Scafell & Slight Side via Lord's Rake and the West Wall Traverse
Tucked away in the quiet shadow of its busier neighbour, Scafell is England’s second-highest peak—and arguably its most impressive. While the crowds flock to Scafell Pike, those seeking genuine mountain drama will find it carved into Scafell’s formidable crags. The classic way up is the legendary Lord’s Rake: a steep, atmospheric chute of loose scree leading into the sublime West Wall Traverse and the shadowed chasm of Deep Gill.
Scafell & Slight Side via Lord's Rake and the West Wall Traverse
🗺️ Interactive Route MapPinch or use wheel to zoom
It appears that my previous post on Lord's Rake is far and away from the most popular, certainly if the stats are to be believed. Indeed, before I did it the first time, I spent many hours trawling over posts and photographs to see what the deal was. We were back to tackle Lord's Rake once again, this time with a much better forecast but also a slightly different agenda – the West Wall Traverse. More about that in detail later.
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.
At the end of three days of fine fell walking, we decided to top it off by visiting the true jewel of the range: Scafell itself. Not to be confused with its taller neighbor, Scafell Pike, Scafell is only marginally lower but infinitely more interesting and challenging to climb—largely due to Broad Stand, the formidable rock wall barring direct access from Mickledore. For regular walkers setting out from Wasdale, only a handful of non-climbing routes exist, the most famous of which is the legendary Lord's Rake.
Setting off from the campsite, we had an improving forecast on our side—always a welcome bonus. Fingers crossed, we would time our arrival at the summit with the break in the weather promised by the Met Office. All went smoothly as we passed Brackenclose and joined the trail alongside Lingmell Gill, until we rounded the bend and met the hundreds of other hikers with the exact same idea, most bound for Scafell Pike. It was heartening to see so many kids out tackling the climb, most still smiling (though admittedly, we were still near the bottom!). We fell into line and joined the slow trudge up toward Brown Tongue.
Approaching Brackenclose
Looking back to Wast Water
The path at Lingmell Gill
The queue of people heading up Brown Tongue
Back of the line
Given its popularity, the stone-pitched path is generally solid and well-maintained, and today we even spotted National Trust rangers hard at work resetting loose steps. Picking our way past a couple of larger walking parties, we arrived at the foot of Brown Tongue. This is where the real gradient kicks in, and the long procession of boots begins the hard slog uphill.
Eventually, we reached the key junction at Hollow Stones, where the trail branches into two main routes toward the upper reaches of the Scafell massif. One path veers left toward Lingmell Col, while the other heads right toward Mickledore—our gateway to the foot of Lord's Rake. Leaving the main thoroughfare behind to the bemused looks of other hikers, we began scrabbling up the wide fan of scree spilling down from the dark crags above. It's a tough, loose little climb, but a mere warm-up compared to the rake waiting above.
Clouds and sun swirl around – Lord's Rake starts at the top of the scree fan to the left
Climbing the scree
Looking down upon the crowds from the scree leading to Lord's Rake
We reached the foot of Lord's Rake, and with the weather remaining clear, it seemed longer but much more welcoming than the last time I stood in this spot. As a brief reminder, a memorial is carved into the stone nearby to four climbers who lost their lives in 1903. The exact circumstances of their deaths remain unknown; they were found roped together in the scree, three having already perished, while the fourth passed away during the descent back to Wasdale.
The climbers memorial at the foot of Lord's Rake
Pulpit Rock
The main event: Lord's Rake
Time to enter the rake. I’ve both heard and experienced that keeping to either side of the gully is the best option, as you can use solid handholds on the walls. It is steep—around 45 degrees—and filled with loose scree and boulders from previous rockfalls. We took it slow and steady, making sure every foot placement was firm and each handhold secure. Other than the looseness of the scree underfoot, it is a straightforward climb.
Looking up Lord's Rake
The chockstone at the top
Sara negotiates her way up the scree
An example of the angle of the slope
Sara in Lord's Rake
Approaching the chockstone at the top of the first section
The chockstone. The West Wall Traverse disappears between the green rock and the grey rock to the left
We reached the infamous chockstone near the top of the gully—an immense pinnacle of rock that detached itself from the opposing wall in 2001 and came to rest across the top of the gully, wedged in a seemingly precarious position. Lord's Rake continues on past the stone, requiring you to either climb over or gingerly slide under the fallen rock (which is much easier, if a little disconcerting).
