The two tops of Heron Pike
Heron Pike
Acting as an essential southern cornerstone of the legendary Fairfield Horseshoe, Heron Pike is a mountain of grand proportions and shifting perspectives. Positioned on the eastern leg of the classic loop between the abrupt drop-off of Nab Scar and the broad, sweeping slopes of Great Rigg, it serves as a vital hydrological watershed partitioning the quiet deeps of Rydale from the shorter trench of the Greenhead valley.
The geography of the fell presents an interesting cartographic duality. The mountain actually features two distinct, recognized high points separated by a stretch of airy ridge line. The southern top stands at 612 metres and represents the official summit detailed by Alfred Wainwright in his legendary pictorial guides. However, continuing roughly half a mile further north along the crest reveals a second, physically higher northern top reaching 624 metres, which is frequently documented in alternative mountain indices under the distinct title of Rydal Fell.
Sara at the summit
The true charm of Heron Pike lies in balancing the viewpoints between its twin summits. The classic southern top, marked by a neat stone cairn, projects forward to command an exceptional close-up view over the full length of Windermere winding south, flanked beautifully by the rugged profiles of the Coniston group and the Central Fells. Meanwhile, moving across the upland grass to the higher northern crest swings the landscape open to reveal an imposing, front-row view of the massive rocky headwall of Fairfield looming across the valley—the ultimate prize for the horseshoe walkers traversing this grand ridge.
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