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

Pike of Stickle, a Lake District fell
Wainwright — Central FellsAlso a Birkett

Pike of Stickle

Pike of Stickle at 709m (2,326ft) is the most distinctive of the Langdale Pikes — a soaring, pointed summit of volcanic rock that thrusts skyward above the head of Langdale.

708 m
Height
~3–4 h
Typical time
+7
Bonus Birketts
See routes & download GPX →

Home › Fells › Pike of Stickle

Written and walked by Lee McCoy · Last reviewed

708 mWainwright — Central Fells✓ summit is also a Birkett+7 bonus Birketts within 3 km Straightforward in cloud

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

Modelled guidance for the 708 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 40 mph, 12.1 mm of rain forecast.

Tue 28 Jul
🌧️
14° / 13°
💨 40 mph
🌧 12.1 mm (100%)
Wed 29 Jul
🌧️
14° / 11°
💨 32 mph
🌧 8.4 mm (100%)
Thu 30 Jul
🌦️
12° / 5°
💨 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° / 6°
💨 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 708 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

Pike of Stickle

Pike of Stickle, a Lake District fell
© Lee McCoy

Pike of Stickle at 709m (2,326ft) is the most distinctive of the Langdale Pikes — a soaring, pointed summit of volcanic rock that thrusts skyward above the head of Langdale. Wainwright described it as the most shapely and exciting of the four Langdale summits, its steep sides and pointed top making it recognisable from miles away. The ascent from Stickle Tarn is a short, steep scramble, and the summit views — particularly down into the deep hollow of Dungeon Ghyll and across to Harrison Stickle — are magnificent. Near the summit is one of the finest Neolithic stone axe factories in Britain.

Routes up Pike of 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
708 m
Height
2,323 ft
In feet
NY 2739 0735
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 1.9 km from the summit (straight line). Full parking, toilets and bus details are below.

Birketts near Pike of 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.

0.6 km ESEThorn Crag644 m · Central
1.9 km SWWhite Stones - The Band568 m · Southern
2.0 km WNWBlack Crags (Mickleden)588 m · Southern
2.2 km WBuck Pike (Mickleden)606 m · Southern
2.3 km NECodale Head732 m · Central
2.7 km SESide Pike362 m · Central
2.8 km NNELow White Stones731 m · Central

Routes over Pike of 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 Pike of 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 Pike of Stickle36 labelled tops shown (7 distant behind the far-horizon toggle). Theoretical visibility in perfect clarity; computed from terrain, not photographed.eye levelNNEESESSWWNWScafell Pike · 6 kmHelvellyn · 10 kmSkiddaw · 22 kmGreat End · 5 kmGreat Gable · 7 kmHigh Crag · 9 kmRaise · 12 kmFairfield · 10 kmCrinkle Crags · 4 kmGategill Fell Top · 20 kmGrasmoor · 16 kmCrag Hill · 15 kmHigh Street · 17 kmHigh Stile · 13 kmHigh Raise · 18 kmSwirl How · 7 kmGrisedale Pike · 17 kmLooking Steads · 4 kmGrey Friar · 7 kmWetherlam · 6 kmHigh Raise · 2 kmLittle Stand · 5 kmJenkin Hill · 20 kmYoke · 16 kmCold Pike · 4 kmGreat Knott · 3 kmBowfell · 3 kmLord's Seat · 20 kmHarrison Stickle · 1 kmLoft Crag · 0 kmBinsey · 29 kmRossett Pike · 2 kmThorn Crag · 1 kmHigh Seat · 11 kmWard's Stone · 58 km · clear daysThe Calf · 41 km · clear daysHelvellyn Lower Man · 10 kmDollywaggon Pike · 9 kmSt Sunday Crag · 11 kmHart Crag · 10 kmKirk Fell · 8 kmGreen Gable · 7 kmAllen Crags · 4 kmThornthwaite Crag · 16 kmGlaramara · 4 kmWandope · 15 kmBlack Sails · 7 kmBuck Pike · 10 kmLong Side · 21 kmLonscale Fell · 20 kmBrandreth · 8 kmEsk Pike · 4 kmCrinkle Crags South Top · 4 kmShelter Crags · 3 kmDovenest Top · 4 kmWhernside · 53 km · clear daysSergeant's Crag · 4 kmSwinklebank Crag · 23 kmRosthwaite Fell · 5 kmBlake Rigg · 4 kmWild Boar Fell · 49 km · clear daysLingmoor Fell · 4 kmCat Bells · 13 kmHawk Rigg · 6 kmBrunt Knott · 22 kmGreat Intake · 6 kmBlack Fell · 9 kmReston Scar · 20 kmWhite Hill · 63 km · clear daysScout Scar · 26 kmSnowdon · 167 km · a handful of days a yearArenig Fawr · 176 km · a handful of days a yearTinto · 131 km · a handful of days a yearGreen Lowther · 111 km · a rare clear dayGreat Whernside · 80 km · a rare clear dayWinter Hill · 100 km · a rare clear dayHart Fell · 107 km · a rare clear day
What you can see from Pike of Stickle, by direction
  • North: Knowe Crags (20 km), Skiddaw Lesser Man (20 km), Skiddaw Little Man (20 km), Gategill Fell Top (20 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 (10 km), Cofa Pike (10 km), Nethermost Pike (10 km), Helvellyn (10 km), Helvellyn Lower Man (10 km), White Side (11 km), St Sunday Crag (11 km), Gavel Pike (12 km), Raise (12 km)
  • East: Hart Crag (10 km), Dove Crag (10 km), Thornthwaite Crag (16 km), High Street (17 km), High Raise (18 km)
  • South: Swirl How (7 km)
  • South-west: Crinkle Crags (3 km), Crinkle Crags (4 km)
  • West: Allen Crags (4 km), Great End (5 km), Scafell Pike (6 km), Kirk Fell (8 km)
  • North-west: Looking Steads (4 km), Glaramara (4 km), Green Gable (7 km), Great Gable (7 km), High Stile (13 km), High Stile (13 km), Crag Hill (15 km), Grasmoor (16 km), Grisedale Pike (17 km)

