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Catstye Cam

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890 mWainwright — Eastern Fells+4 bonus Birketts within 3 km

Catstycam at 890m (2,919ft) is the perfect mountain in miniature — a shapely, symmetrical cone above Red Tarn that Wainwright described as one of the finest summit shapes in Lakeland.

Summit conditions on Catstye Cam

On the summit on Tuesday 27 October: 10° to 3°C, gusts to 58 mph, 19.9 mm of rain forecast over the whole day, midnight to midnight.

Against our lines, Tuesday 27 October: wind, cold and cloud from the Met Office UKV 2 km model (daylight hours, as in the verdict above); rain from the summit line’s forecast (the whole day). A tile is large when this top is past its line.

Wind on the top

Past the line

83 mph, our estimate for the open top in the worst daylight hour

The Met Office 2 km model’s gust of 56 mph times our exposure factor of 1.48. The summit line above gives Open-Meteo’s highest gust for the whole day, 58 mph, before any exposure factor.

The line Our line: 25 mph, where our wind Scale begins its 25–35 band: “balance affected; buffeting on exposed ground”. MWIS describes what wind does to a walker across a range rather than at a line: from about 20–25 mph it starts to affect your balance.

Estimated: it is not calibrated against summit readings, and the two forecasts can disagree by more than a band.

Cloud on the top

Past the line

18 out of 100, the clear-top reading

Averaged over the daylight hours, from the forecast’s humidity and low cloud.

The line Our line: a clear-top reading under 20 out of 100, where our scorer says “summit likely clagged in”. There is no outside threshold to cite; it is our estimate. What cloud does to finding the way: navigating in cloud.

Not an observation: cloud lifts and drops within the hour.

Rain, and the becks

Past the line

19.9 mm of rain over the whole day, midnight to midnight

The same figure as the summit line above and the 7-day forecast.

The line Our line: 6 mm in the day, where our scorer counts a day as soaking. We read rainfall, never river levels: becks in spate.

Open-Meteo’s forecast. It says nothing about rain already in the ground.

Also checked cold: feels like −2 °C, no ice or snow forecast. Under a line is not the same as fine: it means only that these figures are under the lines we use.

Not in these tiles Lightning, river levels, snow or ice already lying, and the ground under your feet. A tile cannot see them, so an empty space here never means they are absent.

Snow figures with a second opinion: Powered by Met Office data

Full 7-day summit forecast ↓

Wainwrights are scored for walking conditions each morning from the Met Office’s UK forecast model, read for each summit through Open-Meteo; the forecast figures are Open-Meteo’s, worked out for the summit’s height. How we check →

Weather data by Open-Meteo.com

Routes up Catstye Cam

Both start from Beckside Car Park (paid); the last two rows give its parking and bus. Full maps further down.

Glenridding Dodd, Sheffield Pike, Catstye Cam, Birkhouse MoorHelvellyn via Striding Edge & Swirral Edge
Starts fromGlenriddingGlenridding
Distance and climb15.58 km, 1,269 m of climb12.71 km, 948 m of climb
Time, fast to steady~5–7 h~4–5½ h
ScramblingNot mentioned in the route’s notesGraded scramble: Striding Edge and Swirral Edge (km 5.0–5.6 and km 6.2–6.7). Striding Edge and Swirral Edge are exposed Grade 1 scrambles with big drops — the scene of frequent slips and serious accidents.
ExposureHardSevere
NavigationHardSevere
Steepest stretchClimb of about 34% at 1.1 km (Hard)Descent of about 34% at 7.7 km (Hard)
After the summitOver Birkhouse MoorNo further tops
Walked or plannedWalked by Lee, September 2023Walked in part; km 4.1–6.7, km 10.3–11.5 from the map
Car park at the startBeckside Car Park (paid)Beckside Car Park (paid)
Bus to the start508 at the start508 at the start

Times run from fast to steady pace (Naismith’s rule). Scrambling quotes each route’s own notes; “not mentioned” means they do not say, not that the ground has none. Each route’s page has its map, stages and GPX.

