To the north-west of Esk Pike is the depression of Esk Hause, a broad saddle carrying a number of important paths. The ‘true’ Esk Hause—so named by Alfred Wainwright in his influential Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells—is the north–south route from Borrowdale to Eskdale. A lower path—the ‘false’ Hause—runs east–west from Langdale to Wasdale, passing a stone windshelter. There are also paths climbing to the summits of Esk Pike and Allen Crags, together with the popular Calf Cove route to Scafell Pike, all contributing to make Esk Hause a confusing place in mist. The source of the main branch of the Esk flows south from the Hause, while to the north the topography is more complex. Allen Crags stands adrift from the main ridge, with the valleys of Langstrath and Grains Gill falling on either side. These combine some miles downstream to form the River Derwent, flowing through Borrowdale to Derwentwater and Keswick.