The chockstone from the foot of the West Wall Traverse
Upon reaching the chockstone, it was time to leave Lord's Rake by stepping through a narrow breach in the rock wall on our left (as you face up the gully). This cleft briefly skirts an exposed section where the rock face drops away before merging onto a magnificent, rising ledge: the famous West Wall Traverse. It’s a sensational line that makes you feel as though you’re journeying through the very heart of the mountain rather than simply climbing over it. The traverse leads directly into the upper reaches of Deep Gill—a formidable ravine whose lower section is blocked from Hollow Stones by sheer vertical pitches, but whose upper gully offers a straightforward, exhilarating scramble to the summit plateau.
Deep Gill is nearly identical to Lord's Rake, with the only real differences being a slightly narrower gully and no looming boulder overhead. Again, slow and steady was the order of the day, as a few of the handholds in the rock face threatened to give way under weight.
Looking up the West Wall Traverse
Peering over the edge of the West Wall Traverse
Sara makes a last adjustment before the climb
The West Wall Traverse climbs into Deep Gill
Entering Deep Gill
A final narrow gully leads out of Deep Gill, requiring a slightly awkward thrust past some smoothed rocks to reach good handholds again. After that, it's out of the gloom and onto Scafell. It's an odd sensation emerging from Deep Gill, one that's hard to describe. The plateau is the exact opposite of the gully: open, green, bright, and dry—accompanied by the feeling that you've just completed a proper route through the depths of the mountain as opposed to plodding up a path straight to the top. And what a summit Scafell has!
Looking up Deep Gill
Looking down Deep Gill
Approaching the top of Deep Gill
Looking down Deep Gill at the point it emerges onto the summit
Views are fairly uninterrupted in all directions. There's Eskdale far below to the east, surrounded by the great ring of mountains that encircles it, and Scafell Pike to the north, with the hundreds of people we'd left earlier now milling around the summit platform. Scafell itself was largely deserted—as it often is, even on the busiest of days. To the west lies Wasdale, the great Mosedale Horseshoe, and an expansive view stretching all the way to the Irish Sea (with Sellafield visible on the coast).
Despite the fine weather, a brisk wind prompted us to seek shelter for a quick lunch stop before heading south along the high ridge falling from Scafell's summit. This ridge forms the western wall of Eskdale and commands fine views across the valley to Esk Pike, Bowfell, and Crinkle Crags. Long Green, above Cam Spout Crag, has perhaps the best view of the lot. Another 500 m to the south sits the small summit of Slight Side.
Slight Side, a simple outcrop on Scafell's ridge, has its own separate chapter in the pictorial guides, with Wainwright going so far as to recommend it in his top six summits in the whole national park. It's a decision that's difficult to argue with, as it really does have a wonderful, uninterrupted view. As I've said in previous posts, you often get the best views of the larger fells from the smaller ones that surround them.
Turning back on ourselves, we started the trek back to Wasdale by following the contours across the steep, grassy slopes of Scafell's western flanks. This was a bit more challenging than it sounds, as the awkward slope made for uncomfortable walking and numerous scree fields needed to be negotiated with care. It would be rather embarrassing to complete the West Wall Traverse only to come a cropper on a grassy slope! It took much longer than anticipated to reach the old Victorian tourist route—a small path that climbs the slopes from Wasdale via Green How.
The path peters out after dropping over Green How, but the destination is obvious enough. The slope steepens as it passes the head of Groove Gill and falls to a drystone wall above Wasdale Head Hall Farm. At the foot of the hill lies the old corpse road that once joined Wasdale Head to Boot, providing an easy stroll back to the car at Brackenclose.
This is a tremendous, thrill-packed circuit that offers a bit of everything short of a full rock climb. Tackling Lord's Rake, the West Wall Traverse, and Deep Gill is easily one of the best hours you can spend scrambling in the Lake District, all capped off by a summit that stands among the finest in the National Park. If you want to escape the crowds of Scafell Pike and experience a true mountain adventure, look no further than the depths of Scafell.
Great article. I did Scafell and Scafell pike in sept 24. Loved them both. The pike was very busy as usual but nice to chat with like minded people, The Rake was quiet as usual but gave a great sense of achievement once it was climbed,
Great article. I did Scafell and Scafell pike in sept 24. Loved them both. The pike was very busy as usual but nice to chat with like minded people, The Rake was quiet as usual but gave a great sense of achievement once it was climbed,
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