Trail Running > Routes > Lake District Routes > Scafell from Boot
A sturdy 19 km trail run up Scafell from the village of Boot, featuring the second highest mountain viewpoint in England.
Why run this trail?
A web search for “Scafell” almost exclusively throws up results for its more illustrious big sister, Scafell Pike. The Pike’s extra 14 metres of altitude and bucket list cachet seem to make Scafell forever the bridesmaid when it comes to Google clicks. No surprise that it reportedly gets under 10% of the total foot traffic of its (slightly) bigger sister too.
In 2024 I had planned to run Scafell from my accommodation in Boot, taking in Miterdale, Whin Rigg, Illgill Head and bookended with a descent via Slight Side. I hadn’t fancied joining the train of people up Scafell Pike from Wasdale Head at all – I don’t enjoy busy trails and I loathe having to get in a car to reach one.
I didn’t manage Scafell in 2024, so it was definitely on the list this time round, come hell or high water.
Fast forward to June 2025 and after a week of brilliant sunshine, the storm clouds rolled in and sheets of rain descended with cannons of thunder and shards of lightning. Hell and high water it was then. Oh dear.
24 hours later, against all the odds, I found myself setting out at 7:30 am on a miraculously dry, slightly overcast and very steamy Sunday morning with the summit of Scafell in my crosshairs. According to mountain reports, I had a 40% chance of clear summit views by mid morning. What a difference a day makes.
I followed the River Esk from St Catherine’s Church to Whahouse Bridge, picking up the trail at Wha House Car Park and passing through a wooden gate onto the fells. As the path climbed gently, the alternating stony and spongy track yielded steady streams of water – testament to recent weather.
It was a steady climb up to Catcove Beck, with nice views of the Eskdale Valley opening out to my right and the brooding hulk of Slight Side, its head buried in clouds, above me. The path was faint in places as I wound my way around the beck, picking my own line to avoid the worst of the water.
The track soon opened out onto an expansive, grassy slope at the foot of Great How, offering dramatic views of the Esk Valley, Harter Fell and the Hardknott Pass – shrouded in thick cloud and broken by beams of sunlight.
With the unmistakeable target of Horn Crag and Slight Side dead ahead, I set across the large stretch of moor, fording the plentiful water courses that were seeping down from the mountains above.
The climb really kicked in shortly afterwards – small cairns marking a clear track that started to zig zag slightly as the ground ramped up and gave way to stonier terrain.
The final kilometre to the summit required some hands-on-knees moments, with an average gradient of 27% and thickening wisps of cloud quickly reducing visibility beyond the next turn.
As I neared the top of my ascent, two walkers emerged like phantoms through the mist – the only people I would meet until down off the mountain over an hour later. They were just as suddenly gone, melting into the void as we trudged on doggedly in our separate directions.
The top of Slight Side is a terrain of large boulders, broken stone and grassy channels. Taking my time in the reduced visibility, I navigated to the summit, scrambling up the mound of jagged rock to snap a few pictures. Those pictures captured nothing but a wall of thick white cloud and rocks – something that would be a recurring pattern on all of my summit shots that day.
From Slight Side, the well-trodden path was easy to find – small cairns clearly marking the way across a bed of broken stone and boulder fields. Breaking into an easy run, I picked my way across the ridge of Long Green, stopping occasionally to observe the silhouettes of rocky bluffs against the backdrop of cloud and deep gullies tumbling down into the precipice.
After the rigours of Slight Side, the short hop to the summit of Sca Fell didn’t feel like any kind of climb at all, despite another 200 metres or so of climbing over patches of thin grass and broken beds of stone. With no spectacular views to distract me, I pushed the pace to keep warm and the first circular stone shelter and small summit cairn of Sca Fell soon appeared through the murk.
Ruing the persistent cloud cover, I stopped to contemplate the small radius of visible landscape around me and meditate on the sound of absolute silence. With no reason to loiter, I snapped a couple of photos and pushed on to start my descent.
At the second circular stone shelter, I paused to orientate myself, checking the map a couple of times. With visibility so poor, I wanted to make doubly sure that the steep precipices to the north and east of the summit did not make any surprise appearances in today’s run.
Reassured, I turned left and began the descent: a narrow zigzag of scree packed deliberately into the rocks cascading downwards. The track was steep and tight and required a definite plant of the foot on each corner – strong enough to retain traction yet light enough to avoid rock slides.
Before long I had descended beneath the cloud level and my world – monochrome for so long – flipped to full colour once again. Below me, great views opened out across Eskdale Fell, Burnmoor Tarn, Illgill Head and Wast Water, framed unconventionally from my vantage point.
Heading downwards quickly, the well-defined track became grassy once more before giving way to a long, pathless section of marsh which deposited me at Bulatt Bridge on the edge of Burnmoor Tarn.
Wading through the water and crossing the bridge, I squelched past Burnmoor Lodge to pick up the marked path across Eskdale Moor. From this point it was an easy four kilometres back to my base in Boot – the village rooftops glinting in the morning sunlight.
As I left the fell and passed The Boot Inn, I paused. Still way too early for a pint – but a strong coffee and a second breakfast had my name on them.
Trail run highlights
Trail run tips
Help improve this guide
Have you run this route? If you’ve discovered a better variation, noticed something that’s changed or have local knowledge to share, I’d love to hear from you.
More trail running routes in the Lake District
Trail Running Routes in the Lake District
Disclaimer
All routes and GPX files are provided as a guide only. Conditions, rights of way, and landmarks may change. Always carry an up‑to‑date map and use your own judgement. See the Trail Run Disclaimer page for details.