Langdale Pikes Round
Photo: © Lee McCoy
Key facts
Difficulty profile
Five independent axes, not one score. “Desk” ratings come from maps and guidebooks, not yet walked — treat them as a guide, not a survey.
Conditions on this route
We score every Lakeland Wainwright each morning on cloud, wind, rain and underfoot, and this route crosses 7 of them. The worst summit governs the verdict — a route is only as kind as its roughest top.
Modelled guidance — not a substitute for the mountain forecast or your own judgement. See how every fell ranks today →
Daylight & turnaround
Daylight is short from October to February — check today’s sunrise and sunset before you set off, and carry a head-torch and spare batteries. On short days, decide your turn-back time before you start.
Why this matters: 78% of Mountain Rescue call-outs come after midday — the day runs out on the way home, not on the way up. See also walking in bad weather and today’s conditions.
The path beneath your boots
On the peat of Martcrag Moor, below the Langdale Pikes, Fix the Fells floated the path on sheep-fleece rafts across the bog — wool spreading the load where a hard path would simply sink.
Fix the Fells built and maintains this path. How a fell path is made → · Give back (opens in new tab)
Path-repair data © Fix the Fells (National Trust / Lake District National Park). Source (opens in new tab).
1 Sergeant Man2 High Raise (High White Stones)3 Thunacar Knott4 Pavey Ark5 Harrison Stickle6 Pike of Stickle7 Loft Crag8 Thorn Crag
Easy 62%Moderate 24%Hard 6%Severe 7%
Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap (switch layers top-right).
This walk covers about 12.34 km with around 830 m of ascent, taking in 8 summits. The map above shows the line; the elevation profile and stage notes are below.
Access & barriers
Can a dog, a buggy or dodgy knees manage this route? A quick read from the gates and stiles mapped along the way.
- Dog: A stile of unmapped type — a dog may need lifting over.
- Buggy: Stiles or rough going on the route.
- Knees: A long, steep ~49% drop around the 11.1 km mark — hard on the knees.
On the line: 2 gates · 1 kissing gate · 2 stiles (type unmapped)
These are mapped barriers, from OpenStreetMap — coverage in the Lakes is good but not guaranteed complete. Spotted a stile or gate we’ve missed? Tell us (opens in new tab) and we’ll fix it. Barrier data as of 2026-07-09. Access data © OpenStreetMap contributors (via Overpass).
Pacing
| Summit | Cumulative | Ascent | Time (fast–steady) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Sergeant Man | 4.2 km | 629 m | 1:53–2:30 |
| 2High Raise (High White Stones) | 5.1 km | 677 m | 2:09–2:51 |
| 3Thunacar Knott | 6.7 km | 710 m | 2:31–3:21 |
| 4Pavey Ark | 7.3 km | 710 m | 2:39–3:32 |
| 5Harrison Stickle | 8.4 km | 785 m | 3:00–3:59 |
| 6Pike of Stickle | 9.4 km | 828 m | 3:16–4:20 |
| 7Loft Crag | 9.9 km | 830 m | 3:22–4:28 |
| 8Thorn Crag | 10.1 km | 830 m | 3:25–4:32 |
| Finish | 12.3 km | 830 m | 3:51–5:07 |
Naismith-based estimate — a fast/steady range. Your pace will vary. These use Naismith’s textbook constants (5 km/h, 600 m of ascent an hour). Measured against a pace fitted to 41 recorded Lakeland walks they run about 8% slow, and we have left them that way deliberately: a slow estimate strands nobody.
The walk, stage by stage
- 1
Great Langdale (New Dungeon Ghyll) → Sergeant Man (4.2 km, 629 m)
Decision pointFrom the New Dungeon Ghyll / Stickle Barn car park follow the signed stone path up Stickle Ghyll, keeping the beck generally on your right and crossing on the made slab bridges; stay on the broadest, most engineered-looking route. At Stickle Tarn cross the dam at the outflow and contour the eastern (right-hand) side with the water on your left, then take the obvious walkers' path up the rough ground below Pavey Ark to the small rocky cairn of Sergeant Man.
Easy to get wrongSteep but straightforward - avoid small trods into bracken. Do NOT take the steep, loose line heading directly into the cliffs above the tarn: that is Jack's Rake, a serious scramble that should be avoided. Sergeant Man is a key junction where several paths fan out, so note your line before moving on.
If you need to get offEarly escape — Stickle Tarn. If energy levels drop or the weather worsens early, do not start the climb to Sergeant Man. Turn around at the dam outflow and descend the engineered stone path alongside Stickle Ghyll straight back down to New Dungeon Ghyll
© Lee McCoy · 3 photographs - 2
Sergeant Man → High Raise (High White Stones) (0.9 km, 47 m)
Decision pointFrom Sergeant Man's cairn follow the clearest path gently north-west, dropping a little onto grassier ground; pick up the intermittent old fence posts and the more worn trod, which lead to the broad summit dome of High Raise with its trig point and shelter.
