Pavey Ark Scramble – The Langdale Pikes
Not as extreme as going up Jakes Rake, this route takes you up to Stickle Tarn, then to the righthand side of Pavey Ark, scrambling up a rocky stream onto the top, then navigating around to Harrison Stickle, crossing Dungeon Ghyll, and taking the fairly direct route back down to the Old Dungeon Ghyll hotel.
Start/Finish: Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel
Time: ~3/4 hours
Weather: Clear
Ground: Snow
Getting There & Parking
So first of all set your sat navs up for the Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel (Google Maps Link), found in Great Langdale near to Ambleside.
Once you approach the hotel, your parking options are:
- The National Trust car parks
- The New Dungeon Ghyll Hotel (Walkers Bar) if it isn’t full
- Pull in spots along the main road surrounding the area
The last choice is my favourite (it’s free!).
The Start – To Stickle Tarn
Behind the Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel, you will find the start of the route. A path made up of rocky cobbles with a rock steps follows the edge of Stickle Ghyll all the way to Stickle Tarn, crossing the ghyll twice (once on the bridge, and once across stepping stones). It gets steeper as you get towards the end, but is fairly easy to navigate.
Stickle Tarn & The Base of Pavey Ark
The view is spectacular, and looks even more impressive when it’s covered in fresh snow!
Once you get to the edge of the tarn, turn right and follow a narrow path towards the right hand side of Pavey Ark, carefully crossing Stickle Ghyll, and in our case navigating around some seriously boggy terrain!
The Scramble
This is the fun part of the walk. You have to make your way up the rocky stream all the way to the top of Pavey Ark. It is known as the North Rake by Wainwright.
Towards the top we were knee deep in snow climbing on our hands and knees – great fun!
Traverse of Pavey Ark
Using the lefthand edge as your rough guide, follow your way along Pavey Ark, and towards Harrison Stickle. Once you get to Harrison Stickle, make your way down the slope on the righthand side of it, crossing a small stream (the start of Dungeon Ghyll), and heading straight up the sloped path on the other side.
Keep an eye out for a pile of rocks, as this marks the way down, hard to spot in the snow!
The Descent
Once you find the first cairn, it’s a simple route down to the Old Dungeon Ghyll hotel, following the path down (steep in places). It was far more interesting in snowy conditions!
A celebratory pint at the Walkers Bar was a must.
omg you crazy people – much safer to start in the Old Dungeon Ghyll hotel and well, stay there !
Having completed this route recently I would say this is more Grade 2 scramble than Grade 1. It looks like there has been some rockfall which may have made it harder. There are sections where route finding is very difficult. Added to the sheer drop beside the route I would not recommend to those who aren’t experienced.