Skiddaw via Jenkin Hill

About

Skiddaw's simple symmetry appeals to the child in us all. Its form needs no explanation; it is a mountain simple as that, with steep slopes and a summit. It might lack the drama of the great crags of its peers, and its open flanks hold no secrets but who can fail to be drawn by its minimalistic form. It stands statuesque above Keswick and has a comparable impact on the town as the Matterhorn does on Zermatt. From the most ardent mountaineer to the most languid couch potatoes the appeal of this great mountain is uniquely strong.

The most popular route to Skiddaw's wild and open summit is the Jenkin Hill Path. This route was established as a pony route for Victorian tourists and still attracts the greatest number of ascentionists, partly out of habit and partly because it can be started high and if you want a route for your first three thousand foot mountain then you can do no better. It climbs the line of least resistance up the moderate slopes of Jenkin Hill and then reaches the summit via the rounded southeast ridge.