Easy to get wrongIn poor visibility High Raise is not obvious. If you find yourself heading steeply down towards a tarn you have gone too far east - re-check your bearing.
© Lee McCoy - 3
High Raise (High White Stones) → Thunacar Knott (1.6 km, 34 m)
Decision pointFrom the trig point turn roughly south-east, back towards the Pikes, and pick up a faint but definite path across the grassy plateau (old fence posts mark the line) down to a shallow col and up to the modest summit cairn of Thunacar Knott.
Easy to get wrongDon't drift too far right (towards Greenup Edge) or left (towards Easedale) - aim straight for the jumble of tops above Stickle Tarn. In mist the several knolls and trods are confusing; hold a steady line on the most-used path.
- 4
Thunacar Knott → Pavey Ark (0.6 km, 0 m)
Decision pointFrom Thunacar Knott head south-east towards Stickle Tarn and Pavey Ark on a clear, slightly stony path, weaving between rocky humps; aim for the higher ground above Pavey Ark, with a short detour right to the summit.
Easy to get wrongYou are moving back to the edge of the plateau - in poor visibility stay on the main trod and don't be drawn too far east onto steeper ground. The drops on Pavey Ark's north side are sheer, so keep well back from the edge, and take care not to start down Jack's Rake by mistake.
- 5
Pavey Ark → Harrison Stickle (1.1 km, 75 m)
Decision pointFace south-west towards Harrison Stickle and take the clear path leaving the summit area, dropping over rough grass and stones before climbing a flank of natural steps and rock shelves to the summit cairn.
Easy to get wrongThe trail is well trodden but rocky underfoot - watch your feet. You may need your hands occasionally for balance on the short steep pull, but it stays walking rather than scrambling if you keep to the main line.
If you need to get offPlateau escape — Pavey Ark or Thunacar Knott down to Stickle Tarn. From the plateau north of Pavey Ark, instead of turning left toward Harrison Stickle, turn right (east/south-east) around the gentle northern and eastern grassy shoulder of Pavey Ark to drop safely down to the shores of Stickle Tarn. From the tarn, join the main Stickle Ghyll path for an easy walk back to the valley. Do not head directly east off the summit face of Pavey Ark, or down Jack's Rake. The correct escape contours around the gentler northern slopes and feels straightforward underfoot; if the ground feels steeply drop-off or dangerously rocky, re-check your bearing immediately
- 6
Harrison Stickle → Pike of Stickle (1.0 km, 42 m)
Decision pointDescend west, initially north-west, into Harrison Combe on the obvious path, then follow the often-cairned line across the grassy hollow and climb towards the dome of Pike of Stickle.
Easy to get wrongThe descent drops steeply over rocky steps that can be slick in the wet - take your time and don't cut corners. The final approach to Pike of Stickle is a short, hands-on scramble: keep three points of contact and choose clean rock over loose stones.
If you need to get offValley-facing shortcut — Harrison Combe. Halfway across Harrison Combe, instead of completing the scramble up Pike of Stickle or continuing around the high rim, turn south/south-east directly down the gentle grassy depression of Harrison Combe toward Dungeon Ghyll. This line passes around and below Thorn Crag and joins the engineered Mark Gate stone path for a direct descent to New Dungeon Ghyll, bypassing the scramble and the final crags entirely
© Lee McCoy - 7
Pike of Stickle → Loft Crag (0.5 km, 2 m)
Decision pointCarefully reverse the short scramble back down to the main path, then turn south-east along the high valley rim; the trod skirts the roughest ground and climbs gently to the cairn on Loft Crag, a fine balcony above Great Langdale.
Easy to get wrongTake particular care reversing the scramble if you are tired - face into the rock and use your hands as needed; don't rush.
© Lee McCoy - 8
Loft Crag → Thorn Crag (0.2 km, 0 m)
Decision pointContinue south / south-east on the clear path towards the wide grassy shoulder above Langdale, then look for a slightly fainter trod branching left that contours round and rises the last few metres onto the small rocky top of Thorn Crag.
If you need to get offFinal ridge escape — the Mark Gate descent. Once on the return ridge you can bypass the minor rocky top of Thorn Crag altogether by staying strictly on the main, pitched Mark Gate path. This engineered trail gives a direct, non-technical descent off the ridge to Sticklebarn Tavern and the car park
Thorn Crag → Finish (2.2 km, 0 m)
Decision pointFrom Thorn Crag pick your way carefully south-east off the rocky top to rejoin the main pitched path below - the engineered Mark Gate route - and follow it all the way down to New Dungeon Ghyll, passing the fenced viewpoints for Dungeon Ghyll Force, to the wall and stiles by Stickle Barn where you started.
