Stickle Tarn from the New Dungeon Ghyll
The best short climb in Great Langdale: up the tumbling Stickle Ghyll from the New Dungeon Ghyll to Stickle Tarn under the cliffs of Pavey Ark.
- Distance
- 3.2 km
- 2.0 miles
- Ascent
- 379 m
- High point 473 m
- Time
- 1 hour 30 minutes
- Walking time, no stops
- Grade
- Moderate
- There and back
Take this walk with you
Google Maps does not know most fell paths, so use it to get to the start, then follow the GPX in an app like OS Maps, Komoot or AllTrails. To see the line in Google Maps, open Google My Maps, create a map, choose Import and pick the KML file. It then appears in the Google Maps app under Saved, Maps.
Weather on this walk
Loading the forecast
Great Langdale is the valley of the Langdale Pikes, and Stickle Tarn is the hidden pool in their lap. The climb from the New Dungeon Ghyll is short but steep, following Stickle Ghyll as it pours down a staircase of waterfalls, and it ends abruptly at the tarn with the huge face of Pavey Ark rising straight out of the water.
This is the walk to do if you want a taste of the Langdale fells without committing to a full day. Fit walkers can carry on from the tarn up Harrison Stickle or Pavey Ark, but the tarn itself is a fine objective, and a good picnic spot on a fine day.
The route
- 1
New Dungeon Ghyll to the ghyll
From the car park take the path behind the New Dungeon Ghyll and through the gate onto the fellside, heading up beside Stickle Ghyll.
- 2
Up Stickle Ghyll
Follow the pitched path up the ghyll, crossing at the footbridge and continuing with the stream close by. The path climbs in steep steps past a series of waterfalls.
- 3
The final climb
Higher up the path splits around rocky steps; both lines rejoin. A last steep section brings you over the lip to the dam at the outflow of Stickle Tarn.
- 4
Stickle Tarn
Walk a little way round the shore for the full view of Pavey Ark and Harrison Stickle, then return the same way, taking care on the steep steps.
Questions people ask
Where do you park for Stickle Tarn?
At the National Trust Stickle Ghyll car park beside the New Dungeon Ghyll in Great Langdale.
How long does it take to walk to Stickle Tarn?
Allow about two hours there and back, longer if you stop at the tarn.
Can you climb the Langdale Pikes from Stickle Tarn?
Yes. Harrison Stickle and Pavey Ark are both reached from the tarn, and Mud and Routes describes a 7.5 km round of the Langdale Pikes that starts the same way.
More walks nearby
Bowfell from the Old Dungeon Ghyll via The Band and Three Tarns
Hard, 13.1 km, 844 m up, about 4 hours
The classic Langdale round: up The Band to Three Tarns, a rocky climb to Bowfell's summit, then down by Ore Gap, Angle Tarn and Rossett Gill to Mickleden.
Lingmoor Fell and Side Pike from Elterwater
Moderate, 11.6 km, 536 m up, about 3 hours
A small fell with a huge view: from Elterwater through old slate quarries to Lingmoor's ridge, over Side Pike above Blea Tarn, and back along Great Langdale.
Elterwater to Skelwith Force
Easy, 5.4 km, 36 m up, about 1 hour
A level riverside walk from Elterwater village, past the lake and through meadows to the falls at Skelwith Force. No stiles.
Food, drink and beds near the start
Old Dungeon Ghyll
Traditional British, Langdale, ££, dogs welcome
The original Dale Head Inn at the top of Great Langdale, where the famous Climbers Bar has fed walkers and climbers for generations. Expect home-cooked pies, soups and daily specials, with the Langdale Pikes right outside the door.
The Wainwright Inn
Traditional, Chapel Stile, ££
A Langdale valley stalwart named after the great man himself - solid ales, hearty food and a walkers welcome.
Brimstone Hotel
Luxury Lodge, Langdale, ££££
A collection of luxury suites and lodges in the Langdale Valley with a stunning spa, fire pit, and slate-clad architecture that feels both modern and rooted in the Cumbrian landscape.
The Britannia Inn
Traditional, Elterwater, ££, dogs welcome
Elterwater's village green pub is a Langdale classic - real ales on the terrace with the Pikes as your backdrop.
Tweedies Bar & Lodge
Modern British, Grasmere, ££, dogs welcome
A relaxed Grasmere bar and lodge with a big beer garden looking out to the fells, a strong line of craft beers and ales, hearty seasonal food and live bands at weekends.
The Jumble Room
Eclectic, Grasmere, ££
A gloriously eclectic Grasmere institution where world flavours collide on a menu that refuses to be pigeonholed.