Distance, climb and the steepest stretch are measured from each route’s GPX track; the other grades are set on the ground, judged from the map or estimated from OpenStreetMap, and each route page says which. How we check →

Is Catstye Cam hard to climb?

On its own, no — Catstye Cam (890 m / 2,919 ft) can be climbed by a steep but straightforward path with no scrambling, from Glenridding up the Red Tarn valley. It's a stiff pull near the top but not technical.

It becomes more serious if you link it to Helvellyn over Swirral Edge, which is an exposed Grade 1 scramble. You can enjoy the peak without ever setting foot on that ridge.

Sources: Mud and Routes — Helvellyn & Catstye Cam

How we check →

Conditions and 7-day summit forecast

Modelled for the 890 m summit (Open-Meteo). Check the Met Office mountain forecast and MWIS before you set off.

Full 7-day forecast
Tue 27 Oct
10° / 3°
58 mph
19.9 mm (100%)
Wed 28 Oct
7° / 4°
47 mph
8.2 mm (100%)
Thu 29 Oct
7° / 6°
26 mph
0.1 mm (33%)
Fri 30 Oct
7° / 5°
28 mph
0.0 mm (23%)
Sat 31 Oct
8° / 1°
14 mph
0.3 mm (18%)
Sun 1 Nov
6° / 0°
11 mph
0.0 mm (10%)
Mon 2 Nov
5° / -3°
16 mph
0.0 mm (0%)

Taken 27 October 2026, 08:13 UTC; the live forecast replaces it when it loads. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com

Pro mountain forecasts: MWIS · Met Office mountain forecast

Parking & buses for Catstye Cam

Parking

Route starts first, then the car parks nearest the summit, which are not always a way up.

Beckside Car Park (paid) — 0.1 km from the start of Glenridding Dodd, Sheffield Pike, Catstye Cam, Birkhouse Moor and Helvellyn via Striding Edge & Swirral Edge (straight line)
Main Helvellyn-from-the-east base: the 'Helvellyn via Striding Edge & Swirral Edge' route starts 94 m away, and the 'Glenridding Dodd, Sheffield Pike, Catstye Cam, Birkhouse Moor' round 58 m away. Toilets on site. Fees: pay and display; coins and cards; RingGo ID 37316 (LDNPA, checked August 2026). OpenStreetMap maps it as two sections, both named Beckside Car Park.
Directions When people arrive, and what it costs →Something changed here?
If it is full: Ullswater Steamers Glenridding Pier car park (paid) (0.5 km); Glencoyne (NT, paid) (2.1 km, 124 m up)
Glenridding Village Car Park (~69 m straight line) Public toilets (~187 m straight line) Let It Brew Fairlight Cafe & Restaurant Fellbites Travellers Rest Catstycam.com
Wythburn Church, Thirlmere (paid) — 3.2 km from summit (straight line)
Direct forest path up Helvellyn's south ridge (Comb Crags). Fees: Pay and display, pay by coin only (visitlakedistrict.com) (United Utilities, checked August 2026). Lee has parked here and recalls the machine taking coins, which agrees with United Utilities' own listing rather than the National Park directory's “cards only” - carry coins (Lee McCoy, recollection, recorded 12 August 2026).
Directions Something changed here?
Swirls, Thirlmere (paid) — 3.3 km from summit (straight line)
The standard west-side route up Helvellyn via Browncove Crags. Fees: pay and display; coins and cards (Lake District National Park car-parks directory, checked August 2026). Pay and display (visitlakedistrict.com); named as a UU Thirlmere car park on unitedutilities.com, which states no fee details (United Utilities, checked August 2026).
Directions Something changed here?
If it is full: Station Coppice, Thirlmere (LDNPA, paid) (0.2 km); Legburthwaite (United Utilities, small) (3.4 km, 222 m up)
The Swirls Car Park (~49 m straight line) — Free · Accessible · RADAR key
3 more places to park near Catstye Cam
Station Coppice, Thirlmere (LDNPA, paid) — 3.4 km from summit (straight line)
A small Authority car park on the A591 at Thirlmere, just north of the larger Swirls car park and separate from it. 18 spaces. Fees: pay and display; cards only (Lake District National Park car-parks directory, checked September 2026). Charges apply 9am-6pm every day including Sundays and bank holidays (visitlakedistrict.com, checked August 2026).
Directions When people arrive, and what it costs →Something changed here?
A591 north of Swirls (car park) — 3.5 km from summit (straight line)
Walking base for Helvellyn, Helvellyn Lower Man, White Side and Nethermost Pike — the 'Helvellyn from Swirls: the walkers’ way up' route starts 479 m away. Also serves 'Helvellyn & Nethermost Pike via Seat Sandal'. Fee not verified — check signage on arrival.
Directions Something changed here?
Steel End, Thirlmere (paid) — 4.0 km from summit (straight line)
South end of Thirlmere for the Wythburn valley and Armboth fells. Fees: pay and display (Lake District National Park car-parks directory, checked August 2026). Pay and display (visitlakedistrict.com); named as a UU Thirlmere car park on unitedutilities.com, which states no fee details (United Utilities, checked August 2026).
Directions Something changed here?

