Rossett Pike facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rossett Pike |
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 651 m (2,136 ft) |
| Prominence | c. 35 m |
| Parent peak | Bowfell |
| Listing | Hewitt, Wainwright, Nuttall |
| Geography | |
 Rossett Pike
Location in Lake District
Rossett Pike
Location in Allerdale
Rossett Pike
Location in South Lakeland
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| Location | Cumbria, England |
| Parent range | Lake District, Southern Fells |
| OS grid | NY249076 |
| Topo map | OS Explorer OL6 |
Rossett Pike is a type of hill called a fell in the beautiful Lake District in England. It stands at the very top of Mickleden, which is one of two valleys that flow into Great Langdale.
Contents
What is Rossett Pike Like?
A high ridge of land connects the Southern Fells and Central Fells of the Lake District. This ridge stretches from Bowfell to Pike of Stickle, which is one of the famous Langdale Pikes. Rossett Pike is the highest point on this ridge. It has the Mickleden valley to its south and the Langstrath valley to its north.
A narrow ridge goes northeast from Bow Fell. It's squeezed between Angle Tarn (a small mountain lake) and the steep path of Rossett Gill, which climbs up from Mickleden. Angle Tarn feeds the Langstrath valley and sits in a bowl-shaped hollow called a corrie. Small trout live in its deep waters.
Beyond this narrow part, the ridge goes down over three peaks that are all part of Rossett Pike. These are Buck Pike (about 606 meters high) and Black Crag (about 588 meters high). Most people think of all three as one fell.
The ridge keeps going northeast and gets narrow again above Langdale Combe. Here, it crosses Stake Pass. This pass is a popular walking path that connects Great Langdale to Borrowdale through the Langstrath valley. It's now part of the popular Cumbria Way, a long-distance walking route. After Stake Pass, the ridge turns east and becomes wider and less clear as it crosses Martcrag Moor before rising to the Langdale Pikes.
The sides of Rossett Pike that face Mickleden rise above many green mounds of rock and dirt called moraines. Above these, there are cliffs below the ridge line. Besides Black Crag, there's also Rossett Crag, which is just below the very top. The northern side of the fell is not as steep.
What is Rossett Pike Made Of?
The rocks of Rossett Pike are mostly made of a type of sandstone that came from volcanoes. This rock is called the Seathwaite Fell Formation. You can also see pebbly sandstone and breccia (a rock made of broken pieces) on the Langdale side.
What Can You See From the Top?
The very top of Rossett Pike has a small pile of stones called a cairn. From here, you get amazing views of the Langdale Pikes! However, the huge Bowfell blocks some of the view to the west. A slightly lower cairn to the east lets you see the deep valley of Mickleden below.
How to Climb Rossett Pike
The path at Rossett Gill is another main walking route from Great Langdale. This path goes past Angle Tarn to Esk Hause. While it might have been used to reach distant Wasdale in the past, it's now more often used by hikers as a starting point for climbing the Scafells.
The famous fellwalker Alfred Wainwright once wrote that the path through Rossett Gill was "almost certainly the least liked" because it was so stony. He said it was getting worse as more and more walkers wore away the grass and soil. He suggested using an older, longer path called the 'Pony Route'. But in more recent times, the direct path has been improved with many stones laid down, making it much better to walk on.
Most people who climb Rossett Pike directly do so by using one of the nearby passes. Rossett Gill offers a shorter way from Great Langdale, but Stake Pass is also a good option. If you start from Stonethwaite in Borrowdale, Stake Pass is the main way to go, though you can also reach Angle Tarn. Rossett Pike is also a popular stop for people doing a long, wonderful ridge walk around Great Langdale.
