Scafells

The Scafells, or Scafell Massif, are a range of fells in the Cumbrian Mountains of England, made up of the remains of a caldera volcano. Fells in the range include Broad Crag, Ill Crag, Scafell, and Scafell Pike, England's tallest mountain. Great End, Lingmell and Slight Side are also usually included within the definition. These hills form part of the Southern Fells.

Geology
Geologically, parts of the Scafell massif are the remnants of a volcano that erupted in the Ordovician period over 400 million years ago. This volcano, geologically described as a caldera and an "inverse stratovolcano", as well as all other volcanoes of the Lake District, are long since extinct.

The volcano is an example of a piecemeal caldera whose collapse, in contrast with a wholesale piston-like subsidence, occurred in a piece-by-piece fashion along faults and whose measurements suggest formation from an eruption of a VEI-7 magnitude, comparable to the Minoan eruption at Santorini in the Greek Aegean in c. 1600 BCE. The Scafell dacite, between Little Narrowcove and Aaron Crags, is a lava dome formed during the last stages of volcanic activity at Scafell massif.

English Munros
An English Munro (or Furth) is a mountain summit that exceeds 3000 ft and has a prominence of more than 30 m. In England there are six peaks that meet that criteria and four of those are part of the Scafell Massif.

(‡) Have the prominence of over 150 m to qualify as a "Real Munro".

Scafell and Scafell Pike


The summit of Scafell (964 m) is only 14 m lower than Scafell Pike (978 m); it can sometimes appear to be higher because of its precipitous topography.

The traverse between England's two highest summit's via Mickledore col requires considerable care and caution:
 * 1) The route via Broad Stand is best avoided because it is dangerous.
 * 2) There is a safer but longer route available via Foxes Tarn.