Pavey Ark
Pavey Ark at 700m (2,297ft) is the great crag above Stickle Tarn in Great Langdale — its massive cliff face dropping nearly 100m from rim to tarn and offering some of the finest rock climbing in the Lake District.
Is it worth going? — Today’s conditions & 7-day summit forecast
Modelled guidance for the 702 m summit. Always check the Met Office mountain forecast and MWIS before you set off.
On the summit today (Tue 28 Jul): 14° to 13°C, gusts to 38 mph, 11.8 mm of rain forecast.
Forecast snapshot from 28 Jul 2026, 04:58 UTC — refreshed nightly and updated live in your browser. Temperatures and gusts adjusted to the 702 m summit altitude via Open-Meteo. Summit conditions are always harsher than the valley — check the professional mountain forecasts before you go.
About the walk
Pavey Ark
- Height
- 702 m (2,303 ft)
- How long
- ~3–4 h
- How hard
- Pavey Ark is a straightforward fell walk that happens to have one of Lakeland’s most serious scrambles on its face — and you never have to touch it.
- Weather today
- 🌧️ 14°/13°C, gusts 38 mph
- Parking
- Stickle Ghyll / New Dungeon Ghyll (NT, paid)
Short version: Pavey Ark is a straightforward fell walk that happens to have one of Lakeland’s most serious scrambles on its face — and you never have to touch it. The walkers’ path avoids the crag entirely and reaches the same summit; on our own grading the Langdale Pikes round that takes it rates exposure only Moderate. Steep, rocky and a proper hill day, but no scrambling required.
How to avoid Jack’s Rake: simply don’t start up the crag. The Rake is the obvious diagonal line slanting up the cliff above Stickle Tarn — if you are on rock with the tarn dropping away beneath you, you are on it. The walkers’ path keeps right around the crag and comes at the summit from behind. There is no shame in the walk-round: it is the normal way up this fell.
Is Jack’s Rake harder than Striding Edge? They are different kinds of hard, and on our own ratings the Rake is the more serious of the two. We grade Striding Edge ourselves because our Helvellyn route goes over it — exposure Severe, a Grade 1 arête where the drops on both sides are the whole character of the thing, but where you can usually see your line and back off it. We deliberately don’t route up Jack’s Rake: our hazard rating for it is extreme — the only such rating on this fell — because it is a committing line up a crag face, polished by boots, lethal when wet, and hard to retreat from once you are in it. Its characteristic emergency isn’t a slip on an open ridge; it is being stuck partway up, unable to go on or back. If you are weighing the two, that difference — retreat versus commitment — matters more than any grade.
Routes up Pavey Ark
Hand-mapped, with GPX to download — full maps further down.
Map & nearby Birketts
Skip mapFree mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap (switch layers top-right). Parking positions are approximate.
Nearest parking: Stickle Ghyll / New Dungeon Ghyll (NT, paid), about 1.8 km from the summit (straight line). Full parking, toilets and bus details are below.
Birketts near Pavey Ark (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.
Routes over Pavey Ark
✎️ 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.
A planned line is a suggestion, not a guarantee — conditions change. Navigate independently and carry a map & compass.
The View from Pavey Ark
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.
What you can see from Pavey Ark, by direction
- North-east: Dollywaggon Pike (8 km), High Crag (8 km), Fairfield (8 km), Cofa Pike (8 km), Nethermost Pike (9 km), Helvellyn (9 km), Helvellyn Lower Man (9 km), St Sunday Crag (10 km), Gavel Pike (10 km), Stybarrow Dodd (12 km), Great Dodd (14 km)
- East: Great Rigg (8 km), Hart Crag (9 km), Dove Crag (9 km), Red Screes (11 km), Stony Cove Pike (14 km), Thornthwaite Crag (15 km), High Street (16 km), High Raise (17 km)
- South: Swirl How (7 km), Grey Friar (8 km), Great How (8 km), Brim Fell (10 km), The Old Man of Coniston (10 km)
- South-west: Crinkle Crags (4 km), Crinkle Crags (5 km)
- West: Esk Pike (5 km), Great End (6 km), Ill Crag (6 km), Broad Crag (7 km), Scafell Pike (7 km), Great Gable (8 km), Scafell (8 km)
- North-west: Looking Steads (4 km), Glaramara (5 km), Sail (15 km), Wandope (15 km), Crag Hill (16 km), Grasmoor (17 km), Grisedale Pike (17 km)
On the clearest days the far horizon adds: Snowdon (168 km, Wales), Carnedd Llewelyn (156 km, Wales), Cairnsmore [Black Craig of Dee] (98 km, Scotland), Great Whernside (79 km, England), Y Garn (162 km, Wales), Winter Hill (100 km, England), Buckden Pike (74 km, England), Shalloch on Minnoch (120 km, Scotland).