Positions are approximate.

Of the pay-and-display machine tickets sold from 17 August 2024 to 31 March 2026, 34% at Glenridding and 15% at Station Coppice were bought before 10am (our count of FOI/2026.500 ticket data). Contains public sector information provided by the Lake District National Park Authority and licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Vehicles are left at their owner’s risk: we list places people park and cannot vouch for any of them. Take valuables with you and leave nothing on show.

Buses

The 508, 509 and 559 stop at Glenridding, at Bus Shelter, a 140 m walk from the start of Glenridding Dodd, Sheffield Pike, Catstye Cam, Birkhouse Moor — a route we rate Hard overall (hardest: distance, steepness, terrain, navigation and exposure). The last bus is 19:41 towards Windermere (508) and 17:55 towards Penrith (508) and 17:45 towards Grasmere (559) and 17:29 towards Patterdale (509) and 16:00 towards Keswick (509) and 15:04 towards Hartsop (509), every day. Checked against the operator’s timetable, 7 September 2026; that timetable runs to 1 November 2026. Times here are a guide, not a promise — leave yourself more than the minute.

Stagecoach 508 “Ullswater Bus”
Penrith – Pooley Bridge – Aira Force – Glenridding – Patterdale (summer services continue over Kirkstone Pass to Troutbeck and Windermere)
Catch it from: Penrith · Windermere (summer only)
The key route from Penrith for the Eastern and Far Eastern fells: Helvellyn from Glenridding, Place Fell, the Hartsop fells. The summer Kirkstone extension drops you at the pass for Red Screes and Caudale Moor.

Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com or Traveline before relying on a last bus.

Getting there across the Lake District: Buses · Parking map · By train · By boat

Hazards on Catstye Cam

Hazard & Incident Information for Catstye Cam

Checked by Lee McCoy, . Draws on published material from Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team. Editorial background, not a live callout feed.

Hazard: Moderate

A shapely, near-perfect pyramid peak standing just east of Helvellyn above Red Tarn. The summit itself is small and the ridge walking is straightforward in good conditions, but the fell is steep on every side and is most often reached via Swirral Edge — the rocky arête linking it to Helvellyn, which has a serious accident record. The steep flanks down to Red Tarn and Glenridding are loose and unforgiving of a slip. Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team covers this ground, which sees regular falls on the connecting ridges.

  • Swirral Edge (link to/from Helvellyn): The usual way between Catstye Cam and Helvellyn is this rocky arête, with big exposed drops, boulders and narrow footing. Walkers have fallen well over 100m from here toward Red Tarn. It is just as serious as Striding Edge — and in winter, when iced, it is one of the most dangerous spots on Helvellyn. Take the rocky scramble carefully and avoid it altogether in ice unless fully equipped and competent.
  • Steep flanks above Red Tarn: Catstye Cam falls away steeply on its Red Tarn side. A trip near the top of these slopes can become a long, fast slide over rough ground. Keep to the path and don't cut corners on the descent.
  • North-west and east ridges (Glenridding side): Both Glenridding ridges are steep, and the north-west ridge in particular involves loose, pathless ground. No technical difficulty in the dry, but tiring and slippery, and easy to dislodge rock on others below.
Who should attempt this fell: Catstye Cam is an easy summit if approached by its ridges in good conditions, but most people combine it with Helvellyn via Swirral Edge — and that arête deserves full respect, especially descending and in winter. If you are not comfortable with rocky scrambling and exposure, ascend Catstye Cam directly from Glenridding and skip the Edge. In winter the connecting ridges need ice axe, crampons and the skills to use them.

