The route begins at Brackenclose Car Park in the Wasdale Valley, at the eastern end of Wast Water.

From the car park follow the track over the bridge, passing to the left of the Brackenclose Hut (owned by the Fell & Rock Climbing Club) and follow the path to a footbridge crossing Lingmell Gill.

Cross the gill and follow the path climbing alongside the gill. Follow this path, with wonderful views of Scafell Buttress ahead and Wasdale and Wast Water behind until the path crosses the beck again, crossing to the shoulder of Brown Tongue where the path climbs the tongue to a large cairn.

Take the right hand path at the cairn and follow a good path as it climbs into the huge amphitheatre of Hollow Stones, below Mickledore. To the right the huge gully of Lords Rake can be seen climbing across the front of Scafell Buttress, to the left Pulpit Rock, on the flanks of Scafell Pike.

Continue on the path ahead to the col of Mickledore, the narrow shoulder between Scafell and Scafell Pike where a mountain rescue stretcher box will be found. To the right Broad Stand can be seen, a direct route to the summit of Scafell, graded as a difficult scramble or gentle rock climb, not for the fell walker though!

Descend to the south of Mickledore, on a good path below the huge Scafell East Buttress, after a short descent a path will be met to the right, climbing to the south of the buttress to Foxes Tarn, allegedly the smallest named tarn in the lakes.

From the tarn the path turns steeply to the north climbing to the broad shoulder below the summit of Scafell. A short detour here to the north to the top of Symmonds Knott and Pisgah are well worth a visit, with wonderful views of the crags and the valley below.

A short climb then leads south west to the summit of Scafell, the second highest peak in the Lake District.

From the summit of Scafell a good path descends gradually to the west descending the broad shoulder of Green How before turning to the North West where the path descends to meet the old Coffin Road, the old track where bodies were transported from Boot to the church at Wasdale Head. Follow this track as it descends back to Brackenclose.