Height: 648 metres / 2126 feet Grid reference: NY 20587 14167 Category: The Western Fells
The Buttermere Valley from Fleetwith Pike. The nearest water is Buttermere with Crummock Water behind and a glimpse of Loweswater in the distance.
Buttermere from Fleetwith Pike.
Fleetwith Pike, overlooking Buttermere and Crummock Water
Looking across to Fleetwith Pike
Casper and Dougal on the summit
Fleetwith Pike
Fleetwith Pike from Seat.
Start point: Gatesgarth (NY 195 150)
Gatesgarth Farm, Buttermere – Fleetwith Pike – Haystacks – Scarth Gap – Scarth Gap Pass – Gatesgarth Farm, Buttermere
Distance: 4.6 miles Total Ascent: 717 metres Time Taken: 2 hours 35 minutes Start Time: 07:25
Weather: Warm and still but generally overcast. 15ºC
It was amazingly still in Buttermere this morning with hardly a ripple on the lake. This made the climb of Fleetwith Edge a warm one with no cooling breeze at all. It was nice to get up this way again after a seemingly long absence and rather oddly I never saw a soul during the whole walk.
Haystacks route map.
Haystacks across Buttermere.
The High Stile range.
The Buttermere Pines reflected.
Perfect reflections today.
The white cross on the climb to Fleetwith Pike.
The road to Honister Pass.
Looking back over early Buttermere to Mellbreak.
The High Stile ridge - High Crag, High Stile and Red Pike.
The first glimpse of Great Gable and Kirk Fell over Warnscale.
Ling in bloom.
A 180 degree view from Fleetwith Pike.
Looking down Fleetwith Edge.
Casper and Dougal on Fleetwith Pike summit...it reminded me of this photo which we have on our wall at home, Angus and Casper up here in 2006...
Nice new cairn on Fleetwith Pike, overlooking Buttermere and Crummock Water.
A great view over to Green Gable and Great Gable, Scafell through the gap of Beck Head and Kirk Fell.
A south and west panoramic view.
Pillar and Haystacks from Dubs Quarry.
High Crag from Warnscale Beck.
Buttermere from Green Crag.
The Gables across Blackbeck Tarn.
The crossing of Black Beck.
Pillar reflected on Innominate Tarn.
Innominate Tarn.
Kirk Fell from the pool higher up.
Kirk Fell from the pool higher up.
The cairn on the eastern side of Haystacks.
Two valleys - Ennerdale and Buttermere - from the summit of Haystacks.
Haystacks summit tarn.
The view from the south cairn, the main cairn up to the right in this photo.
Dougal and Casper on Haystacks.
Seat and High Crag at the top of the descent.
High Crag from Scarth Gap Pass.
Looking across to Fleetwith Pike.
The descent into Buttermere.
Light and shade across Gatesgarth.
Haystacks from Peggy's Bridge.
The route just walked.
High Stile looming large. Remember the purple house at Rigg Beck? The replacement...
...looks fantastic, much better than the old wooden thing that was there previously and what a view to have from the other side.
Start point: Gatesgarth (NY 195 150)
Gatesgarth Farm, Buttermere – Fleetwith Pike – Haystacks – Seat – High Crag (Buttermere) – Grey Crag on High Stile – High Stile – Red Pike (Buttermere) – Gatesgarth Farm, Buttermere
Distance: 8.2 miles Total Ascent: 1260 metres Time Taken: 4 hours 45 minutes
Weather: Warm, long sunny spells. 14ºC.
It was very still this morning and all the Lakes looked immaculate as I passed through on my way to Buttermere. Buttermere itself was absolutely stunning with the most perfect reflections imaginable so I couldn’t resist to stop and take a few photos. The weather for the walk was reasonably clear for most of it with the clouds coming in at the end making it feel a lot colder. It was great to see many families out on Haystacks, I have never seen it so busy as today.
