Blencathra walk via Sharp Edge and Scales Fell: The quick & exhilarating route with stunning Lake District views

Blencathra walk via Sharp Edge Pictures The Lake District Mountains UK Best View

Looking down towards one of my favourite ridge walks in England - Sharp Edge, en-route to the summit of Blencathra.

Blencathra walk via Sharp Edge & Scales Fell details:

Blencathra Walk Distance: 4.08 miles
Blencathra Walk Time: 3 hours
Blencathra via Sharp Edge difficulty: Difficult (Sharp Edge is quite exposed - dangerous in bad weather)

Blencathra walk via Sharp Edge & Scales Fell map route:

The walk goes in an anti-clockwise direction to Scales Tarn, before you then tackle the steep Sharp Edge ridge. From there it's on to the summit of Blencatha at Hallsfell Top and returning via a more leisurely route on Scales Fell

If you don't have a Phone Map App - I really recommend the one by Ordnance Survey. You can download route maps to your phone such as this one and the app will show you exactly where you are on the route even when you have no signal - so no more taking a wrong turn :-)

What an exhilarating route this is - read on to find out what to expect!

Blencathra walk via Sharp Edge & Scales Fell - photos of what to expect:

Driving west on the A66, Blencathra and Sharp Edge soon come into full view and you can see why the mountain also gets the nickname 'Saddleback'. There's still a bit of snow up top despite it being late March and you should always check the weather & conditions before doing this walk as Sharp Edge can be very tricky in bad weather (and even dangerous).

Blencathra is one of the most accessible summits in the Lakes in terms of actually getting to a parking spot at the start of the walk as it's just of the A66 - perfect for the likes of me who don't live in the Lakes and travel west along the A66 to get there. In terms of parking places - the above location is the closest to the start of this walk - with free parking for around 12 cars, there are a handful of spaces along the side of this road, a few more at the pub at Scales, and failing that quite a few spots actually on the A66.

The day we done this walk was Good Friday 2016 and it was pretty busy

After a gentle walk of a couple of hundred metres - it's straight into uphill mode at Mousthwaite Comb - probably the most strenuous section of the walk.

Taking a little breather and looking back towards the route we've just walked.

A glimpse of sharp edge and the summit of Atkinson Pike on Blencathra

We now follow Scales Beck all the way to Scales Tarn and the path is very clear

Looking back along the path

Arriving at Scales Tarn - a great little spot to take a break, have a cup of tea and something to eat whilst admiring the view and getting ready to tackle the mighty Sharp Edge

As it was Good Friday ( a UK public holiday) and great weather - there were plenty of people about with the intention of tackling Sharp Edge.

It's a steady walk up the clearly marked path towards Sharp Edge - and from Scales Tarn we gain height pretty quickly.

Whilst there is snow up top there appears none on Sharp Edge thankfully so we press on

There were still patches of snow kicking around on the higher summits - but thankfully no snow (or ice) - on Sharp Edge - that would have made the ridge a different kettle of fish to get across and quite dangerous to be honest. (If you haven't done Sharp Edge before - and aren't very experienced then I would recommend to only attempt it in the warmer months when there is no ice, and no wet rocks for that matter). But if you have a head for heights - then give it a go - it's a great little ridge.

Taking another breather (it's hard work all this uphill walking!) and looking back down to where we have walked.

It doesn't take long at all to get quite high up and peer over Scales Tarn.

Here we go - Sharp Edge in full view. The footpath ends here and it's a case of making your way along the ridge and up to Atkinson Pike. It may not look it from this angle - but it's pretty easy to figure out the route along the ridge. Everytime I have done Sharp Edge I always go up it rather than down it - I just think it's more fun (and maybe a little safer) doing it that way - so if you haven't done sharp Edge before - I'd recommend going up it rather than down!

Looking back along the first section of Sharp Edge. You can either walk right along the very top of Sharp Edge - or even just a little to the side - which makes it seem safer.

The obligatory photo of yours truly on one of the rocky outcrops on Sharp Edge en route to Blencathra. It looks worse that it is here, photos usually do and I felt quite safe!

And a pic of my brother! He hadn't done Sharp Edge before so wasn't as sure footed as me - and was a little tentative in places - but he still managed to complete it fairly easily. So if you have done a few walks before, but have not yet tackled Sharp Edge - then give it a go. If the conditions are good - I'm pretty certain you'll enjoy it! My bro did.

Looking back down across the majority of Sharp Edge - and now it's a bit of a scramble using your hands up to Atkinson Pike on Blencathra

This was one of my favourite views along the whole route - gives a good feel for Sharp Edge and how high you are compared to Scales Tarn.

After taking a bit of a breather and grabbing a bite to eat & drink - some other walkers begin to catch us up, so we make a move for the summit.

Arriving at the top of Atkinson Pike

We've hit the snowline here - but thankfully there is no ice kicking about. Even though I'm wearing shorts it doesn't feel that cold :-)

Making our way now towards Hallsfell Top.

You can really get a sense of the height of the summit here looking back down again on Scales Tarn. It was also strange chucking a few snowballs about while wearing shorts on the Easter Weekend!

The view west from Hallsfell Top - where you can see Derwent Water in the distance

It was an ideal spot to stop and grab another cuppa and bite to eat, while soaking in the views. This time you can just make out Thirlmere lake too to the left

Making a decent down Scales Fell on the opposite side of Scales Tarn - coming back via Scales Fell can shorten a walk to Blencathra quite a lot and make it much quicker than the usual routes.

Our last glimpse of Scales Tarn and Sharp Edge. There is a path that actually takes you back down to the Tarn - where you can then follow the same path back to the car - but I prefer not to cover the same ground on a walk - so it's all the way down Scales Fell for us

It's now a fairly gentle stroll down Scales Fell - although going downhill is always tough on the old knees!

Nearing the end of this walk - with the A66 in full view - and I can just about make out my car in the centre of the shot

So there you go - I hope you have enjoyed that little write up - and that it inspires you to want to give Sharp Edge a go your self. It's an excellent ridge and quite safe in good weather. If you have any questions - just post a comment and I'll try and answer.

Happy Hiking!

Post by Stuart Hodgson
'The Hiking Photographer'

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