Scafells
View of the Scafells from Wastwater
Highest point
Elevation	max. 978 m (3,209 ft) at Scafell Pike
Coordinates	54°28′16″N 3°08′38″W / 54.471°N 3.144°W / 54.471; -3.144
Geography
Scafells Cumbria, England Show map of the Lake District Scafells Scafells (England) Show map of England Scafells Scafells (the United Kingdom) Show map of the United Kingdom
Parent range	Cumbrian Mountains
Geology
Rock age	-
Mountain type	Caldera
Last eruption	+400 MYA

The Scafells, or Scafell Massif,^[1] 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.

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.^[2]

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.^[2]

An English Munro (or Furth) is a mountain summit that exceeds 3,000 feet (914.4 m) and has a prominence of more than 30 metres (98 feet). In England there are six peaks that meet that criteria and four of those are part of the Scafell Massif.^[a]

(‡) Have the prominence of over 150 metres (492 ft) to qualify as a "Real Munro".

The Scafells are situated within a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)^[3][4] designated in 1988 called Scafell Pikes. This protected area includes Seathwaite Fell, Great Slack, Great End, Long Pike, III Crag, Symonds Knott, Slight Side and Scafell Pike and the area of this SSSI is 1102 hectares. This area is protected because of the lichens found in the summit boulder field.

The summit boulder field is the highest in England and is covered in shattered rock debris. Lichens on these rocks include species from Rhizocarpon, Umbilicaria, Sphaerophorus, Lecidea and Cladonia (species of interest include Rhizocarpon geographicum, Umbilicaria cylindrica and Sphaerophorus fragilis). The moss species Rhacomitrium lanuginosum and the beetle Nebria nivalis have also been recorded here.^[3]

The crags of Great End have alpine herbs such as roseroot, alpine cinquefoil, alpine saw-wort and bearberry, as well as juniper. To the north of Scafell Pike herbs on rock ledges include mountain sorrel, alpine lady's mantle, alpine meadow-rue, starry saxifrage, purple saxifrage, mossy saxifrage and mountain saxifrage. The ferns lemon-scented fern (Oreopteris), beech fern, oak fern, scaly male-fern and broad buckler fern have also been recorded here.^[3]

North of Great End is Sprinkling Tarn and Styhead Tarn that have aquatic plants including intermediate water-starwort, quillwort, shoreweed, floating bur-reed and awlwort. Water lobellia is found in Styhead Tarn.^[3]

The wet habitats of Seathwaite Fell support populations of a butterfly called the small mountain ringlet.^[3]

All of the land within Scafell Pikes SSSI is owned by the National Trust.^[5]

The traverse between England's two highest summit's via Mickledore col requires considerable care and caution. The route via Broad Stand is best avoided because it is dangerous.^[6] There is a safer but longer route available via Foxes Tarn.

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  Scafell massif from Bowfell