On the clearest days the far horizon adds: Snowdon (167 km, Wales), Carnedd Llewelyn (155 km, Wales), Moel Siabod (163 km, Wales), Arenig Fawr (176 km, Wales), Tinto (131 km, Scotland), Green Lowther (111 km, Scotland), Queensberry (97 km, Scotland), Culter Fell (124 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 (CC BY 4.0). See how we compute the view · and the summit intervisibility report below.

What you can see from Pike of Stickle

On a clear day — computed sightlines, curvature- and refraction-corrected.
71Wainwrights in view+18 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 · 151 km clear
  • Ingleborough Yorkshire DalesSE · 58 km clear
  • Solway Firth bay/estuaryNNW · 58 km in view
  • Whernside Yorkshire DalesESE · 53 km clear
  • Morecambe Bay bay/estuarySSE · 40 km in view
All 71 Wainwrights in clear view (nearest first)

Loft Crag, Harrison Stickle, Thunacar Knott, Pavey Ark, High Raise (High White Stones), Rossett Pike, Bowfell, Pike of Blisco, Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle), Esk Pike, Allen Crags, Cold Pike, Sergeant's Crag, Lingmoor Fell (Brown How), Glaramara, Eagle Crag, Great End, Silver How, Rosthwaite Fell - Bessyboot, Scafell Pike, Great Carrs, Wetherlam, Swirl How, Green Gable, Great Gable, Grey Friar, Great Crag (Stonethwaite), Loughrigg Fell, Holme Fell, Seat Sandal, Kirk Fell, Great Rigg, Black Fell, Grange Fell (Brund Fell), Dollywaggon Pike, Fairfield, Dale Head, Dow Crag, High Spy, Nethermost Pike, Hart Crag, High Seat, St Sunday Crag, High Crag (Buttermere), Robinson, Bleaberry Fell, Cat Bells (Catbells), High Stile, Baystones (Wansfell), Ard Crags, Causey Pike, Scar Crags, Sail, Crag Hill (Eel Crag), Sour Howes, Grasmoor, Yoke, Sallows, Grisedale Pike, Hopegill Head, Lonscale Fell, Dodd (Skiddaw), Barf, Skiddaw Little Man, Lord's Seat, Carl Side, Long Side, Ullock Pike, Skiddaw, Knott, Binsey

How Pike of 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 Pike of 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) — 1.9 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) — 2.1 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 Pike of 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 Pike of 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 Pike of Stickle

Hazard: Moderate

A striking, steep-sided rocky dome — one of the Langdale Pikes — whose summit is gained by a short but genuine scramble, and whose great south scree gully has a long accident record. Langdale Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team is repeatedly called here to walkers who slip or come to grief on the Pike o' Stickle screes, and the steep ground all around demands care in cloud.

  • The Pike o' Stickle screes / south gully: The steep scree gully on the south side is a notorious accident spot — slips and 'scree running' here have caused repeated head, back and leg injuries. It is loose, steep and fast: do not scree-run, descend it with great care if at all, and treat it as a serious slope rather than a shortcut.
  • The summit scramble: The final few metres to the top are a short rock scramble — straightforward for the confident in the dry, but exposed and awkward when wet or icy, and a fall from it would be serious. Use hands, test holds, and don't commit if unsure.
  • Steep flanks & plateau navigation: The cone falls away steeply on all sides, and the broad Langdale Pikes plateau around it is easy to misread in mist (steep ground toward Langdale and Mickleden). Keep back from the edges and navigate by compass between the Pikes.
Who should attempt this fell: Pike of Stickle packs real steepness into a small fell. Treat the south screes with respect — never scree-run them, and descend with care — and take the short summit scramble steadily, avoiding it in the wet or in ice if you're not confident. Keep clear of the steep edges and navigate the plateau by compass in cloud. Full winter competence when there is snow or ice on the rock.

Most common causes: Slips and falls on the steep south scree gully, including from 'scree running' · Falls on the short summit scramble, especially when wet or iced · Walkers straying onto steep ground off the plateau in cloud · Underestimating the steepness of a small but rocky peak

Local Mountain Rescue: Langdale Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team · Reviewed 14 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 Pike of Stickle in cloud

Straightforward

A broad, gently-sloping top with little to steer by — easy to lose your bearings and hard to relocate in mist. 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 Pike of 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 Pike of Stickle

Maps & guidebooks for Pike of Stickle

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