The Five Lake District fells considered the most dangerous to climb
As Summer is approaching, a hike in the Lake District becomes an appealing prospect to people of all abilities.
However, many fells have hikes that can be dangerous if you are not proficient enough, and with common unpredictability, we have highlighted the most dangerous hikes throughout the Lake District.
Drone shot of Sharp Edge (Image: Stuart Holmes)
Sharp Edge is akin to a knife-edge ridge requiring nerves of steel. It is a fully exposed grade I scramble in the Lake District, not to be undertaken lightly.
Alfred Wainwright described the scramble: 'a rising crest of naked rock, of sensational and spectacular appearance, a breaking wave carved in stone.'
Although only a couple of hundred meters long, the sharp drop either side of the ridge can feel like it takes a lifetime to navigate.
Anywhere We Roam, a travel blog, recommend attempting Sharp Edge if you have some scrambling experience, are comfortable with heights and the conditions are good.
Striding Edge is one of the most famous Lake District hikes (Image: Archive) Striding Edge is the famous and renowned ridge that flanks the south eastern passage to Helvellyn.
The route should Only be tackled if you are experienced and confident enough in your own abilities to do so as many people have come to grief crossing Striding Edge.
An airy ridge walk, the route requires a reasonable head for heights, scrambling skills in both ascent and descent, and experience to make your own judgements as to what is do-able.
Despite its dangers, Striding Edge is also a historic route. This ridge was originally used as a trade route by locals, who would travel between the towns of Ambleside and Patterdale, over time, it became a popular spot for walkers and hikers, who were drawn to its breath-taking views and challenging terrain.
Mountain surveyors climbing Swirral Edge Occupying the same fell as Striding Edge, Swirral Edge is an exposed scramble that should only be attempted if you're confident in your abilities and have a head for heights.
Often used as a descent by walkers attempting Striding Edge, It is steeper but shorter than the aforementioned route.
The views, however, are exceptional and the full panorama which you are granted from the third-highest point in England can be described as mind blowing.
Both routes are mountaineering territory and crampons and axes are often needed along with the skills to use them, especially in winter.
Weatherline service carries daily reports on conditions with advice on whether you need a full winter kit. At any time of year, be wary of strong winds on any narrow ridge.
Scafell Pike is the highest mountain in England (Image: Callum Liptrot) Scafell Pike is the highest mountain in England with an elevation of 978 metres above sea level, and is home to the 'Bad Step' hike.
The Scafell Pike Corridor Route from Seathwaite is said to be a challenging route to the summit of Scafell Pike. It's 16 km in length and involves some scrambling on a couple of sections.
One of the hardest things about the Scafell Pike Corridor Route is its lack of clear waymarkers. This trail slips in and out of ridges following a wobbling path up to the summit. In addition to this, the summit plateau is mostly absent of any trail markings.
Broad Stand is a scramble shortcut onto Scafell, from below it looks like a straightforward way up, but it's more difficult than it first appears and also can be a challenging descent. Consider taking a rope and small rack for protection if you are considering taking on this challenge, and possibly abseiling if you're descending.
The poor rock holds lend itself to a high chance of hikers falling, which could create life threatening injuries.
290,000 people climb Scafell Pike each year, many of them taking part in the ' Three Peaks' to raise money for charity. However this mountain is one that gets the most rescue calls each year with over 600 dealing with people underestimating the challenge ahead.