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 (opens in new tab) (CC BY 4.0). See how we compute the view · and the summit intervisibility report below.
What you can see from Pavey Ark
On a clear day — computed sightlines, curvature- and refraction-corrected.On the clearest days the view reaches across to Wales and Scotland.
- Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) Wales
- Carnedd Llewelyn Wales
- Merrick Scotland
- Ingleborough Yorkshire Dales
- Whernside Yorkshire Dales
- Morecambe Bay bay/estuary
All 63 Wainwrights in clear view (nearest first)
Thunacar Knott, Harrison Stickle, Sergeant Man, Pike of Stickle, Blea Rigg, Tarn Crag (Easedale), Lingmoor Fell (Brown How), Pike of Blisco, Gibson Knott, Bowfell, Silver How, Helm Crag, Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle), Esk Pike, Steel Fell (Dead Pike - Steel Fell), Stone Arthur, Wetherlam, Loughrigg Fell, Scafell Pike, Seat Sandal, Great Carrs, Nab Scar, Heron Pike (Rydal), Swirl How, Great Rigg, Scafell, Grey Friar, Holme Fell, Dollywaggon Pike, Fairfield, Black Fell, Nethermost Pike, Low Pike, Hart Crag, High Pike (Scandale), Helvellyn, Dove Crag, Brim Fell, Dale Head, High Spy, St Sunday Crag, The Old Man of Coniston (Coniston Old Man), Hindscarth, Red Screes, Robinson, Baystones (Wansfell), Stybarrow Dodd, Stony Cove Pike (Caudale Moor), Ard Crags, Causey Pike, Thornthwaite Crag, Scar Crags, Sail, Sour Howes, Ill Bell, Wandope, Yoke, Crag Hill (Eel Crag), Sallows, High Street, Grasmoor, Grisedale Pike, High Raise (High Street)
How Pavey Ark’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 Pavey Ark
Where we have the data, each parking spot also shows the nearest public toilets and facilities (cafés, pubs, shops).
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:
On the Langdale Pikes Round route:
💧 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 Pavey Ark from Penrith / Ambleside / Windermere
Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com (opens in new tab) or Traveline before relying on a last bus.
My hikes over Pavey Ark (Strava)
1 logged hike pass over this summit:
- 8 Wainwrights today - had some catching up to do! (opens in new tab) — 14.5 km · 1013 m ascent · 4h 23m moving · 1 Jun 2024
Interactive route maps and photos load here for visitors with JavaScript. Data from Strava.
Hazard & Incident Information for Pavey Ark
The largest crag in the Central Fells, and the setting for Jack's Rake — one of the most accident-prone scrambles in the Lake District. Langdale Ambleside MRT is repeatedly called to the Rake for fatal and serious falls as well as walkers who get cragfast partway up and cannot go on or back. There is, however, a straightforward walkers' path that avoids the crag entirely.
- Jack's Rake: A committing grade 1 scramble up the crag face that has caused several deaths and many serious falls and cragfast rescues. Exposed, polished and lethal when wet. Only for confident scramblers in dry conditions — and once committed it is hard to retreat. If in any doubt, don't.
- Crag edge above Stickle Tarn: Steep cliffs drop from near the summit. Keep back from the edge, especially in wind or cloud.
Most common causes: Fatal and serious falls on Jack's Rake · Scramblers becoming cragfast on the Rake · Slips on wet, polished rock
Local Mountain Rescue: Langdale Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team (opens in new tab) · 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.
Navigating Pavey Ark in cloud
SevereA broad, gently-sloping top with little to steer by — easy to lose your bearings and hard to relocate in mist. A serious place to be caught in cloud: carry map and compass (or GPS) and know how to use them, or save it for a clear day.
