Lake District Peak to Pub · Day 5 of 7
Peak to Pub Day 5: Langdale to Grasmere
Day 5 of the Lake District Peak to Pub — Pavey Ark and the Langdale Pikes over High Raise and the Greenburn ridge to Helm Crag and Grasmere. Route notes from our 2020 week.
Map: OS Explorer OL7 (The English Lakes — South-Eastern) · View on OS Maps
Getting there
Start: Langdale (New Dungeon Ghyll)
End: Grasmere
A shorter day again, and a beautiful one: up into the Langdale Pikes, across the high central plateau, then a switchback ridge down to Grasmere. It starts dramatic and ends gentle, which is a nice shape for a mid-week day.
We did this as part of the same 2020 week, our own way, with the car and a drink at the end rather than a night in the pub.
Into the Langdale Pikes
The climb out of Langdale heads up toward Pavey Ark, the big crag that broods over Stickle Tarn. If you’re a scrambler, Pavey Ark is where Jack’s Rake comes in — a famous, exposed line that cuts diagonally across the cliff face. It’s not for everyone, and it’s not the walker’s way up; the standard route goes round. Either way the Pikes are a thrilling place to gain height, with Stickle Tarn sitting in its bowl below.
High Raise and the ridge to Helm Crag
From the Pikes the ground opens out onto High Raise (762m), the broad, boggy roof of the central fells — not the most exciting summit in itself, but a genuine crossroads with views in every direction. Then the route picks up the long undulating ridge over Calf Crag and Gibson Knott toward Helm Crag.
Helm Crag is the little one with the big reputation: the rocks on its summit are the famous “Lion and the Lamb” you see from the road at Grasmere. It’s a fun, rocky top to finish the high ground on, with Grasmere village laid out below.
Down to Grasmere
The descent into Grasmere is gentle and quick, and the day ends at the Traveller’s Rest, the old coaching inn just north of the village. Of all the Peak to Pub finishes it’s one of the cosiest. We had our lemonade and a long sit-down before sorting the car.
Practical notes
A note on the GPX. This is one of the days I don’t have a clean GPS track for — between the weather and the way we shuffled the week around with the car, this leg never got recorded properly. If I dig out a good track I’ll add it. The OS Maps link above will get you the line in the meantime.
Maps: OS Explorer OL7 covers the day. Pavey Ark’s standard ascent is straightforward; Jack’s Rake is a serious scramble and a different proposition entirely — know which one you’re doing.
This is a frame draft — the route’s here, with more of the day’s own detail to follow.
Part of the Lake District Peak to Pub. Previous: Day 4, Eskdale to Langdale. Next: Day 6, Grasmere to Threlkeld.