What to watch for: Falls from Swirral Edge toward Red Tarn, including in winter ice · Slips on the steep flanks above Red Tarn · Loose, pathless ground on the steep Glenridding ridges · Underestimating the exposure on what looks like a small, friendly peak

Local Mountain Rescue: Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team

Safety: Always check current conditions, carry proper navigation equipment, and seek qualified instruction before heading onto the fells. In an emergency, call 999, ask for Police, then Mountain Rescue.

Report incorrect information

Don’t drink from Glenridding Beck

On our route Helvellyn via Striding Edge & Swirral Edge you cross Glenridding Beck, which runs below the old Greenside lead mine. In Environment Agency samples from it, the typical level of dissolved lead is above the World Health Organization’s drinking-water guideline — that comparison is ours, not the Agency’s. Those samples were taken between 2004 and 2024 at 3 Agency sampling points 10 to 175 m from the route’s line, the nearest “Glenridding Beck”: a record of past sampling, not a test of the water today. This is not the usual hill-water risk: a squeeze or hollow-fibre filter removes none of these dissolved metals, and boiling only concentrates them. Carry your own water for this walk and don’t refill from the beck.

What’s actually in this beck — we mapped every mine-fed one →

Metal-mine water data © Environment Agency (Open Government Licence v3.0).

Navigating in cloud

Not graded by the model

Our terrain model finds nothing to grade on this summit, so it gives no cloud grade here — that is not a sign of easy navigation. Read this fell’s hazard notes and the route pages before a day in cloud. Carry map and compass, and know how to use them.

In winter — snow, whiteout, cornices, buried features — every top demands full winter navigation skills whatever its band, and a broad, gentle summit can be the worst place of all. See walking in bad weather and the navigation guide.

How Catstye Cam compares with all 214: the Clag Index (experimental).

If you need Mountain Rescue

Dial 999 or 112 and ask for the Police, then Mountain Rescue.

Before you call, have ready: where you are (a grid reference if you can – the OS Locate app shows yours on your phone), what has happened, how many of you there are, and your mobile number.

Then stay where you are until the rescue team contacts you.

If you cannot make a voice call because of a hearing or speech impairment, emergency SMS works only if you have registered first: text “register” to 999.

From Mountain Rescue England and Wales’s guidance on calling them out (read 26 October 2026).

Map, GPX and nearby Birketts

Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap, with SRTM elevation data (switch layers top-right).

Parking, toilets and buses: Parking & buses ↑.

Birketts within 3 km of Catstye Cam

These Birkett tops are not Wainwright summits. Distances are straight lines: check the ground and access on a map before adding one.

1.1 km WSWHelvellyn Lower Man925 m · Eastern
2.2 km SSWHigh Crag (Grisedale)884 m · Eastern
2.7 km NWBrown Crag610 m · Eastern
3.0 km NGreen Side (White Stones)794 m · Eastern

Routes over Catstye Cam

Glenridding Dodd, Sheffield Pike, Catstye Cam, Birkhouse Moor
Summits: Glenridding DoddHeron Pike (Glenridding)Sheffield PikeCatstye CamBirkhouse Moor

Download GPX Walked by Lee, September 2023

Route guide →

Helvellyn via Striding Edge & Swirral Edge
Summits: Birkhouse MoorHelvellynCatstye Cam

Download GPX Walked in part, September 2023 · km 4.1–6.7, km 10.3–11.5 from the map

Best season: Late spring to autumn in dry, settled weather; a serious winter mountaineering route under snow or ice.

Warnings: Striding Edge and Swirral Edge are exposed Grade 1 scrambles with big drops — the scene of frequent slips and serious accidents. Avoid in high wind, wet rock, or any snow/ice unless equipped and experienced. Prefer the walkers' route via White Side from Thirlmere if the edges aren't for you.

