Plan and record your progress through the Wainwright Fells of the Lake District
Pike o'Stickle, also known as Pike o'Stickle is one of the three craggy peaks that make up the famous Langdale Pikes, in the central Lake District above the valley of Great Langdale. The word stickle means a rocky outcrop, and Pike o'Stickle is very recognisable by its dome shaped peak, making it perhaps the most easily distinguished of the Langdale Pikes. A Wainwright Walk to Pike o'Stickle is usually carried out to include the other Langdale Pikes, Loft Crag and Harrison Stickle, meaning three peaks can be registered on your Wainwright Maps with one day's walking. And, with Thunacar Knott, High Raise, Sergeant Man, Pavey Ark and Blea Rigg all in the same vicinity, a well planned route can take in up to eight of the Wainwright fells at once.
There are several Wainwright walking routes to get to the top of Pike o'Stickle, usually starting at either the Old or the New Dungeon Ghyll hotels in Great Langdale. The Old Hotel sits at the base of the Langdale Pikes, and the ascent is invariably steep - whichever route is used. Commonly, the path between Gimmer and Thorn Crags is taken, while a less well trodden path by Troughton Beck is also a good way to reach the summit. From the dome of Pike of Stickle's peak, an immediate view of Bowfell and Crinkle Crags arrests the attention, while a panorama of Southern Fells will prove particularly captivating.
A Wainwright Walk up to Pike o'Stickle involves an entertaining scramble up to its rocky peak, making it one of the most enjoyable Wainwright fells in the area. While not the highest of Wainwright's Lakeland fells, the steep nature of the climb and its conical, craggy summit make for an exhilarating Wainwright walk to one of the most recognisable and most loved areas of the Lake District.
The Langdale Pike Walks are discussed in detail in Book Three: The Central Fells, by A. Wainwright, part of the Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells.
Pike o'Stickle as the sun sets and the moon rises; a stunning Wainwright walk - Picture by Stewart Smith Photography