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Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Yahoo
The Five Lake District fells considered the most dangerous to climb
As Summer is approaching, a hike in the Lake District becomes an appealing prospect to people of all abilities. However, many fells have hikes that can be dangerous if you are not proficient enough, and with common unpredictability, we have highlighted the most dangerous hikes throughout the Lake District. Drone shot of Sharp Edge (Image: Stuart Holmes) Sharp Edge is akin to a knife-edge ridge requiring nerves of steel. It is a fully exposed grade I scramble in the Lake District, not to be undertaken lightly. Alfred Wainwright described the scramble: 'a rising crest of naked rock, of sensational and spectacular appearance, a breaking wave carved in stone.' Although only a couple of hundred meters long, the sharp drop either side of the ridge can feel like it takes a lifetime to navigate. Anywhere We Roam, a travel blog, recommend attempting Sharp Edge if you have some scrambling experience, are comfortable with heights and the conditions are good. Striding Edge is one of the most famous Lake District hikes (Image: Archive) Striding Edge is the famous and renowned ridge that flanks the south eastern passage to Helvellyn. The route should Only be tackled if you are experienced and confident enough in your own abilities to do so as many people have come to grief crossing Striding Edge. An airy ridge walk, the route requires a reasonable head for heights, scrambling skills in both ascent and descent, and experience to make your own judgements as to what is do-able. Despite its dangers, Striding Edge is also a historic route. This ridge was originally used as a trade route by locals, who would travel between the towns of Ambleside and Patterdale, over time, it became a popular spot for walkers and hikers, who were drawn to its breath-taking views and challenging terrain. Mountain surveyors climbing Swirral Edge Occupying the same fell as Striding Edge, Swirral Edge is an exposed scramble that should only be attempted if you're confident in your abilities and have a head for heights. Often used as a descent by walkers attempting Striding Edge, It is steeper but shorter than the aforementioned route. The views, however, are exceptional and the full panorama which you are granted from the third-highest point in England can be described as mind blowing. Both routes are mountaineering territory and crampons and axes are often needed along with the skills to use them, especially in winter. Weatherline service carries daily reports on conditions with advice on whether you need a full winter kit. At any time of year, be wary of strong winds on any narrow ridge. Scafell Pike is the highest mountain in England (Image: Callum Liptrot) Scafell Pike is the highest mountain in England with an elevation of 978 metres above sea level, and is home to the 'Bad Step' hike. The Scafell Pike Corridor Route from Seathwaite is said to be a challenging route to the summit of Scafell Pike. It's 16 km in length and involves some scrambling on a couple of sections. One of the hardest things about the Scafell Pike Corridor Route is its lack of clear waymarkers. This trail slips in and out of ridges following a wobbling path up to the summit. In addition to this, the summit plateau is mostly absent of any trail markings. Broad Stand is a scramble shortcut onto Scafell, from below it looks like a straightforward way up, but it's more difficult than it first appears and also can be a challenging descent. Consider taking a rope and small rack for protection if you are considering taking on this challenge, and possibly abseiling if you're descending. The poor rock holds lend itself to a high chance of hikers falling, which could create life threatening injuries. 290,000 people climb Scafell Pike each year, many of them taking part in the ' Three Peaks' to raise money for charity. However this mountain is one that gets the most rescue calls each year with over 600 dealing with people underestimating the challenge ahead.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Yahoo
'Unseen' Alfred Wainwright items go on show
Never-before-seen items belonging to walker and writer Alfred Wainwright are going on show in the Lake District ahead of the 70th anniversary of his first book. A previously unpublished photograph of Wainwright and two copper printing plates will be displayed at The Armitt museum in Ambleside as part of an exhibition opening later. The event will also showcase artwork, book printing negatives and a manuscript, as well as objects he owned and used. Wainwright wrote and illustrated seven guides to the Lakeland fells, which have gone on to sell more than two million copies. Wainwright archivist and exhibition co-curator Chris Butterfield said it "celebrates the extraordinary contribution to Cumbrian literary and cultural history" made by the famously taciturn writer. The Armitt's manager and curator Faye Morrissey said Ambleside held "special significance in Wainwright's story" as the writer began the fieldwork for his first book in the area in 1952 as he detailed a route to Dove Crag. She described Wainwright as "such an important individual for the Lakes", adding "the timing of the exhibition makes it even more appropriate to acknowledge his legacy here in Ambleside". The exhibition will run until December. Having been raised in poverty amid Blackburn's cotton mills in the early 20th Century, the lakes and their wide-open vistas captured Wainwright's heart. He spent several years making weekend bus journeys from his then-home in Kendal, making pen-line drawings of more than 200 hills and mountains, as well as handwriting descriptions for each one. His first book, which focused on the Eastern fells, was published in May 1955. The guidebook writer fuelled by fish and chips He combined his exploring with his day job as borough treasurer of Kendal, obsessively spending his evenings writing up notes gleaned from his Saturday and Sunday trips. It was, he told Radio 4's Desert Island Discs in 1988, something he took on "more for my amusement than anything else". "It ended finally," he went on to say, "with my [first] wife walking out and taking the dog, and I never saw her again". Upon completion of his pictorial guides to the fells, Wainwright wrote other books including titles on the Pennine Way. He also devised a west-east coast-to-coast route and found new generations of fans in the 1980s when he starred in three BBC series focusing on his walks. He died in January 1991 with his ashes scattered in the Lake District at his favourite spot, Innominate Tarn, near the summit of Haystacks. Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Send your story ideas here. Man, 91, climbs fell for friend Alfred Wainwright The guidebook writer fuelled by fish and chips The Armitt
