helvellyn (10 km), Helvellyn Lower Man (10 km), St Sunday Crag (11 km), Raise (12 km), Stybarrow Dodd (13 km), Great Dodd (14 km)
  • East: High Street (16 km)
  • South: Swirl How (7 km), The Old Man of Coniston (10 km)
  • South-west: Crinkle Crags (4 km), Crinkle Crags (4 km)
  • West: Esk Pike (4 km), Great End (6 km), Ill Crag (6 km), Broad Crag (6 km), Scafell Pike (7 km), Great Gable (8 km), Kirk Fell (9 km), Red Pike (12 km), Black Crag (12 km), Scoat Fell (13 km), Steeple (13 km)
  • North-west: Green Gable (8 km), High Stile (13 km), High Stile (14 km), Crag Hill (16 km), Grasmoor (17 km)

On the clearest days the far horizon adds: Snowdon (167 km, Wales), Carnedd Llewelyn (155 km, Wales), Moel Siabod (163 km, Wales), Corserine (112 km, Scotland), Tinto (131 km, Scotland), Yr Eifl (187 km, Wales), Green Lowther (111 km, Scotland), Craig Cwm Silyn (174 km, Wales).

Computed from terrain in perfect clarity, not photographed · distances are straight-line.

Computed from Copernicus GLO-30 terrain; distant tops from the Database of British and Irish Hills (CC BY 4.0). See how we compute the view · and the summit intervisibility report below.

What you can see from Harrison Stickle

On a clear day — computed sightlines, curvature- and refraction-corrected.
93Wainwrights in view+10 marginal
167 kmFurthest sightlineSnowdon (Yr Wyddfa) · possible under favourable refraction
2Sea in viewSolway Firth, Morecambe Bay

On the clearest days the view reaches across to Wales.

Far horizons
  • Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) WalesSSW · 167 km clear
  • Carnedd Llewelyn WalesSSW · 152 km clear
  • Solway Firth bay/estuaryNNW · 58 km in view
  • Ingleborough Yorkshire DalesSE · 57 km clear
  • Whernside Yorkshire DalesESE · 52 km clear
  • Morecambe Bay bay/estuarySSE · 39 km in view
All 93 Wainwrights in clear view (nearest first)

Loft Crag, Thunacar Knott, Pavey Ark, Pike of Stickle, Sergeant Man, Blea Rigg, High Raise (High White Stones), Tarn Crag (Easedale), Rossett Pike, Pike of Blisco, Lingmoor Fell (Brown How), Bowfell, Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle), Cold Pike, Gibson Knott, Silver How, Esk Pike, Allen Crags, Glaramara, Helm Crag, Steel Fell (Dead Pike - Steel Fell), Great End, Wetherlam, Great Carrs, Scafell Pike, Stone Arthur, Swirl How, Loughrigg Fell, Grey Friar, Nab Scar, Green Gable, Seat Sandal, Heron Pike (Rydal), Holme Fell, Great Gable, Great Rigg, Brandreth, Black Fell, Dollywaggon Pike, Fairfield, Nethermost Pike, Kirk Fell, Low Pike, High Pike (Scandale), Hart Crag, The Old Man of Coniston (Coniston Old Man), Helvellyn, Dove Crag, Dow Crag, Dale Head, High Spy, St Sunday Crag, Red Screes, Raise, Middle Dodd, High Crag (Buttermere), Baystones (Wansfell), Robinson, Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell), Stybarrow Dodd, Cat Bells (Catbells), Steeple, Watson's Dodd, High Stile, Stony Cove Pike (Caudale Moor), Great Dodd, Ard Crags, Causey Pike, Scar Crags, Thornthwaite Crag, Sour Howes, Sail, Wandope, Ill Bell, Yoke, Crag Hill (Eel Crag), Sallows, Clough Head, High Street, Grasmoor, Grisedale Pike, Hopegill Head, Dodd (Skiddaw), Barf, Blencathra - Hallsfell Top, Lord's Seat, Carl Side, Long Side, Broom Fell, Ullock Pike, Skiddaw, Bannerdale Crags, Binsey

How Harrison Stickle’s view compares with all 214 — the View Report: every Wainwright ranked by what you can see from the top.

Sightlines from a bare-earth terrain model (forests and buildings not included), corrected for the Earth’s curvature and average atmospheric refraction. “Distant” sightlines and any over 100 km depend on exceptionally clear air. Modelled from Copernicus GLO-30 open elevation data — a guide to the view, not a guarantee of any single one.

Best parking to hike Harrison Stickle

Where we have the data, each parking spot also shows the nearest public toilets and facilities (cafés, pubs, shops).