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 Pavey Ark compares with all 214 — the Clag Index: navigating in cloud. A relative, deliberately cautious guide; the site can’t navigate for you.
Frequently asked questions about Pavey Ark
Is Pavey Ark hard to climb?
It depends entirely on the route. Pavey Ark (700 m / 2,297 ft) is the great cliff above Stickle Tarn in Langdale, and there are two very different ways up:
- The walkers' route skirts round to the north and reaches the summit on a path with no scrambling — straightforward for any fit walker.
- Jack's Rake climbs the face itself — a serious Grade 1 scramble and one of the most accident-prone spots in the Lakes.
So Pavey Ark is easy or genuinely dangerous depending on which line you choose.
Sources: Langdale Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team (opens in new tab)
How hard and how dangerous is Jack's Rake?
Jack's Rake is a Grade 1 scramble that cuts diagonally up the face of Pavey Ark. Although 'only' Grade 1, it is steep, committing and exposed, the rock is polished, and because the groove acts as a natural drainage channel it is wet and slippery after rain. It is a well-known accident hotspot that has claimed lives.
Only attempt it if you're a confident scrambler, in dry conditions, with a head for heights — and never in wet, ice or strong wind. Once committed it is hard to retreat.
Sources: British Mountaineering Council — Jack's Rake (opens in new tab)
Can you climb Pavey Ark without doing Jack's Rake?
Yes — and most walkers do. From Stickle Tarn a path skirts to the right (north) of the crag and climbs gentler ground to the summit (the North Rake area), avoiding the cliff entirely with no scrambling.
So you can enjoy Pavey Ark and its tremendous views over Stickle Tarn without ever setting foot on Jack's Rake. If in any doubt about the Rake, take the walkers' route.
Sources: Langdale Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team (opens in new tab)
How do you get to Pavey Ark, and how long does it take?
The usual approach is from the New Dungeon Ghyll in Great Langdale, up the popular Stickle Ghyll path to Stickle Tarn — about 45–60 minutes to the tarn, from where the cliff (and the start of Jack's Rake) is in full view.
Allow roughly 3.5–4 hours for a round taking in Pavey Ark and Harrison Stickle, longer for a fuller Langdale Pikes circuit.
Sources: The Great Outdoors — Jack's Rake route guide (opens in new tab)
Is Pavey Ark suitable for beginners or children?
By the walkers' route, yes — a fit beginner or sure-footed older child can reach the summit on the path that avoids the crag. Keep well back from the cliff edge at the top, which drops sheer to Stickle Tarn.
Jack's Rake is not for beginners or children — it's a serious, exposed scramble with a grim accident record. Don't take an inexperienced party onto it.
Sources: Langdale Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team (opens in new tab)
What should I wear and take for Pavey Ark?
Wear proper walking boots with good grip and carry warm, waterproof layers — even the walkers' route is a proper fell. Take a map and compass: the broad plateau behind the summit (toward Thunacar Knott) is featureless and the crag edge is close by.
If you intend Jack's Rake, go only in dry, settled conditions with scrambling confidence — and have the sense (and a plan) to switch to the walkers' route if the rock is wet or the weather turns.
Questions drawn from real Google “People also ask” searches; answers written and fact-checked by us. · Reviewed 2026-06-14 · Suggest a question or correction (opens in new tab)
Other fells near Pavey Ark
- Armboth Fell (Armboth Fell South Top)
- Blea Rigg
- Bleaberry Fell
- Calf Crag
- Eagle Crag
- Gibson Knott
- Grange Fell (Brund Fell)
- Great Crag (Stonethwaite)
- Harrison Stickle
- Helm Crag
- High Raise (High White Stones)
- High Rigg (Naddle Fell)
- High Seat
- High Tove
- Loft Crag
- Loughrigg Fell
- Pike of Stickle
- Raven Crag
- Sergeant Man
- Sergeant's Crag
- Silver How
- Steel Fell (Dead Pike - Steel Fell)
- Tarn Crag (Easedale)
- Thunacar Knott
- Ullscarf
- Walla Crag
Maps & guidebooks for Pavey Ark
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