It was beautiful and calm in Buttermere this morning and there were stunning reflections in the lake. This is High Crag and High Stile.
Haystacks and the Buttermere pines.
High Crag.
High Stile, Red Pike and Dodd.
High Crag and High Stile from further along the banks of Buttermere.
High Crag - perfectly calm reflections.
Buttermere.
High Crag, High Stile and Dodd from the start of the climb to Fleetwith Pike.
Mellbreak and Crummock Water beyond Buttermere.
There are still some stubborn patches of snow on the High Stile ridge.
Hindscarth and Robinson across Honister.
Buttermere from the summit of Fleetwith Pike.
The High Stile ridge.
Casper on Fleetwith Pike.
The north-western fells.
Pillar across Ennerdale beyond Haystacks.
Green Gable and Great Gable to the south.
High Crag across the bothy.
A peek into Buttermere from Blackbeck Tarn.
The view from the climb to Haystacks.
Pillar across Innominate Tarn.
It was busy on the summit of Haystacks today.
Pillar from Haystacks.
The south-westerly view.
High Crag and Buttermere.
Pillar and the summit tarn on Haystacks.
Descending before the climb to Seat and High Crag.
Haystacks across Scarth Gap from the climb to Seat.
Haystacks across Scarth Gap from the climb to Seat.
Casper has spotted something down there.
High Crag from the summit of Seat.
Ennerdale and Ennerdale Water.
It's a steep, steep climb up Gamlin End from here.
Haystacks and Seat from Gamlin End.
It was starting to cloud over now and began to get cold on the top of High Crag, here looking to High Stile.
The summit of High Crag. To the right the snow sprinkled Gables and Scafells are out of cloud now.
Robinson, Hindscarth and Dale Head from High Crag.
The weather has completely gone looking over to Red Pike and Dodd beyond Bleaberry Tarn with Crummock Water and Mellbreak beyond. There is a glimmer of sunshine on the Loweswater fells to the north.
On the summit of Red Pike, the clouds started rolling across from the west. Brrr, they were cold ones - lets get down!
Waterfalls on Comb Beck.
Sunlight once more on Comb Beck looking to a dull Fleetwith Pike.
Fleetwith Pike from Buttermere lakeshore path.
Buttermere from Peggy's Bridge.
Haystacks from Buttermere.
Start point: Gatesgarth (NY 195 150)
Gatesgarth Farm, Buttermere – Fleetwith Pike – Haystacks – Seat (475) – High Crag (Buttermere) –Grey Crag on High Stile (476) – High Stile – Red Pike (Buttermere) – Dodd (Buttermere) (477) – Gatesgarth Farm, Buttermere
Distance: 11 miles Total Ascent: 1400 metres Time Taken: 5 hours
Weather: Sunny and warm. 24oC.
It was an absolutely beautiful day today, perfect walking weather. The sun was shining, the skies were blue and there was just enough breeze on the tops to keep cool. This is a lovely round of Buttermere and even better on a day like today due to the great, summery views. If I’d had enough time, it would have been nice to have a little snooze by Innominate Tarn in the warm sunshine…but never mind, perhaps next time.
High Crag, High Stile and Dodd from Gatesgarth.
Looking over Gatesgarth Farm into Buttermere and Mellbreak in the distance.
The same view from further up the ascent of Fleetwith Pike.
Climbing Fleetwith Pike.
It's hot today! Casper has a rest on the steep climb, Haystacks and Pillar behind.
Angus and Casper on the summit of Fleetwith Pike.
Pillar beyond Haystacks with High Crag and High Stile to the right.
The view from the summit of Fleetwith Pike.
...and a closer shot.
High Crag from Black Beck.
Innominate Tarn - the tarn with no name - looking over to Pillar. Can you spot Angus having a swim?
Green Gable, Great Gable and Kirk Fell from the tarn on the way to the summit of Haystacks.
...and from further up, Innominate Tarn left and the tarn in the previous photo, right.
