The pyramid-like summit of Bow Fell is part of a ring of the highest, grandest and gnarliest peaks in the Lake District National Park. Its neighbours are Crinkle Crags, Esk Pike, Great End, Scafell Pike and Scafell, a magnificent group of crag- and scree-bound tops that form a horseshoe around remote Upper Eskdale.
The shortest and most straightforward route on to Bow Fell is from Great Langdale – up The Band to the spectacularly located Three Tarns before a final, steep pull on a loose, stony path to the boulder-strewn summit. The more daring take the Climbers’ Traverse, heading into an intimidating landscape of crags and gullies where the Great Slab presides. The mountain’s most spectacular feature, this is a smooth chunk of volcanic ash inclined at an angle that puts off all but the boldest of walkers.
