Haystacks

Walked on 04/02/2015

Start point: Gatesgarth (NY 195 150)

Gatesgarth Farm, Buttermere – Warnscale Bottom – Haystacks – Scarth Gap – Scarth Gap Pass – Warnscale -Gatesgarth Farm, Buttermere

Distance: 4.74 miles Total Ascent: 575 metres Time Taken: 3 hours 15 minutes Start Time: 10:15

Weather: Cold and mainly clear. 2°C

What a gorgeous morning it was today – the sunrise was perfect and I timed it just right to get some fantastic reflection shots on Derwent Water. After clicking away for a good while at different locations I went over to Buttermere for a climb to Haystacks. It was amazingly quiet, there wasn’t a soul around and I only passed one person on the descent – another great winter walk.

Skiddaw at dawn.

Ashness Jetty.

Looking across the jetty to Skiddaw.

Coledale fell reflected.

Derwent Water has a mirror finish today.

At the landings.

Catbells panorama.

A seat with a view. This one is in our shops on canvas now.

Catbells...again.

...and again. This one is in our shops on canvas now.

Buttermere reflections.

Haystacks.

High Crag and High Stile.

High Crag and High Stile at the start of the walk.

A room with a view - Warnscale Bothy.

Out of the climb and on to the path to Haystacks. Someone has turned the sun off and replaced with cloud.

Great Gable across Blackbeck Tarn.

Fleetwith Pike.

What's to do Fletcheroo?

Pillar across Innominate Tarn.

A panoramic view of Innominate Tarn.

Great Gable.

Climbing towards the summit.

The view from the summit of Haystacks.

Pensive Dougal.

High Crag from Haystacks.

The monarch of the glen.

The frozen summit tarn.

Pillar across Ennerdale.

Striations in the snow.

A gorgeous view of Seat and High Crag.

The path (!) on the way down.

Haystacks

Height: 597 metres / 1959 feet Grid reference: NY 19338 13206 Category: The Western Fells

Haystacks and the Buttermere pines

Two valleys – Ennerdale and Buttermere – from Haystacks

Haystacks summit

Innominate Tarn, where Wainwright’s ashes are scattered

Haystacks

Walked on 12/07/2011

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.

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.

High Stile

Walked on 31/03/2008

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.

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.

High Stile

Walked on 07/06/2006

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.

Ennerdale Circuit

Walked on 09/05/2005

Start point: Bleach Green, Ennerdale (NY 085 153)

Bleach Green – Bowness – Brown How (Ennerdale) – Herdus – Great Borne – Gale Fell – Starling Dodd – Little Dodd (Ennerdale) – Red Pike (Buttermere) (357) – High Stile (358) – High Crag (359) – Haystacks (360) – Looking Stead – High Level Traverse – Shamrock Traverse – Pillar – Black Crag (Pillar) – Scoat Fell – Steeple – Haycock – Little Gowder Crag – Caw Fell – Ennerdale Fell – Crag Fell – Bleach Green

Distance: 23.6 miles Total Ascent: 2864 metres Time Taken: 10 hour 20 minutes

Weather: Mainly sunny with lots of snow (!) showers. 7-11°C, valley level – much colder on the tops.

Today’s walk is a long, high level circuit of the beautiful Ennerdale Valley with virtually the whole route being completed at an elevation in excess of 500m. I have had this one on my list of ‘to do’ walks for a while so it was satisfying to complete the walk on a mainly clear day. The photo’s here actually belie the conditions somewhat as the clouds came in when I was crossing from Haystacks to Pillar and there was an icy blizzard. The snow showers continued to come and go throughout the rest of the walk and conditions remained very cold.

Ennerdale Circuit route map.

An early morning silhouette of Ennerdale.

The sunlight on Crag Fell.

A good view from Red Pike of the round completed last Thursday.

Crummock Water from Red Pike.

High Snockrigg and Robinson over Buttermere with Bleaberry Tarn in the foreground.

Looking from High Stile across Bleaberry Tarn and Red Pike to Mellbreak and Crummock Water. Loweswater is visible in the distance.

The sun lights up Pillar Rock across Ennerdale on the north face of Pillar - from High Crag.

Fleetwith Pike and Dale Head from High Crag.

High Crag from Haystacks with Ennerdale to the left and the Buttermere Valley to the right.

Green Gable, Great Gable and Kirk Fell at the head of Ennerdale from Haystacks. The clouds were ominously creeping up behind me now and minutes later this view was obliterated by a blizzard.