Pavey Ark is the grandest cliff in the Langdale Pikes. We look at the skills you’ll need to tackle this classic route. A tricky boulder move (easier for long legged walkers) near the top makes this harder than North Rake. A pleasant walk around the tarn in either direction will bring you to a steep scree path to the start of the rake. Wainwright described it as “just about the limit that the ordinary fell walker reasonably may be expected to attempt”. - Lots of cloud now drifting in over the western skyline: -. So, with the addition of Pavey Ark - High Raise, etc., that was my plan. Looking across to the Helvellyn range from Codale Head: -, Looking towards Grasmere from the flanks of Codale Head. Cicerone � explore the world�s best collection of walking books, Virus antidote 3 - another batch of thriller photos. Date of walk: 12th July 2014. This is a boulder strewn path which reaches the top of Pavey Ark without difficulty. (From between Thunacar Knott and High Raise): -, The western skyline from High Raise summit: -, The northern skyline from High Raise summit: -, Looking (into the sun), towards Langdale from Sergeant Man summit. Nevertheless the route can be climbed in all seasons and is listed as a Scottish Grade 1 for a winter ascent. Our first peak, Pavey Ark, holds the famous Jacks Rake. Ordnance Survey Explorer Map (1:25,000) OL6 The English Lakes South Western Area. Indeed Jack’s Rake itself is an escape or descent route for the more serious Pavey Ark rock-climbs above and below. The car park is National Trust with ample space and clean toilets. There is a future with walking! How this can be A wide grass, mud and scree filled gully ascends the cliff to the right of centre and trends slightly right to join North Rake about half way up. Your comments on this walk, your experiences and suggestions, and your photos are very welcome. Which paradoxically Wainwright called the North Rake… Stickle Tarn partly seen in mid-ground, with Pavey Ark's shadowy northern slopes at right: -, Looking back to Sergeant Man from Codale Head. This is a grade 1 scramble (grade 3 being the highest) which gives walkers with a head for heights the chance to enter the preserve of the rock climber. See our description, photos and practical information for Pavey Ark via Jack's Rake and join in with our trekking and hiking forums to find out why we think so! Strike upwards after a short distance weaving between boulders and then up scree to the bottom of both Jack’s Rake and Easy Gully. Solo. Pavey Ark & Harrison Stickle from Stickle Gill NTCP. Been up Pavey Ark on several previous occasions including an ascent via Jack’s Rake but I don’t have time or date or even year! ADT: 07/07/2019: With J: GCW: 02/07/2019 At the top of the rake, it's just a stone's throw to Pavey Ark's summit. Because of the boggy nature of the area, I had decided to keep to the highest ground wherever possible, and so took in the subsidiary tops of Great Castle How and Little Castle How, before beginning my descent back to valley level (via the flanks of Raw Pike). Seen from the surrounding hills Pike of Stickle is an instantly identifiable lump on the high ground above Langdale. Virus antidote 3 - another batch of thriller photos to give some hope and cheer. The Rake is classed as a grade 1 scramble and it does involve regular use of your arms to pull you up to some of the steeper parts of the ascent. The first ascent is up a fairly steep gully with lots of scree. The start of the path back down to Langdale Valley was very indistinct and not easy to find, but once found led without difficulty down the fellside, coming out at Pye Howe, and leaving a short but pleasant road walk back to the carpark. I'm glad I'm not on Great Gable right now! The "Langdale Boulders", (visible under the large tree at right of shot), contain some well preserved Neolithic stone engravings. http://db.lsj.com/lsj/issuu/upload_to_issuu/ercn_08_22_10.pdf PLEASE consider this when making plans. Ask G1naM about Jack"s Rake. I hadn't done Sergeant Man for quite a few years, and had never explored along Blea Rigg. However, the entire top is liberally scattered with boggy ground, which required rather circuitous walking on more than one occasion, in order not to get very wet feet! The rake itself was mostly straightforward, but with the amount of rain we've had recently, there was still quite a lot of run-off trickling down at various points, making hand & footholds on several short sections pretty slippery. Jack's Rake was the plan for Sunday and the weather came good for it. Pavey Ark Jack's Rake runs from right to left up the face of Pavey Ark The first task is to reach the bottom of the rake, which is located a short distance up a loose, boulder path. Jack’s Rake is classified as a ROCK CLIMB. (Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, and Synge), (Wainwright, Birkett, Nuttall, Fellranger, and Synge), (Wainwright, Birkett, Nuttall, Fellranger, Synge, and