Stickle Tarn

The walk up

From the valley, the path climbs hard beside Stickle Ghyll, crossing and re-crossing the beck on rock steps as it rises — relentless but never technical — to arrive suddenly at the tarn, with Pavey Ark's cliff reflected in it. It's only about 2.5 miles (4 km) there and back, but it's a genuine steep hour or so up on rough, often greasy rock, so take care on the beck-crossings. Many walkers carry on from the tarn onto the Pikes for the round of the tops.

Wild swimming

Swimming in Stickle Tarn is a spectacular thing — you're floating in a high mountain hollow directly beneath the soaring cliff of Pavey Ark, with Jack's Rake threading up the rock above you. The dam at the outflow keeps the level full, so it's deep enough for a proper swim from the shore. It is, though, a serious, very cold mountain tarn high on the fell: enter slowly, beware cold-water shock, keep your swim short, and warm up straight after. It's an extremely busy honeypot, so pick a quieter corner and follow Leave No Trace.

When to go

Come for the water in spate — after heavy rain, Stickle Ghyll is a thundering staircase of falls and the walk beside it is half the reward. This is one of the busiest short mountain walks in Langdale, so an early start (or an off-season day) makes all the difference; by late morning on a fine weekend the path is a procession. Still days give the classic mirror of Pavey Ark in the tarn; in winter it becomes a proper snow-and-ice objective.

The setting & wildlife

The tarn sits in a high glacial corrie, dammed at its lip and walled on its far side by the 300-foot crag of Pavey Ark — one of the most imposing cliffs in the central fells. The dam is the giveaway to its history (below): the water looks unnaturally full because it is. Around the shore it's bare rock, grass and bog, with ravens and the odd peregrine working the crag above. The reflection of Pavey Ark in still water is one of the great Lakeland set-pieces.

The name & its story

"Stickle" comes from an old word for steep (the Old Norse/Old English stikol) — the same root that names the Langdale Pikes themselves, Harrison Stickle and Pike of Stickle, the "steep ones" above. The tarn's full level is human work: it was dammed in the 19th century to provide a reliable head of water for the Elterwater gunpowder works downstream, which is why its shoreline looks brim-full and squared-off at the outflow — a touch of Lakeland industrial history high on a mountainside.

Family, dogs & accessibility

This is a steep, rocky mountain walk, not a gentle stroll: the path climbs hard and crosses the beck on rock steps that are slippery when wet, with no facilities at the tarn. It's well within reach of fit, sure-footed children who are confident on rough ground, but it's not suitable for pushchairs or wheelchairs. Dogs can do it on a lead, but mind the beck-crossings and the crowds — and note the open crags above the tarn.

The fells & the scramble above

The cliff above is Pavey Ark, its face split by Jack's Rake — a classic, exposed grade-1 scramble for the experienced only, not a walkers' route. The walkers' way curls round to the right to Harrison Stickle, highest of the Langdale Pikes, for the round of the tops, with Pike of Stickle and the rest close by.

Getting there & parking

Without a car: The nearest stations as the crow flies are Windermere (16 km away) and Staveley (21 km away). The bus map has every stop we hold.

Park at the Sticklebarn / New Dungeon Ghyll (National Trust) car park (free to members) or the nearby hotel car parks in Great Langdale; they fill very early on fine days, so arrive in good time. It's car-free-friendly too: the 516 Langdale Rambler bus runs up the valley from Ambleside in season, dropping you right at the foot of the walk.