Old Dungeon Ghyll (NT, paid) — 1.5 km from summit (straight line)
Head of Great Langdale — Bowfell, Crinkle Crags, Pike o' Blisco, the Langdale Pikes.
Directions
🚺 Public toilets (510m) — Free🚺 Public toilets (649m) — Free🍺 Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel🍺 Sticklebarn
Stickle Ghyll / New Dungeon Ghyll (NT, paid) — 1.5 km from summit (straight line)
Direct start up Stickle Ghyll for the Langdale Pikes.
Directions
🚺 Public toilets (640m) — Free🚺 Public toilets (770m) — Free

Positions are approximate — zoom the map to confirm. Lakeland car parks fill before 9am on fine weekends.

Tip: pan and zoom the interactive map at the top of this page to spot other potential parking near your route.

Water & shelter on the way up

On the Langdale Horseshoe route:

💧 possible water source (5 m)💧 possible water source (6 m)💧 possible water source (81 m)🚺 map (10 m)🚺 map (11 m)🚌 New Dungeon Ghyll (144 m)

On the Langdale Pikes Round route:

💧 possible water source (7 m)🛖 map (6 m)🚌 New Dungeon Ghyll (110 m)

💧 Treat water from the fell before you drink it. A mapped point is usually a tap or public supply, but never drink untreated from a beck, stream or tarn — even clear-looking hill water can carry giardia or cryptosporidium from livestock or a carcass upstream and leave you seriously ill. Run it through a filter or purifier (a LifeStraw, Sawyer Squeeze or HydraPak) or bring it to a rolling boil first.

On-route facilities © OpenStreetMap contributors, per route — an absent marker doesn’t mean none.

Buses to Harrison Stickle from Penrith / Ambleside / Windermere

Stagecoach 516 “Langdale Rambler”
Ambleside – Skelwith Bridge – Elterwater – New Dungeon Ghyll – Old Dungeon Ghyll
Catch it from: Ambleside · Windermere (change at Ambleside)
The Langdale bus — Pikes, Bowfell, Crinkle Crags, Pike o' Blisco all walkable from the Dungeon Ghyll stops. Seasonal frequency varies; check before relying on the last bus back.

Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com or Traveline before relying on a last bus.

My hikes over Harrison Stickle (Strava)

1 logged hike pass over this summit:

Interactive route maps and photos load here for visitors with JavaScript. Data from Strava.

Hazard & Incident Information for Harrison Stickle

Hazard: Moderate

The highest of the Langdale Pikes, a rugged fell ringed by crags above Great Langdale. Langdale Ambleside MRT is called here for slips and injuries on the steep, rough ascent and descent, for walkers cragfast on the broken ground around the summit, and for exhaustion and exposure — the climb straight up from the valley is short but relentlessly steep.

  • Steep, rough descents to Great Langdale: The ways down toward Dungeon Ghyll and Stickle Ghyll are steep, rocky and hard on tired legs — a common spot for slips and ankle/wrist injuries. Take your time on the descent.
  • Crags around the summit: Broken cliffs surround the top, with Pavey Ark's precipice close by. It is easy to stray onto steep ground in mist — keep to the path and away from edges.
  • Navigation across the Pikes plateau: The cluster of Langdale Pikes is confusing in cloud; carry map and compass and confirm which top you're on before descending.
Who should attempt this fell: A rewarding fell well within most fit walkers' reach, but steeper and rockier than its modest height suggests. Pace the steep ascent, take care on the rough descent, and navigate carefully among the Pikes in cloud — and remember neighbouring Pavey Ark's Jack's Rake is a serious scramble, not a walking route.

Most common causes: Slips and lower-limb injuries on the steep descent · Walkers cragfast on broken ground · Exhaustion and exposure on the steep climb

Local Mountain Rescue: Langdale Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team · Reviewed 13 Jun 2026

Safety: Hazard guidance compiled from published Mountain Rescue reports and well-documented accident history - editorial background, not a live feed of callouts. Always check current conditions, carry proper navigation equipment, and seek qualified instruction before heading onto the fells. In an emergency, call 999, ask for Police, then Mountain Rescue.

Report incorrect information

Navigating Harrison Stickle in cloud

Straightforward

A rough, rocky summit ringed by crags, with no single obvious way off in poor visibility. Navigation here is relatively straightforward even in cloud — but carry map and compass and know how to use them; a low score never means “safe”.

In winter — snow, whiteout, cornices, buried features — every top demands full winter navigation skills whatever its band, and a broad, gentle summit can be the worst place of all. See walking in bad weather and the navigation guide.

How Harrison Stickle compares with all 214 — the Clag Index: navigating in cloud. A relative, deliberately cautious guide; the site can’t navigate for you.

Other fells near Harrison Stickle

Maps & guidebooks for Harrison Stickle

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