sub Sim), (Wainwright, Birkett, Marilyn, Hewitt, Nuttall, HuMP, Fellranger, Synge, Sim, and Tump). Jack's Rake. The red line indicates the Jack's Rake scrambling route on Pavey Ark. The Scafells and Great Gable quickly became enveloped in clag. Your comments on this walk, your experiences and tips, and your photos are very welcome. I made it about one third up, but was defeated by the conditions; a veritable stream running down the gulley, the very steep climbing up slippery and slimey rocks, getting very wet and the sheer terror! Date of experience: July 2019. Christmas/New year 2020/21. Nestled amongst them is Pavey Ark, the largest cliff in the Lake District. While this is true, seasoned scramblers will enjoy the challenge of the rake as it carves a route across the crags. Its grading is easy – it is the easiest of the recognised climbs in the Langdale area. Your comments on this walk, your experiences and suggestions, and your photos are very welcome. has been a nail biter for as long as I can remember, since the first time I climbed Pavey Ark via the North Rake and then onto Harrison Stickle way back in February 09. I started the walk at the National Trust Stickle Ghyll carpark beside the Stickle Barn Pub, and an hour later, after the always laborious pull up Stickle Ghyll, I was enjoying the views of Harrison Stickle and Pavey Ark across Stickle Tarn. An inescapable way up a big cliff with no route-finding problems but increasing exposure as height is gained. Follow us on Facebook and Instagramfor regular doses of beauty and delight. Pavey Ark catches the sun Jack's Rake - the diagonal groove running up the rock face Our first task was to reach the bottom of the rake, which is located a short distance up a loose, boulder path. 32 Jack’s Rake, Pavey Ark 1 ***, +150m, SE aspect, NY 286 079. The walk up to Jack's Rake is nice, then you see the route up in front of you. It's a grade 1 scramble, but for experienced walkers with a head for heights it … Fifteen minutes later, and full morning sunshine now on the Pikes. Friday 27th October was forecast to be a sunny day with light winds, so I headed to the Lake District for another walk on the tops. It is perhaps best known for the impressive Jack's Rake, a scramble that follows a slanting route up the great face. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. It's pretty easy to follow and a good scramble. Pavey Ark, Harrison Stickle & Pike of Stickle (3 of the Langdale Pikes) via Jacks Rake - Walking Route Map Distance: 6.2 miles Time: 4 hours Difficulty: Hard (Jacks Rake poses the greatest challenge. EASY GULLY. If you spotted the rake on the face of Pavey Ark then finding the bottom should be straightforward. Keen fell walker Susannah Cox, 37, of Lancaster decided to walk up Pavey Ark with her husband, John, on June 20 while enjoying some time off work. Pavey Ark is palpably no place for walkers but if you take a closer look you’ll spy a fault line which rises diagonally right to left across the face...it’s called Jack’s Rake and that’s where you’re going! (Photo taken at Copt Howe). You can walk to the top of Pavey Ark by using any of these 4 easy to follow route maps: Walk c225 The Langdale Pikes via Jack's Rake from The New Dungeon Ghyll, Great Langdale Jack's Rake is a Lakeland Classic - but not for the faint hearted Sunrise on the Langdale Pikes, with a light carpet of mist lying in the Elterwater valley: -. Rentalcars.com - millions of cars in over 10,000 locations. The Langdale Valley is one of the most popular hiking areas in the Lake District, and quite rightly so. in shot. Summary. Where appropriate, you will be credited for your contribution. WalkLakes recognises that hill walking, or walking in the mountains, is an activity with a danger of personal injury or death. Luckily, that cloud didn't move eastwards, and my walk continued under gloriously sunny skies. I’ve been promising myself a return visit to the Langdale Pikes for a while, with the sole purpose of tackling Jack’s Rake, the wicked looking scar that runs diagonally up the southern face of Pavey Ark. Once there, I had a short rest and a bite to eat, just enjoying the views. Weather: bright and warm. Pavey Ark can also be ascended from Stickle Tarn via Easy Gully, North Rake or by the path to Harrison Stickle. If you spotted the rake on the face of Pavey Ark then finding the bottom should be straightforward. All material on this website is © Walkopedia Ltd 2008 - 2021, unless specified otherwise. All gave the thumbs up so we blasted over to the base of Jack's Rake, here we donned helmets and set off up the narrow channel. The imposing crags of Pavey Ark loom over the tarn – a very impressive spectacle. Jack's Rake on Pavey Ark is avoided by using an excellent path up the gully on the east ridge. There are also some places that are extremely exposed so a head for heights is certainly required. Walkers: Andrew.