Buckden Pike is a fell at the head of Wharfedale, a valley in the Yorkshire Dales, that stands above the village of Buckden. At 702 metres (2,303 ft), it narrowly misses out on being the highest peak in the area, the title instead going to nearby Great Whernside (704 metres). The summit is marked by a trig point.
To the south of the summit is a memorial cross, dedicated to the memory of five Polish airmen of the Royal Air Force who crashed their Wellington Bomber on 30 January 1942. The memorial was created by, with help from various locals, the sole survivor of the crash Jozef "Joe" Fusniak, and completed on 8 August 1973
There are fine views from the summit. The most extensive are to the East and West. To the East is the ridge running from Little Whernside to the summit of Wharfedale's highest peak, Great Whernside. To the West are views into the heart of the Yorkshire Dales, including mountains such as The Yorkshire Three Peaks, as well as closer peaks such as Firth Fell and Yockenthwaite Moor. To be found close to the summit is a large wooden pole, standing vertically; it has a number of large holes focused on different views - this used to be labelled with information cards but is no longer
Every year, Buckden Pike is host to the Buckden Pike Fell Race, on the day of the village gala in June. The route covers 4 miles and nearly 500 metres (1500 ft) of ascent. The race record is held by Colin Donnelly who, in 1988, completed the course in a time of 30:51; the women's record is held by Carol Greenwood who ran 36:32 in 1996.
You will need to bring your own flask of tea/coffee, and for some a Jet boil or MSR stove.
This location is fairly remote, exposed to the elements and can be very boggy in winter so not wanting to teach some to suck eggs but a sturdy pair of boots, gaiters, waterproofs etc are recommended.
There is a traditional cache at the summit (GC1P6DR) along with a virtual (GC45CC), so a 3 for 1.