Rossett Pike seen at the end of Mickleden

Rossett Pike

Height651m (2,136ft)

Prominence40m (131ft)

RegionSouthern Fells

Climbed4 Times

Standing like a rugged wedge right at the head of Mickleden, Rossett Pike occupies a highly strategic position on the high ridge line that links the Central Fells with the high massifs of the Southern Fells. This high ridge line holds three distinct, stony summits: Buck Pike, Black Crag, and the highest point at Rossett Pike itself. While many classic fell guides treat these three points as a single mountain landmass, Black Crag possesses more than enough steep, independent prominence to feel like a separate hill when exploring the plateau.

"Perhaps, to be strictly correct, Rossett Pike and the fell of which it is part should be regarded as the north-east shoulder of Bowfell continuing from Hanging Knotts to Langstrath, but the sharp rise across the saddle of Rossett Pass is so pronounced that, for present purposes, Bowfell may be considered to terminate at the pass." — Wainwright 1958, Book Three

Flanking the steep western walls of the peak is the loose, boulder-strewn groove of Rossett Gill. For generations of Lake District walkers, this steep pass has served as one of the definitive arterial mountain routes out of Great Langdale, providing a demanding, historical gateway up onto the high col at Rossett Pass before trails split off toward the surrounding wilderness.

A modest cairn marks the top

The true high point of Rossett Pike is marked by a modest stone cairn built on an exposed rock outcrop. Its positioning is absolutely spectacular; because it projects right into the jaw of the valley below, standing by these stones opens up an unparalleled perspective straight down the green, flat floor of Mickleden, backed by the sheer, imposing walls of the Langdale Pikes. Turning your eyes westward reveals a completely different kind of landscape, where the dark, colossal rock architecture of Bowfell looms directly over the pass like an enormous stone fortress.