Esk Pike and Great End

The walk, stage by stage

1. 1

   Start → Esk Pike (7.2 km, 815 m)

   Climb of about 815 m over 7.2 km (around 11% average).

   Depart the valley floor and make the long, gradual approach along the main track before beginning the steep, stepped ascent up the fellside via the pitched stones of the main gill. The gradient eventually eases as you reach the high mountain tarn basin, wrapping around the water before climbing to the busy crossroads. From the hause, turn south-west and tackle the final, rockier push up the prominent ridge to the true summit of Esk Pike

   Waypoints

   Valley floor track, steep zig-zags of the pitched gill path, high mountain tarn (Angle Tarn), Esk Hause shelter, Esk Pike summit (890m)

   Decision point

   The pitched stone path serves as an unmistakable handrail for the primary ascent out of the valley. At the high crossroads of Esk Hause, look for the prominent low stone cross-shelter to orient yourself before taking a south-westerly bearing straight up the rocky spine to Esk Pike

   Easy to get wrong

   The initial valley approach can be boggy after heavy rain, but the real physical test is the relentless, pitched stone path up the gill, which can be treacherous and icy in winter conditions. The upper slopes of Esk Pike are littered with fractured rock, boulders, and loose scree, requiring careful footwork and focus, particularly when the clag drops and the rock is slick from rain

   If you need to get off

   Before reaching the high tarn, simply turn around and descend the pitched path back to the valley. If weather closes in on the final summit push, the safest retreat is to retrace your steps carefully back down the rocky ridge to the Esk Hause crossroads, where you can descend the established paths away from the exposure

2. 2

   Esk Pike → Great End (2.1 km, 159 m)

   Climb of about 159 m over 2.1 km (around 8% average).

   Descend the rough, rocky northern ridge of Esk Pike, taking care on the loose stones, to reach the busy junction at Esk Hause. From the hause, pick up the prominent path heading north-west towards the Scafell massif, branching right at Calf Cove to ascend the broad, boulder-strewn back of Great End to its flat, expansive summit plateau

   Waypoints

   Esk Pike northern descent ridge, Esk Hause (759m), Calf Cove junction, Great End summit plateau (910m), North West and Central cairns

   Decision point

   The red, iron-rich soil around Esk Hause is a distinctive visual marker in the saddle. On the ascent to Great End, follow the cairns threading through the boulder field; in poor visibility, a strict compass bearing is absolutely essential on the plateau to safely locate the true summit and avoid the lethal northern crags

   Easy to get wrong

   The descent off Esk Pike is notably rough and loose underfoot. The ascent up Great End is notoriously bouldery; navigating the expansive, featureless summit plateau in thick clag is highly disorientating. It is absolutely critical to stay well back from the sheer northern and north-western crags (Great End Crag), which drop away vertically and present a fatal hazard

   If you need to get off

   The Esk Hause junction is your primary bail point. If the weather turns foul on the way up Great End, abort the summit push and retreat back down to Esk Hause, where you can easily drop into either Langdale or Borrowdale via the main valley paths. Never attempt to descend the craggy northern or western faces of Great End under any circumstances

3. Great End → Finish (8.4 km, 125 m)

   Climb of about 125 m over 8.4 km (around 1% average).

   Navigate carefully off the rocky summit plateau of Great End, retracing your route south-east to avoid the crags, and descend back into Calf Cove and towards the main junction at Esk Hause. From here, begin the long, primary descent back down to the valley, rejoining the main arterial path past the tarn and down the gill. The route undulates slightly over lower ground before picking up the long, flat valley track back to the start point

   Waypoints

   Great End summit, Calf Cove, Esk Hause, high mountain tarn, main descent gill, valley floor track, finish point

   Decision point

   Ensure the sheer drop of the crags remains well to your north/north-west on the initial descent off the plateau. Once back at the main hause, the pitched path and the line of the descending gill provide a continuous, fail-safe handrail all the way back down to the valley floor

   Easy to get wrong

   The initial descent off Great End demands absolute navigational accuracy to safely bypass the sheer crags, especially in low visibility. The long descent down the pitched gill is punishing on the knees and can be slippery. In summer, the lower valley sections can be choked with thick bracken, sometimes concealing the edges of the path and hiding potential trip hazards

   If you need to get off

   As this is the final descent stage, the route itself acts as your escape path. If a member of the party is struggling with the steep, stepped descent down the gill, take it slowly and use walking poles to relieve knee strain; ensure you stay strictly on the main path, as dropping into adjacent, pathless gullies can quickly lead to dangerously steep, craggy ground