Loft Crag: Height (681.7m), Walks and Langdale Views

Loft Crag is one of the Langdale Pikes, a rocky summit standing above Great Langdale with more presence than its modest height might suggest. At 681.7m, it is lower than nearby Harrison Stickle, but its position gives walkers a fine outlook over the dale and towards the western fells. Below the summit, Gimmer Crag gives the fell a special place in Lakeland rock climbing.

A rocky summit above Great Langdale

Loft Crag belongs to the familiar group of rocky tops that defines the northern side of Great Langdale. Its summit is compact and rugged, with steep ground below and a close relationship to the neighbouring Pike of Stickle and Harrison Stickle. Seen from the valley, these fells form a much more imposing skyline than their heights alone might lead you to expect.

The view is one of Loft Crag’s strongest attractions. Great Langdale lies below, while Bowfell and the Crinkle Crags draw the eye towards the head of the dale. The nearby Pikes give the foreground its character: this is a summit from which the shapes of individual fells matter as much as the distant panorama. Its position above the valley provides a different perspective from the broader, higher ground behind the Pikes.

Loft Crag among the Central Fells

Alfred Wainwright included Loft Crag in Book Three of his Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells, The Central Fells. The Database of British and Irish Hills records its height as 681.7m, or 2,237ft, placing it 98th among the 214 Wainwrights. Its summit grid reference is NY277071.

Neighbouring Wainwrights include Pike of Stickle, Harrison Stickle, Thunacar Knott and Pavey Ark. Loft Crag is often visited as part of a day linking the Langdale Pikes, rather than as an isolated objective. Each summit brings a distinct outlook, and Loft Crag deserves time of its own rather than a hurried stop between higher tops. The close grouping of these fells is part of their appeal, though the craggy terrain and steep edges warrant care, particularly in poor visibility.

Gimmer Crag and the fell’s volcanic rock

Gimmer Crag, below Loft Crag’s summit, is one of the Lake District’s best-known rock-climbing crags. Its buttresses, cracks and exposed faces have made it an important traditional climbing venue. For climbers, the name Gimmer can be every bit as significant as the fell above it.

The rock here belongs to the Borrowdale Volcanic Group, formed through ancient volcanic activity during the Ordovician Period. Those resistant rocks underpin the rugged character of the Langdale Pikes. Gimmer’s climbing routes are technical undertakings, distinct from a fell walk; its reputation is worth knowing even if your interest is simply in the summit and the landscape around it.

Where Loft Crag stands

Summit at grid reference NY277071 · open full map

The real Loft Crag

Walking Loft Crag

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

• Guide links to be curated.

Weather on Loft Crag

Conditions estimated at summit height (682 m) via Open-Meteo. For a walker's forecast, use the Mountain Weather Information Service.

Loft Crag on your wall

A painting of Loft Crag can bring back the particular shape of a Langdale day: rock underfoot, the dale below and the Pikes close at hand. As a print or canvas, it offers a familiar reference point for anyone who knows and loves these fells.

Own “Sunlit Ridge on Loft Crag” — our painting of Loft Crag → or browse all Fells & Mountains artwork

Neighbouring Wainwrights in The Central Fells

• Pike of Stickle 708 m
• Harrison Stickle 735 m
• Thunacar Knott 723 m
• Pavey Ark 702 m

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