Route guide →

Every line here is a guide, not a guarantee — conditions change. Navigate for yourself and carry a map and compass. How to use this guide.

On the hill: terrain and water on Catstye Cam

Water & shelter on the way up

On the Glenridding Dodd, Sheffield Pike, Catstye Cam, Birkhouse Moor route:

bus shelter (51 m off the line) toilets (71 m off the line) Glenridding, at Bus Shelter (51 m from the start, straight line)

On the Helvellyn via Striding Edge & Swirral Edge route:

possible water source (121 m off the line) shelter (mapped, not checked; 4 m off the line) bus shelter (102 m off the line) toilets (67 m off the line) Glenridding, at Bus Shelter (103 m from the start, straight line) Gillside Camping (474 m from the start, straight line)

Treat water from the fell before you drink it. A mapped point is not proof the water is drinkable, so carry your own or use a supply you know is safe. Never drink untreated from a beck, stream or tarn — even clear-looking hill water can carry giardia or cryptosporidium from livestock upstream and leave you seriously ill. Use a treatment method suited to what might be in the water, and follow the device’s own instructions. Boiling and ordinary filters do not make water with dissolved metals or chemicals safe: where that is possible, choose another source.

On-route facilities © OpenStreetMap contributors, per route — an absent marker doesn’t mean none.

About Catstye Cam

Its isolation from the main Helvellyn ridge, connected only by the narrow crest of Swirral Edge, gives it a dramatic, separate presence. The view from its summit across Red Tarn to Helvellyn and Striding Edge is arguably the finest close-up mountain view in the Eastern Fells. Approached from Glenridding via Keppel Cove or as a detour from Swirral Edge. Often overlooked in favour of its famous neighbour, but unmissable for those who love shapely summits.

Field notes

Is it Catstye Cam or Catstycam? I have no idea, but what I do know is that this is a fantastic summit - but don't plan on having a nice lunch amongst friends as its a pokey up there. You can't spread out, or even have more than a couple of people admiring the view. It's not much of a pull-up from Red Tarn - and its much better to sit down there and enjoy a bite to eat as there's plenty of space and sheltered from the wind on three sides. I did the trek over from Sheffield Pike and that was a boggy affair - especially just north of Lucy's Tongue (who comes up with these names). If you're venturing back from the summit to Glenridding, bagging Birkhouse Moor as you go then expect it very to be very busy with people coming up to bag Striding Edge. Catsy is one of my favourite summits.

— Lee McCoy, who walked it on 2 of our routes

My Strava hikes over Catstye Cam

1 logged hike pass over this summit:

Data from Strava.

Classifications & hill data

Is Catstye Cam a Wainwright?

Catstye Cam is a Wainwright. It is also on the Birkett list, the Synge list, the Nuttall list, the Fellranger list and the Hewitt list.

Selected lists

Wainwright
Eastern
Birkett
Fellranger
Synge
Nuttall
Hewitt
890 m
Height
2,919 ft
In feet
NY 3481 1582
Grid ref

This is the summit’s grid reference. If you call from anywhere else, give your own position, not this one.

The summit is also a Birkett.

Lists, height and summit position from the Database of British and Irish Hills; the feet are converted from its metres and the grid reference from that position. How we check →

The view from Catstye Cam

The 360° skyline from Catstye Cam

A computed 360° skyline — every visible named top labelled by distance and bearing, from the terrain model in perfect clarity, not photographed. Drag to pan; reveal the far four-nations horizon.

