Dales 30
Personal Journey

Buckden Pike

Route Options
Height

702m (2,303ft)

Location

Upper Wharfedale

Neighbours

Great Whernside, Yockenthwaite Moor

Height

702m (2,303ft)

Location

Upper Wharfedale

Neighbours

Great Whernside, Yockenthwaite Moor

Gallery of Buckden Pike

Lucy on the summit trig point
Lucy on the summit trig point
The wall leads to Cray
The wall leads to Cray
Slopes near the summit
Slopes near the summit
Summit area of Buckden Pike
Summit area of Buckden Pike
The summit ridge
The summit ridge
The Polish memorial
The Polish memorial
Polish Memorial Cross
Polish Memorial Cross
Buckden Pike above car park
Buckden Pike above car park

Jonathan’s View

"Buckden Pike is the best, a proper mountain which can compete happily with the better known Three Peaks further west. It should attract many more visitors.

The Polish War Memorial and summit cairn with trig point bookmark the wide and enjoyable mile long summit ridge. From here the views are outstanding, the newly laid path ensuring that the view can be enjoyed without needing to concentrate on leaping from one peat hag to another.

On my last visit I explored the lead mines at the top of Buckden Beck, something I had contrived to miss in the past. Past the mines the route down took me to a wall only 100m above the village of Buckden with surely one of the best views in all England. The Yorkshire stone village of Buckden is in the foreground, lonely Langstrothdale lies between Yockenthwaite Moor and Birks and to the right limestone cliffs complete a perfectly framed view."

Routes up Buckden Pike

There is a choice of routes up Buckden Pike . They are shown on the map and described below. The GPX file describes my favourite route.

click the image to see a larger version of the mao

My Favourite Route

from Buckden

Height to Climb

460m (1,510ft)

O/S Explorer Map
Parking

SD 942773 Buckden, Car Park

  1. A bridleway leaves the large car park in Buckden and heads NNW up the side of the fell. Having passed through some woodland the track enters open countryside, turns NNE and reaches a wall. The path divides with a signpost pointing uphill to Buckden Pike. From here the path gradually climbs NE (through three gates) for 1.5km before reaching a wall. Turn SE and climb steeply beside the wall to the summit. There are fine views from here although quite why there is a large wooden pole next to the cairn is a matter of conjecture.
  2. An easy and recently restored path leads along the west side of a wall for 1km to a large cross dedicated to Polish airman lost on a training exercise in 1942. It is well worth a visit. From here return towards the summit until the path meets a wall just to its south. Turn west on the south side of the wall and head downhill.
  3. The path turns SW and then SSW to the old lead mine workings at the top of Buckden Gill at 650m. From here cross the small bridge and follow a marked bridleway that skirts the fellside for 1km heading SSW. Where the wall turns steeply downhill towards Buckden, follow it, aiming directly for the village. When a wall blocks your progress follow the wall to the right for 40m to a gate. A path leads back to the car park.
  4. Descent Options: From the lead mines a track does lead directly down the gill but it is rough and little fun. A more attractive option is to leave the path 200m short of the mines and follow the footpath west until it meets the uphill route at 941784.

The Polish memorial

Alternative Routes

From the East

A track from the Walden Valley to the east leads from the road end to within a few hundred metres of the summit of Buckden Pike. Take a direct ascent west to the trig point. The bridleway, although intermittent at times, offers an unusual route to the summit. From the summit walk south to the Polish War Memorial and carry on SE following the wall for 200 metres. However at the gate turn sharp NE and rejoin the bridleway which leads back to the Walden Valley

From the South

A long route heads north from Kettlewell all the way to the summit of Buckden Pike (6 ½ km distant) initially up Top Mere track and then on to the long south shoulder of Buckden Pike. This is part of the Bracken Way, an excellent new long distance footpath in the Yorkshire Dales.

The Dales 30 Book

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Each of the 30 mountains includes the following:

A full description of the Best Route

A personal view of the mountain from the author

High quality, colour photography

A sketch map showing the route & alternatives

Facts and anecdotes about the mountain and the nearby area

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