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Date: 20/04/2014
From: Hassness
Parking: Car parks in Buttermere or Gatesgarth
Start Point: Dalegarth Campsite
Region: Western Fells
Route length: 12.1 miles (19.4 km)
Time taken: 06:29
Average speed: 1.9 mph
Ascent: 1461m
Descent: 1465m
Wainwrights on this walk:
Red Pike (755m), High Stile (807m), High Crag (744m), Hay Stacks (597m), Fleetwith Pike (649m)
Additional summits: Seat (561m)
Other points of interest: Lingcomb Edge, Chapel Crags, Comb Crags, Gamlin End, Scarth Gap, Innominate Tarn, Dubs Quarry
"The lake by the dairy pastures" is perhaps one of the most picturesque water bodies in the Lake District. Buttermere, as you or I know it, has no notable features; it is not the longest, deepest or highest lake by any stretch of the imagination but it does have an ace up its sleeve. Connected to the main thoroughfares of the District by a series of slow mountain passes, Buttermere is home to some of the finest mountain scenery in England and arguably one of the best and most dramatic ridge walks in the Lake District.
Bank Holiday time and, unusually for an Easter weekend, we were blessed with almost perfect walking weather; bright and clear for a number of days. Our route, though a bit long-winded to avoid the steep plod through Burtness Wood to Bleaberry Tarn, would take us from our campsite at Dalegarth (which is a delightful place) via Scale Force to the airy, domed summit of the aptly named Red Pike before enjoying the popular ridge that crosses High Stile, High Crag, Seat and Hay Stacks.
The morning sun on High Crag - Sheepbone Buttress to be precise |
High Stile over Buttermere |
Scale Bridge crossing Scale Beck, proof you are heading in the right direction |
An indeterminate path crosses an area known as Scales |
Rannerdale Knotts from Scale Force |
Scale Force |
The red steps mark the steep climb |
Grasmoor peeks through the trees |
Scale Beck |
Starling Dodd and Great Borne greet you as you emerge from the valley |
Dodd and Red Pike above Ling Comb |
The fells of Coledale |
The boundary posts leading to the summit of Red Pike |
Sara backed by the fells of Loweswater |
The summit of Red Pike |
High Stile over Chapel Crags |
Bleaberry Tarn |
The steep scree slope that I will mention in a moment |
Red Pike and Chapel Crags |
High Stile |
Approaching High Stile |
The first 'summit' of High Stile, as mentioned by Wainwright |
A panorama of distant high fells - Great Gable, Kirk Fell and the Scafell range |
A view across to the true summit of High Stile |
Sara at the top with Red Pike behind |
High Crag and Comb Crags |
Eagle Crag and Grey Crag on High Stile |
High Crag, in contrast to High Stile, has a much more distinct summit, a large cairn marking the high point. As we reached it, the weather became intent on reminding us that we were having too good a time so brought along some rain and a gusty wind while we were contemplating the steep descent down Gamlin End, the great scree slopes of High Crag that fall some 700ft from the summit. They provide a very quick route off the ridge and an alarming loss of height considering the summit of Hay Stacks is now considerably above you.
The summit of High Crag with some weather brooding behind |
The steep descent down Gamlin End towards Seat |
Hay Stacks pokes its head out |
Hay Stacks over the Scarth Gap Pass |
Seat and High Crag |
Seat and High Crag over the summit of Hay Stacks |
The summit (to the right) of Hay Stacks |
A panorama of Buttermere |
The summit cairn of Hay Stacks |
The otherworldly landscape of the plateau |
Innominate Tarn |
Innominate Tarn |
After basking in the late afternoon sun by the legendary Innominate Tarn and enjoying a well-earned cup of tea, it was time to disband our ragtag bunch. Their objective; down the slopes Warnscale Bottom to the home comforts of the campsite. My plan; a final climb up to the summit of Fleetwith Pike, a fell I had missed out on last time I was walking around these parts. As I set off, the path carries you right to the edge of Green Crag, and is a truly riveting affair, being perched high above the valley below. Hay Stacks really does have it all.
The cleft of Black Beck |
Green Crag |
The final view across Hay Stacks |
The path up to Fleetwith Pike |
The summit cairn |
A perilous view down Fleetwith Edge |
Fleetwith Edge |
Fleetwith Edge; looking up this time |
A panorama from Fleetwith Edge, the Honister Pass heads off to the right |
The winding path off Fleetwith Edge |
The memorial cross |
An evening over Buttermere |
Hen Comb in the distance |
Fleetwith Pike and Hay Stacks |
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