drag to pan · arrow keys
Computed 360-degree skyline from Catstye Cam36 labelled tops shown (16 distant behind the far-horizon toggle). Theoretical visibility in perfect clarity; computed from terrain, not photographed.eye levelNNEESESSWWNWSkiddaw · 16 kmNethermost Pike · 2 kmFairfield · 4 kmBlencathra · 12 kmDollywaggon Pike · 3 kmGrasmoor · 18 kmHigh Street · 10 kmHigh Stile · 18 kmHigh Raise · 10 kmGrisedale Pike · 16 kmThornthwaite Crag · 10 kmRed Screes · 9 kmRobinson · 15 kmCross Fell · 39 km · clear daysHelvellyn · 1 kmHelvellyn Lower Man · 1 kmRaise · 2 kmWhite Side · 1 kmSt Sunday Crag · 3 kmHart Crag · 5 kmGreen Side · 3 kmGreat Rigg · 6 kmIll Bell · 12 kmHart Side · 4 kmThe Knott · 9 kmCriffel · 60 km · clear daysRanderside · 5 kmBirkett Fell · 4 kmBirkhouse Moor · 2 kmRed Crag · 10 kmLonscale Pike · 13 kmSheffield Pike · 3 kmLoadpot Hill · 11 kmTarn Crags Top · 15 kmHeron Pike · 3 kmBleaberry Fell · 7 kmGreat Dodd · 5 kmGategill Fell Top · 12 kmHarter Fell · 13 kmHopegill Head · 17 kmCarl Side · 15 kmHigh Crag · 17 kmWhiteless Pike · 17 kmDodd · 18 kmStony Cove Pike · 9 kmYoke · 13 kmAngletarn Pikes · 7 kmSwineside Knott · 5 kmThe Tongue · 14 kmThe Knight · 6 kmGreat Mell Fell · 11 kmArthur's Pike · 12 kmWild Boar Fell · 44 km · clear daysUllister Hill · 17 kmHigh Tove · 6 kmGowbarrow Fell · 8 kmSale Fell · 21 kmCold Fell · 47 km · clear daysClints Crags · 27 kmWhite Hill · 66 km · clear daysBigland Barrow · 32 km · clear daysMerrick · 116 km · a rare clear dayCairnsmore of Carsphairn · 112 km · a rare clear dayThe Cheviot · 119 km · a rare clear dayCairnsmore of Fleet · 99 km · a rare clear dayWindlestraw Law · 127 km · a handful of days a yearGreen Lowther · 106 km · a rare clear dayPendle Hill · 87 km · a rare clear dayMoel y Gamelin · 170 km · a handful of days a yearEttrick Pen · 93 km · a rare clear dayGreat Whernside · 78 km · a rare clear dayBlackhope Scar · 132 km · a handful of days a yearCauldcleuch Head · 86 km · a rare clear dayFair Snape Fell · 73 km · a rare clear dayPeel Fell · 88 km · a rare clear dayBlackwood Hill · 82 km · a rare clear dayBillinge Hill · 116 km · a rare clear day
The skyline as a list, by direction
  • North: Great Dodd (5 km), Gategill Fell Top (12 km), Blencathra (12 km), Atkinson Pike (13 km)
  • North-east: Cross Fell (39 km)
  • East: High Raise (10 km)
  • South-east: Red Screes (9 km), Thornthwaite Crag (10 km), High Street (10 km), Harter Fell (13 km)
  • South: Nethermost Pike (2 km), Dollywaggon Pike (3 km), Fairfield (4 km)
  • West: Dale Head (12 km), Hindscarth (13 km), Robinson (15 km), Crag Hill (16 km), Eel Crag (16 km), Wandope (16 km), Hobcarton Crag (17 km), High Crag (17 km), Thirdgill Head Man (17 km), Whiteless Pike (17 km), Sand Hill (17 km), Hopegill Head (17 km), High Stile (18 km), Grasmoor (18 km), High Stile (18 km), Whiteside East Top (18 km), Red Pike (19 km), Whiteside (19 km)
  • North-west: Carl Side (15 km), Skiddaw South Top (16 km), Skiddaw Middle Top (16 km), Skiddaw (16 km), Skiddaw North Top (16 km), Long Side (16 km), Grisedale Pike (16 km), Broad End (16 km), Ladyside Pike (18 km)

On the clearest days the far horizon adds: Merrick (116 km, Scotland), Cairnsmore of Carsphairn (112 km, Scotland), The Cheviot (119 km, England), Cairnsmore of Fleet (99 km, Scotland), Corserine (111 km, Scotland), Windlestraw Law (127 km, Scotland), Lamachan Hill (110 km, Scotland), Green Lowther (106 km, Scotland).

