Cold Pike: Height, Walks and Southern Fells Views

Cold Pike stands above Wrynose Pass, a rocky fell that can be overlooked beside the longer skyline of Crinkle Crags. At 700.1m, it offers a substantial summit without the scale of its higher neighbour. Its appeal lies in the contrast between grassy ground and rough outcrops, and in views that bring the southern Lakeland fells into close company. It rewards attention even when it is not the day's main objective.

A rocky summit above Wrynose Pass

Cold Pike rises north of Wrynose Pass, south of Crinkle Crags and west of Pike of Blisco. This puts it between the head of Little Langdale and the upper reaches of Eskdale, among some of the most rugged ground in the Southern Fells. Its summit reaches 700.1m, or 2,297ft, at grid reference NY262036. The fell is not a single clean-sided cone: rocky tops and outcrops break up the higher ground, with grass between them.

That broken shape gives Cold Pike much of its character. From a distance, it can look like an outlying part of the larger Crinkle Crags massif, but on the fell the individual knolls and crags make a landscape of their own. The name belongs to a distinct Wainwright summit, rather than simply a stopping point on the way to higher ground.

Views towards Crinkle Crags and the Coniston fells

Crinkle Crags dominates the view to the north, its rough skyline giving Cold Pike a particularly good foreground-to-summit relationship with its neighbour. Pike of Blisco stands across the hollow containing Red Tarn to the east. The tarn is a useful landmark in understanding how these fells fit together: it lies between Cold Pike and Pike of Blisco, below the higher ground leading towards Crinkle Crags.

To the south, beyond Wrynose Pass, the Coniston fells form another substantial part of the outlook. Great Carrs and Grey Friar belong to this neighbouring group. Cold Pike's position makes the views more than a distant panorama: nearby ridges, hollows and crags are prominent enough to pick apart. For walkers who enjoy recognising the structure of the fells, that closeness is a large part of the attraction.

Cold Pike in the Southern Fells

Cold Pike appears in Book Four of Alfred Wainwright's guides, The Southern Fells, and ranks 89th by height among the 214 Wainwrights. Walking approaches are commonly associated with Wrynose Pass and Great Langdale, and the fell is often combined with Pike of Blisco or Crinkle Crags. Those combinations vary considerably in length and difficulty; taking in Crinkle Crags makes for a more demanding outing than visiting Cold Pike alone.

Its reputation is quieter than that of its neighbours. There is no need to give it a grander role: a varied rocky top, a clear place in the southern fell country and close views of better-known summits are ample reasons to visit.

Where Cold Pike stands

Summit at grid reference NY262036 · open full map

The real Cold Pike

Walking Cold Pike

We make artwork, not route guides — these are the guides we'd point a friend to:

• Cold Pike Route One (wainwrightroutes.co.uk)
• Pike o' Blisco & Cold Pike (stridingedge.net)
• Cold Pike and Crinkle Crags (ramblers.org.uk)

Weather on Cold Pike

Conditions estimated at summit height (700 m) via Open-Meteo. For a walker's forecast, use the Mountain Weather Information Service.

Cold Pike on your wall

A painting of Cold Pike can hold onto the quieter details of a day above Wrynose: broken crags, open grass and the outline of Crinkle Crags beyond. As a print or canvas at home, it is a reminder of a fell worth knowing for itself.

Own “Sunlit Ridge to Cold Pike” — our painting of Cold Pike → or browse all Fells & Mountains artwork

Neighbouring Wainwrights in The Southern Fells

• Pike of Blisco 703 m
• Crinkle Crags 859 m
• Great Carrs 785 m
• Grey Friar 773 m

Part of our guide to all 214 Wainwrights — see the full index.