Yahoo
10-11-2024
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What Rishi Sunak can expect on the Coast to Coast walk – as he bids to make it ‘UK's greatest national trail'
The Coast to Coast walk may just be the holy grail of British long-distance footpaths: a rambling 190-mile trek from St Bees in Cumbria to Robin Hood's Bay in Yorkshire, crossing the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors national parks on its journey between the western and eastern seaboards of England. The route was created in 1975 by legendary hillwalker Alfred Wainwright in his book A Coast to Coast Walk, but in recent years another, perhaps unlikely, figure is attempting to position himself as its saviour: Rishi Sunak. While not known primarily as a vigorous outdoorsman, Sunak has made much of his successful campaign to have the legendary Coast to Coast walk, which passes through his North Yorkshire constituency of Richmond and Northallerton, turned into an official national trail. At the end of October, in his final Prime Minister's Questions as leader of the Conservative Party, Sunak called on PM Keir Starmer to ensure that the planned upgrades to the route, which are due to be completed in 2025, go ahead – and he even claimed that he is planning on walking the route himself. If Sunak does decide to follow in Wainwright's footsteps, what can he expect now that his mission to turn the walk into an official national trail is almost complete? Muddy boots It is hard to imagine that many people could single-handedly obliterate the cultural cachet of a fashionable clothing item quite as devastatingly as Rishi Sunak did to the ascendant Adidas Samba in April. Rishi would be well advised to leave the snow-white sneakers at home, however, if he does embark on the Coast to Coast. For one thing, tradition dictates that the first act of this coast-to-coast walk is to stroll across the sand at St Bees and dunk your boots in the Irish Sea. Only when you have done the same in the North Sea at Robin Hood's Bay can you consider your journey complete. Another tradition demands that walkers pick up a stone on the western beach, carry it with them the whole way, and then deposit it in the ocean upon reaching Yorkshire's east coast. In between, sturdy boots are needed to tackle some of the country's most beautiful and (in places) challenging footpaths. The Lake District is the prettiest part of the walk but also the trickiest, with lakeside scrambles on Ennerdale Water and lung-busting ascents up fells such as Eagle Crag. If he's feeling brave, Rishi can claim his place among the most hardened Coast to Coasters by choosing to tackle Helvellyn's vertiginous Striding Edge, a knife-blade ridge which will include one of the national trail's optional 'braided' sections (as it does in Wainwright's book). Sensible signage In keeping with all 16 UK national trails, the Coast to Coast will soon become very well signposted with waymarkers bearing the national trails' ubiquitous acorn symbol, ensuring it will be more or less impossible to get lost. Some Coast to Coast purists, however, are concerned that this will injure the spirit of the trail. Wainwright's intention, as stated in his book, was not to create a prescriptive route, but to inspire people to choose their own adventure. 'I want to encourage in others the ambition to devise with the aid of maps their own cross-country marathons,' he wrote, 'and not be merely followers of other people's routes.' Historically, part of the fun of the Coast to Coast was getting lost, having to pick your way across boggy mires or navigate crumbling footpaths. That will no longer be so commonplace after the 'upgrades' to the route, which include not only signposting but laying flagstones over some of the boggiest sections of the North York Moors. However, the national trails planners are making concessions to these concerns by braiding some sections of the route, so that you will still have the option to choose; and, of course, you can always go off-piste anyway. Rich history Natural beauty is everywhere on the Coast to Coast, but so is rich human history. Rishi should take the time before embarking on his walk to stop into St Bees Priory, where the body of a medieval crusading knight was discovered in 1981, remarkably preserved by a covering of lead and pine. In Grasmere, Rishi would do well to join the throngs looking around Dove Cottage, former home of William Wordsworth. Sunak came under fire in 2020, when, as chancellor, he suggested that the creative arts were not a viable job. Wordsworth's career may give him pause for thought. The laudanum-laced travails of Wordsworth's brilliant but troubled housemate from hell, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, not so much. Elsewhere, cultural and historical highlights include the crumbling ruins of Richmond Castle and the Lion Inn on Blakey Ridge, an atmospheric pub which marks the highest point on the North York Moors – a non-negotiable place for a pitstop. Proper scran Sunak raised more than a few eyebrows when he boasted, during a 2022 interview about the cost of living crisis, about the 'whole range of different' breads which can be found in his house. The Coast to Coast, it turns out, is the perfect walk for a man of such diverse culinary tastes. In the western half, Rishi can sustain himself on the coiled Cumberland sausage. This is a stalwart on restaurant menus like the Black Bull in Kirkby Stephen, the town often considered the spiritual capital of the Coast to Coast. As Rishi heads east into Yorkshire and towards the coast, he will no doubt be propelled by the thought of fish and chips at a cosy pub in Robin Hood's Bay. The Smugglers Ale House is the classic place for Coast to Coasters to end their walk with a very well-earned pint. Where to stay If Rishi is to tackle the entire Coast to Coast, he will be laying his head in all sorts of places, including, presumably, his constituency home in Richmond, around halfway through the trail. The whole thing takes an average of two weeks, and unless he's camping – hard to imagine for a man worth £651m – he'll be choosing from a succession of pubs and B&Bs. Many of them are extremely welcoming and comforting, like The Old Croft House in Kirkby Stephen, run by passionate walkers who will set you on your way with expert tips for walking the next leg of the path.