Computed from Copernicus GLO-30 terrain; distant tops from the Database of British and Irish Hills v18.4 (CC BY 4.0). See how we compute the view · and the summit intervisibility report below.

Sunrise and sunset on Catstye Cam

Catstye Cam catches the sun before the valley does. On not one of the sixteen dates modelled does this summit wait for first light — the eastern horizon falls away rather than standing over you, and at midsummer the light reaches it 5 minutes before almanac sunrise.

0°30°40°50°60°04:31
Midsummer. The filled shape is the skyline as seen from the summit; the line is the sun’s path. Where they meet is first light — everything left of that point is the wait.
Times for 2026, in Lakeland clock time (GMT in winter, BST in summer) — and model outputs rather than observations.
First lightAlmanac sunriseDifference
Midsummer04:31 BST ±5.0 min04:36-5 min
Equinox06:10 GMT ±5.0 min06:15-5 min
Midwinter08:29 GMT ±5.0 min08:33-4 min

A low, open northern horizon — the ground falls away northwards (mean -0.53°).

Last light — when the sun leaves Catstye Cam

Catstye Cam loses the sun early. Its earliest evening of the modelled year falls at midwinter, when last light is 34 minutes before almanac sunset — 15:15 against 15:49. The sun goes down to the south-west from here (221.5°), and the skyline on that bearing stands at 3.07°.

The evening of the same three days. A negative difference means a ridge takes the sun before the valley loses it.
Last lightAlmanac sunsetDifference
Midsummer21:59 BST ±5.0 min21:52+7 min
Equinox18:32 GMT ±5.0 min18:26+6 min
Midwinter15:15 GMT ±5.0 min15:49-34 min

These are daylight figures, not a descent plan: the light goes on fading for a good while after the sun leaves, and going down in it is a decision about your own ground and party, not about this table.

What you can see from Catstye Cam

On a clear day — computed sightlines, curvature- and refraction-corrected.
84Wainwrights in view+12 marginal
117 kmFurthest sightlineMerrick · possible under favourable refraction
2Sea in viewSolway Firth, Morecambe Bay

On the clearest days the view reaches across to Scotland.

Far horizons
  • Merrick ScotlandNW · 117 km clear
  • Criffel ScotlandNW · 61 km distant
  • Ingleborough Yorkshire DalesSE · 58 km clear
  • Whernside Yorkshire DalesSE · 51 km clear
  • Solway Firth bay/estuaryNW · 50 km in view
  • Morecambe Bay bay/estuaryS · 44 km in view
  • Great Dun Fell North PenninesENE · 40 km clear
  • Cross Fell North PenninesENE · 38 km clear
All 84 Wainwrights in clear view (nearest first)

Helvellyn, White Side, Birkhouse Moor, Nethermost Pike, Raise, Dollywaggon Pike, Stybarrow Dodd, St Sunday Crag, Sheffield Pike, Birks, Glenridding Dodd, Hart Side, Fairfield, Arnison Crag, Great Dodd, Hart Crag, Great Rigg, Place Fell, High Tove, High Seat, Angletarn Pikes (Angletarn Pikes North Top), Brock Crags (Wainwright), Bleaberry Fell, Hartsop Dodd, Grange Fell (Brund Fell), Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit), Red Screes, The Nab, Rest Dodd, Gray Crag, The Knott (High Street), Hallin Fell, Rampsgill Head, Thornthwaite Crag, High Raise (High Street), Great Mell Fell, Wether Hill, Loadpot Hill, Little Mell Fell, Cat Bells (Catbells), Latrigg, High Spy, Maiden Moor, Bonscale Pike, Ill Bell, Blencathra - Hallsfell Top, Arthur's Pike, Dale Head, Yoke, Lonscale Fell, Hindscarth, Souther Fell, Barrow, Causey Pike, Skiddaw Little Man, Robinson, Ard Crags, Scar Crags, Outerside, Carl Side, Knott Rigg, Dodd (Skiddaw), Sail, Skiddaw, Long Side, Crag Hill (Eel Crag), Grisedale Pike, Wandope, Ullock Pike, High Crag (Buttermere), Bakestall, Whiteless Pike, Hopegill Head, Carrock Fell, Lord's Seat, Whinlatter (Brown How - Whinlatter), Red Pike (Buttermere), Whiteside (Whiteside West Top), Mellbreak (Mellbreak South Top), Starling Dodd, Sale Fell, Great Borne, Gavel Fell, Blake Fell

How the view from Catstye Cam compares with all 214 — the View Report: every Wainwright ranked by what you can see from the top.

