Mickledore


Mickledore is a narrow ridge, 840 metres high, connecting the mountains of Scafell and Scafell Pike in the English Lake District. It is also a pass between the valleys of Wasdale and Eskdale.

Ridge

The ridge is easily reached and traversed from Scafell Pike to the north, or from the valleys to the east and west. However, access to the summit of Sca Fell is barred by the rockface of Broad Stand, which looks much easier to climb than it is. In descent, the cliff is even more dangerous. The poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge probably made a descent on 5 August 1802; he wrote:
The walker seeking a safe route between England's highest mountains must go via Foxes Tarn, which involves a descent to 680 m or so, about 160 m below the height of the ridge. The more challenging routes of Lord's Rake, and the West Wall Traverse, offer alternative ways to reach Scafell.
To the south-west of Mickledore, a notorious accident blackspot, Broad Stand is found. It is a steep buttress wall with sequential bouldering moves, which have been described as anything from scrambling through to rock climbing. The area is described as 'extremely dangerous' by Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team.