Low Pike facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Low Pike |
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Low Pike seen from High Pike, one kilometre to the north. Ambleside and Windermere lake are in the background.
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 508 m (1,667 ft) |
| Prominence | 28 m (92 ft) |
| Parent peak | Dove Crag |
| Listing | Wainwright |
| Geography | |
 Low Pike
Location in Lake District
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| Location | Cumbria, England |
| Parent range | Lake District, Eastern Fells |
| OS grid | NY373077 |
| Topo map | OS Landranger 90 OS Explorer 7 |
Low Pike is a small fell (which means a hill or mountain) located in the beautiful Lake District in England. It's not super tall, reaching 508 meters (about 1,667 feet) high. You can find it about three kilometers north of the town of Ambleside.
If you're in Ambleside, you can easily spot Low Pike. It's the first noticeable hill on a long ridge that stretches four more kilometers north towards another peak called Fairfield. This ridge is part of a famous walking route called the Fairfield horseshoe. Most people who climb Low Pike do it as part of this longer adventure.
Why Low Pike is Special
Even though Low Pike isn't one of the highest mountains, it's quite famous! A well-known writer named Alfred Wainwright gave it its own chapter in his book, Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells. He said that even with its modest height, it feels much taller. This is because it rises high above the deep valleys of Scandale and Rydale.
What Low Pike is Made Of
The very top of the ridge is made of a type of rock called dacitic welded lapilli-tuff. This is a kind of rock formed from volcanic ash and small rock fragments that were superheated and pressed together. Around this, you'll find other rocks called andesite sills, which are also formed from volcanic activity.
How to Climb Low Pike
Climbing Low Pike directly from Ambleside is pretty easy. You can follow a signpost from the town center that points towards Low Sweden Bridge. After you reach and cross this bridge, which goes over Scandale Beck, you'll follow a tall dry-stone wall (a wall built without mortar) for about two kilometers. This wall leads you right along the top of the ridge to the summit.
You might also want to visit High Sweden Bridge at the start of your walk. It's a classic Cumbrian Packhorse bridge, which is a sturdy bridge built for packhorses to carry goods. Its name, "Sweden," doesn't mean it's connected to the country of Scandinavia. Instead, it comes from an Old Norse word, 'svithinn', which means "land cleared by burning."
Most hikers who climb Low Pike don't stop there! They usually continue along the Fairfield horseshoe route. This means they'll also climb other nearby fells like High Pike, Dove Crag, Hart Crag, Fairfield, Great Rigg, and Heron Pike before heading back to Ambleside.
The Top of Low Pike
The very top of Low Pike is a small, rocky peak. You might need to do a little bit of scrambling (climbing over rocks using your hands) to reach it. The stone wall actually goes right over the peak, so there isn't much room for a large cairn (a pile of stones often used as a marker).
Even though higher fells surround Low Pike, the views from the summit are still fantastic! You can clearly see the Langdale and Coniston fells across the lower land at the end of Windermere lake. You also get a great bird's-eye view of Ambleside and the head of Windermere.