High Crag from the summit of Haystacks.
Great Gable from Haystacks.
Ennerdale Water.
Pillar across Ennerdale.
High Crag from Seat. The steep zigzag path is the way up (gulp!).
Looking back on the round just walked from High Crag. Select on the image for a large version.
Angus and Casper rest on the top of High Crag.
High Stile ahead, Casper.
The aptly named Red Pike and Dodd above Bleaberry Tarn - taken from Grey Crag.
...and looking the other way to High Stile from Red Pike.
Dodd in the foreground from Red Pike, the north western fells beyond.
Red Pike from Dodd.
Robinson, Dale Head and Fleetwith Pike from the superb high level path above Buttermere.
Robinson and High Snockrigg.
Fleetwith Pike.
Fleetwith Pike and Haystacks along Warnscale Bottom.
Start point: Car Park at the head of Honister Pass (NY 225 135)
Honister Hause – Bell Crags – Black Star (440) – Fleetwith Pike (441) – Moses Trod – Beck Head – Great Gable – Green Gable (442) – Gillercomb Head – Brandreth (443) – Grey Knotts (444) – Honister Hause
Distance: 8.75 miles Total Ascent: 1159 metres Time Taken: 4 hours
Weather: Grey and overcast. 5ºC.
Today the weather was a lot duller than yesterday for a walk up to Great Gable from the Honister Pass. It did look promising at the start, but after the ascent of Great Gable I never got out of the clouds until reaching Grey Knotts. It was very quiet up there today and I had every summit to myself, which must be a record for Great Gable I think!
The track from Honister Pass looking down to the slate mine - the only slate mine in England.
Hindscarth from Black Star, the highest point of Honister Crag.
Yewbarrow through the gap between Kirk Fell and Pillar.
The Buttermere Valley from Fleetwith Pike. The nearest water is Buttermere with Crummock Water behind and a glimpse of Loweswater in the distance.
High Crag and High Stile from Fleetwith Pike.
The summit of Grasmoor obscured by clouds.
Haystacks in the foreground with Pillar behind, across Ennerdale.
Angus is back! - on Fleetwith Pike.
High Crag.
Fleetwith Pike to the left of the ridge with Black Star along the same ridge to the right. Much evidence of continuing mining operations here.
Kirk Fell appears fleetingly from the cloud cover.
...as does Green Gable.
A panoramic view of Ennerdale and Buttermere. Select on the image to see a large annotated version.
Angus.
The Ennerdale Valley from the rising of the River Liza which runs all the way to Ennerdale Water.
A glimpse in to Wasdale and a view of Wast Water from Beck Head. Now it was up to Great Gable and up into the clouds.
The Fell and Rock Climbing Club plaque on Great Gable summit with poppies remaining from the Remembrance Sunday service.
The mist clears at Windy Gap to show Styhead Tarn.
A puddle shows how cold it is up on Grey Knotts.
Tarn on Grey Knotts.
Base Brown from the summit of Grey Knotts.
Gatesgarth – Fleetwith Pike (60) – Haystacks (61) – High Crag (62) – High Stile (63) – Red Pike (Buttermere) (64) – Gatesgarth
Memorial cross on the ascent of Fleetwith Pike.
Mellbreak across Buttermere.
High Crag and High Stile from Fleetwith Pike summit.
Buttermere and Crummock Water from Fleetwith Pike.
Pillar and Haystacks from Fleetwith Pike.
Pillar behind Innominate Tarn.
Kirk Fell from Haystacks.
Crummock Water from the summit of Haystacks.
Robinson and Hindscarth from Haystacks.
Bleaberry Tarn and Crummock Water.
Haystacks.
High Crag.
Ennerdale from the summit of High Crag.
High Stile summit.
Robinson over Buttermere.
Crummock Water.
Red Pike summit.
Fleetwith Pike on the descent of Red Pike.
Fleetwith Pike across Buttermere.
Haystacks across Buttermere.