Easy to get wrongThe path is steep at first on stone steps and gravel before it eases onto greener, more level ground.
© Lee McCoy
Summits bagged (8)
- 1Sergeant Man736 m
- 2High Raise (High White Stones)762 m
- 3Thunacar Knott723 m
- 4Pavey Ark702 m
- 5Harrison Stickle735 m
- 6Pike of Stickle708 m
- 7Loft Crag682 m
- 8Thorn Crag644 m
In the order you walk them — the same numbers the elevation profile, the stage notes and the pacing table use.
Getting there & parking
⛽ Nearest fuel to this start: Hills Garage, Ambleside, 11.6 km by road (Mon 07:00-21:00; Tue 07:00-21:00; Wed 07:00-21:00; Thu 07:00-21:00; Fri 07:00-21:00; Sat 07:00-21:00; Sun 08:00-21:00). Nearest shop: Langdale Co-operative Society, 4.4 km. Both measured along the road from the parking we publish at Old Dungeon Ghyll, checked 8 August 2026. Coming in from a particular direction you may pass a closer one — the last petrol before each valley →
Positions are approximate.
Vehicles are left entirely at their owner’s risk. We list places people park; we cannot vouch for any of them. Judge it on the day: take valuables with you, leave nothing on show, and if a spot feels wrong when you get there, park somewhere else.
Every option near this start, on the parking map →
Water, shelter & getting away
💧 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 — an absent marker does not mean the facility isn’t there.
Buses
The 516 stops at New Dungeon Ghyll Hotel (at), 140 m from this start. Last bus: Monday to Friday 20:13 towards Kendal (516) and 18:13 towards Ambleside (516); Saturday 22:33 towards Kendal (516) and 21:13 towards Ambleside (516); Sunday 20:13 towards Kendal (516) and 18:13 towards Ambleside (516). Checked against the operator’s timetable, 7 September 2026. Times here are a guide, not a promise — leave yourself more than the minute.
The 516 passes this route at 0.0 km (New Dungeon Ghyll Hotel (at), 100 m off the line). It passes again at 11.7 km.
Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com (opens in new tab) or Traveline before travelling.
If the parking is full
There is no real plan B here. Every place we know beside this route serves the same walks and sits close together, so if one is full the others usually are too. Worth starting early, or having a different walk in mind before you set off.
- Side Pike (verge, south)
- New Dungeon Ghyll (LDNPA, paid)
- Stickle Ghyll (NT, paid)
Worked out from the parking we hold within walking reach of this route and the other walks each place serves — two places that serve the same walks fill for the same reasons. We are not saying whether anywhere has spaces today, and we never will: this is what exists, not what is free.
When the sun reaches the tops
Not sunrise — the moment the sun clears the skyline from that summit, which on a fell with high ground to its east can be a good deal later. The two equinoxes are shown because they fall in the walking season, and late December too wherever a top keeps you waiting then; the clock gap between the equinoxes is British Summer Time, not the hill. Rounded to the nearest quarter hour and meant as a general idea, not a schedule.
- Sergeant Man — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00. It waits longest in midsummer — about a quarter of an hour after sunrise.
- High Raise (High White Stones) — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00. It waits longest in midsummer — about a quarter of an hour after sunrise.
- Thunacar Knott — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.
- Pavey Ark — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.
- Harrison Stickle — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.
- Pike of Stickle — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.
- Loft Crag — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00. It waits longest in midsummer — about an hour after sunrise.
Modelled from a 30 m elevation model against each summit’s own skyline — the same figures the fell pages carry, never observed. Cloud is not in it.
Safety & conditions
- 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.
Hazard & incident notes: Loft Crag · Pike of Stickle · Harrison Stickle · Pavey Ark · Thunacar Knott · High Raise (High White Stones) · Sergeant Man
Check live conditions in the “From the fells” panel, on MWIS (opens in new tab) and the Met Office mountain forecast (opens in new tab) before you set off.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: For a shorter day, from the path below Pavey Ark cut round the northern side of Stickle Tarn and to the right of Pavey Ark to bag Thunacar Knott, then pick up the track to Harrison Stickle - skipping the out-and-back to Sergeant Man and High Raise takes at least an hour off.
Short version: turn back at about 6.0 km (drop to Great Langdale (New Dungeon Ghyll)) — roughly half the distance.
Places to stay near this start
From Great Langdale: 3 places in Grasmere
