A broad grassy giant above Keswick, one of the biggest hills in England and among the friendliest to climb
Open accesson open access land, where the right to roam applies
Skiddaw stands 930 metres above Keswick, and the first surprise is how different it looks from most of its Lakeland neighbours. Where Scafell Pike and its crowd are stacked with crags and scree, Skiddaw is smooth and rounded, grassy nearly to the summit, built from a much older and softer slate than the volcanic rock that gives the central fells their teeth. It makes for one of the more approachable big mountains in England, approachable being relative, since it’s still the fourth highest hill in the country and a real day’s walking by any normal measure.
The usual route starts right from Keswick itself, up past Latrigg and onto the broad shoulder that leads to the top, which is about as convenient as a serious hill gets — no long drive to a remote car park, just boots on from the edge of town. It’s a popular way up because it’s the easiest one to reach, well-trodden and simple to follow, though “easy to follow” and “easy” aren’t quite the same thing over that much ascent. Skiddaw Little Man sits just below the main summit and makes a fair consolation prize if the weather closes in before the top.
The view is the real payoff: Bassenthwaite Lake laid out below to the west, Derwentwater the other way, and on a clear day a fair chunk of the northern fells spread out in every direction. Wainwright wrote of it warmly for exactly that reason, open ground with nothing blocking the outlook. Go prepared for wind regardless of the forecast down in Keswick — that broad, exposed summit dome catches everything going, and a still morning in the valley is no guarantee of one up top.
More at hill-bagging.co.uk
