Kidsty Pike facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kidsty Pike |
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Kidsty Pike from the west
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 780 m (2,560 ft) |
| Prominence | c. 15 m |
| Parent peak | Rampsgill Head |
| Listing | Wainwright, Nuttall |
| Geography | |
 Kidsty Pike
Location in Lake District
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| Location | Cumbria, England |
| Parent range | Lake District, Far Eastern Fells |
| OS grid | NY447126 |
| Topo map | OS Explorer OL5 |
Kidsty Pike is a cool mountain, or fell, in England's beautiful Lake District. It stands tall near Haweswater Reservoir. Even though it's connected to a bigger mountain called Rampsgill Head, Kidsty Pike looks like its own special peak. It has a classic pointy shape! A famous walker named Alfred Wainwright even gave it its own section in his guidebooks about the Lakeland Fells.
What is Kidsty Pike Like?
Kidsty Pike sits between two valleys that stretch west from Haweswater. These valleys are called Riggindale and Randale. Riggindale is a straight valley with a "U" shape. Randale starts north-west and then turns west. Kidsty Pike is like a ridge connecting these two valleys to Rampsgill Head.
Slopes and Views
The northern side of Kidsty Pike slopes gently. It's covered in grass. But the southern side is very different! It drops steeply with rocks and loose stones down to Riggindale valley, about 1,500 feet below.
This big difference in slopes makes Kidsty Pike look amazing. When you see it from Haweswater, or even from the M6 motorway near Shap, its top looks like a sharp, pointy peak.
Kidsty Pike is not far from Rampsgill Head. But if you walk east from Kidsty Pike, the ridge continues for about a mile. It gently slopes down to a rocky spot called Kidsty Howes. This is where the path gets very steep as it goes down to the lake shore.
How to Climb Kidsty Pike
The main way to climb Kidsty Pike is from Mardale Head. This is where the road ends. You follow the path along the lake shore. You will pass the old ruins of Riggindale Farm. This farm, like other houses in the valley, was blown up by the Army for practice when the lake waters rose. From the farm, you can follow an old path up the ridge, going past Kidsty Howes.
The Summit
At the very top of Kidsty Pike, there's a small pile of stones called a cairn. It sits on a grassy spot right above the steep Riggindale side.
From the summit, you can't see everything because the taller mountains of the High Street range block some of the view. But you can still see a part of the beautiful Lake District across the Straits of Riggindale.
