Tucked away in the wild heart of Wasdale, Scafell may be England’s second-highest mountain, but it offers a far more thrilling ascent than its famous neighbour, Scafell Pike. The classic route to its summit climbs through Lord’s Rake—a steep, dramatic scree gully guarded by towering crags and the famous suspended chockstone. From navigating low-visibility mountain weather to scrambling up loose scree and descending past ancient tarns, here is what it’s really like to tackle one of the Lake District’s most iconic Grade 1 scrambles.
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UPDATED ROUTE GUIDE
Lord's Rake
For a more up-to-date post regarding Lord's Rake, featuring higher-resolution photography and revised route details, please head on over here.
ROUTE ADVISORY
Lord's Rake — Chockstone Hazard
The chockstone described in this post collapsed in 2016, so extra caution is advised if you aim to tackle Lord's Rake.
Another weekend in Wasdale, another Scafell to conquer. This time, our target was Scafell itself—England’s second-highest peak—rather than its more famous neighbor, Scafell Pike. Our chosen route? The infamous Lord's Rake, a dramatic scree-filled gully leading directly to the summit. I’d researched the climb with a mix of excitement and trepidation; every trip report agreed it was steep, packed with loose rock, and guarded by a famously unstable chockstone at the top. What better way to tackle the mountain?
(Note: A few of the photos in this post come courtesy of a fellow walker in our group, as my own camera finally called it quits after one too many mountain bumps.)
Scafell from Scafell Pike. Lord's Rake is the vertical line of scree to the right of the picture
After two consecutive weekends of great mountain weather in the Lake District, my luck finally ran out. Low cloud shrouded the higher summits for most of the weekend, with rain lashing the valley during the evenings. Fortunately, the rain held off while we were up in the hills—a massive relief given how dismal the early forecast had looked before slightly improving as the weekend approached.
To ascend Scafell via Lord's Rake, we first had to climb up to the base of the gully. Starting from the campsite, we headed up the main path alongside Lingmell Beck, which takes most of the walking traffic up towards Scafell Pike. The climb is steady, and the view of Wasdale behind you improves as you gain altitude. The path itself is fairly uninteresting within the valley floor, but before long, we reached the point where we left the main route and turned towards Lord's Rake.
The well-laid path leads up towards Scafell from Wasdale
The cairn pinpoints the location where the paths split
As we climbed higher, we reached the cloud base and ventured into the mist. So much for any views today! We continued upwards until we reached the base of Mickledore and Broad Stand—the narrow pass connecting Scafell to Scafell Pike (though direct crossing requires specialised climbing equipment). As there is no marked path on the map to the foot of Lord's Rake, we spent the next half hour slowly traversing the steep hillside, taking our time with careful navigation aided by GPS.
The steep, slippery slopes we crossed
Oblivion awaits below
A rare picture of me in action
We eventually reached the more substantial Rake's Progress route that leads right to the foot of Lord's Rake. Appearing out of the gloom, it certainly looked menacing, particularly with the top still hidden within the cloud. Despite initial appearances, I don't think it's any more difficult than many other routes you encounter across the region. Pausing for a few minutes to let a pair of walkers climb ahead of us, we surveyed the gully one last time and strode into the mist.
The foot of Lord's Rake shrouded in the low clouds
It was impossible to see the top through the clouds
Beginning the ascent, we hugged the right-hand wall of the gully—a well-regarded tactic, as the solid rock here offers far better handholds and more stable footing. Once on the scree, it becomes clear that while the slope is undeniably steep, it isn't quite as extreme as it looks from the bottom. The stones underfoot are loose and easily dislodged, but keeping a firm grip on the crag face to our right prevented any feeling that the slope might give way. After a few minutes of steady scrambling, the infamous chockstone finally materialised through the mist ahead.
A view up the rake from a safe haven
Our gang discusses the next move
The chockstone emerges at the top
The stone—about the size of a white van—wedged against the top of the gully was originally a pinnacle of rock that broke off in 2001. It wedged itself in place, forcing the National Trust to issue a warning that the rake was unsafe. Remarkably, it was estimated that an area of rock no larger than a sheet of A4 paper was all that stopped the stone from tumbling to the bottom. Since that original fall, it had proven surprisingly stable, though a few more harsh winters will probably see to that.
Climbing up towards the chockstone
After crossing underneath (or around) the chockstone, you can see the small area where the two rocks touch
After the exhilarating climb up the initial scree and passing the chockstone, it was a surprise to find that this was only the halfway point of Lord's Rake. So much is written about the steep scree section that the rest seems to be ignored. The path continues to traverse the mountainside before a short climb leads you to the top of another scree fall. This time, a short descent is required and is fairly easy-going, being less steep than the original climb up. A final climb brings you out at the foot of Symonds Knott, above Scafell Crag.
Lord's Rake continues into the distance after the chockstone
The top of Lord's Rake above Scafell Crag
After the thrill of the rake, a short climb brought us to the summit, where a pair of cold-looking fell race marshals stood waiting in the mist. As you can see from the weather, there were no views to speak of today, but I'm sure they are spectacular on a clear day—especially being able to peer across at the busy summit of Scafell Pike from the quiet isolation of its overlooked neighbour.
The second-highest man in England (maybe)
To descend, we headed west off the rocky summit toward the gradually sloping western flanks of Scafell. The first 150 m of descent is fairly rocky, requiring care not to slip on the jumbled stones. Beyond that, the path becomes much less steep as you drop toward the head of Hardrigg Gill at 510 m. By this point, we had dropped below the cloud base and could finally see our next destination, Burnmoor Tarn, waiting in the distance.
The rocky section at the start of the descent
'It's over there.' Burnmoor Tarn is the next objective
Following the valley of Hardrigg Gill leads you down to Burnmoor Tarn, though not before giving your boots a good soaking in the boggy ground. A walk in the Lakes isn't complete without a bog crossing! Burnmoor Tarn's name actually means "Burial Mound Tarn"—likely a result of sitting along the old corpse road connecting Wasdale Head and Boot. At around 50 acres, it is believed to be the third-largest tarn in the Lake District.
The shores of Burnmoor Tarn
Leaving the peaceful shores of Burnmoor Tarn behind, we turned north on the ancient Corpse Road to complete our descent into Wasdale Head. The trail here is well-defined, with prominent cairns keeping you on track across the open moorland. Passing the prehistoric cairn known on OS maps as Maiden Castle, the path leads down toward Straighthead Gill. From there, it contours past a small copse of trees and the ruined shells of abandoned stone farm buildings before dropping gently back into Wasdale Head and the campsite.
The old corpse road as it descends back to Wasdale Head
Some abandoned buildings line the route back to Wasdale Head
Despite my initial apprehension about climbing Lord's Rake, I'm really glad I did it. It's a fantastic climb, made all the more atmospheric in our case by the low cloud—which I'm sure also shielded its precarious position on the side of Scafell! In some ways, it almost overshadows reaching the actual summit of Scafell, which is a testament to the level of excitement. I'd highly recommend it to anyone looking to add a bit of adventure to their fell walks. In my opinion, it's not as steep or difficult as many reports make out, and your confidence certainly grows as you climb higher.
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