How the skyline, light and sightlines are computed

Computed, not photographed. First light is the first minute the sun’s upper limb clears this summit’s own skyline and last light the last minute it is still clear of it, both solved against the 360° horizon profile behind The View from Catstye Cam. Almanac sunrise and sunset are the flat-horizon convention. Every time carries a ± band from the 30 m elevation model — it smooths arêtes and cornices, so nothing here claims better than five minutes.

Sightlines from the Copernicus GLO-30 elevation model, which is a surface model: each 30 m cell holds the top of whatever stands there, trees and buildings included, rather than bare ground. Corrected for the Earth’s curvature and average atmospheric refraction. “Distant” sightlines and any over 100 km depend on exceptionally clear air. Modelled from Copernicus GLO-30 open elevation data — a guide to the view, not a guarantee of any single one.

Places to stay near this fell

Also nearby, but not independent

We have not stayed at any of them. We take no bookings or affiliate fees. Distances are straight lines from each route start, never walking times. Properties found via OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions about Catstye Cam

Is Catstye Cam hard to climb? Answered above.

What is the easiest route up Catstye Cam?

The simplest way is from Glenridding, following the valley track past the old mines toward Red Tarn, then taking the path up Catstye Cam's north-east ridge to the summit. It's steep near the top but a walk, not a scramble.

This lets you bag this shapely peak on its own, or use it to build confidence before — not over — Swirral Edge.

Sources: Walking Englishman — Striding Edge, Helvellyn, Swirral Edge and Catstye Cam

Do you have to do Swirral Edge to climb Catstye Cam?

No. Many people reach Catstye Cam by its own path from Glenridding/Red Tarn and never touch Swirral Edge. The exposed scramble of Swirral Edge only comes in if you're linking the summit to Helvellyn.

So if narrow, airy ridges aren't for you, you can still climb this fine pyramid peak by the walkers' route and turn back the same way.

Sources: Live for the Outdoors — Helvellyn via Swirral Edge

How dangerous is Swirral Edge?

Swirral Edge is a Grade 1 scramble — a narrow rocky arête with big, exposed drops on both sides, cradling Red Tarn alongside Striding Edge. In dry summer conditions it's manageable for confident, sure-footed walkers, but it's the scene of regular slips, and the top where it meets Helvellyn is especially awkward in descent.

It is genuinely dangerous in wind, wet, or when snow and ice make it a full winter mountaineering proposition. If in doubt, climb Catstye Cam by its walkers' path instead.

Sources: Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team

How long does it take to climb Catstye Cam? Answered above: Routes up Catstye Cam.

Why is Catstye Cam worth climbing?

It's one of the most shapely peaks in the Lakes — a near-perfect pyramid in a superb setting just below Helvellyn, looking across to Striding Edge and down over Red Tarn. Wainwright admired its elegant lines, and the summit gives a grandstand view of the whole Helvellyn east face.

For the effort, it's a strikingly rewarding little mountain, and a quieter alternative to the crowds on the edges.

Sources: AllTrails — Helvellyn, Swirral Edge and Catstye Cam

What should I wear and take up Catstye Cam?

Wear proper walking boots with good grip for the steep, rough path — and especially if you intend to scramble Swirral Edge. Carry warm and waterproof layers; the summit is high and exposed. Bring a map and compass, water, food and a charged phone, and check the mountain forecast.

If conditions turn windy or wet, or there's any snow or ice, stick to the walkers' route and avoid the Edges — they become a serious undertaking. The walkers' route is steep ground too: Catstye Cam is steep on every side, and in ice it needs an ice axe, crampons and the skills to use them.

Sources: MWIS — Lake District forecast

Questions from Google’s “People also ask”. · Last updated 2026-07-27 · Suggest a question or correction

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