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Causey Pike

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637 mWainwright — North Western Fells+9 bonus Birketts within 3 km

Causey Pike at 637m (2,090ft) is one of the most attractive North Western summits — a pointed, rocky knob visible from across Derwent Water that Wainwright regarded as giving one of the finest low-level views of the lake. Its distinctive profile makes it instantly recognisable.

Summit conditions on Causey Pike

On the summit on Tuesday 27 October: 11° to 6°C, gusts to 58 mph, 10.3 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

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

The Met Office 2 km model’s gust of 51 mph times our exposure factor of 1.3. 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.

Rain, and the becks

Past the line

10.3 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 1 °C, no ice or snow forecast; cloud: a clear-top reading of 33 out of 100, over our in-cloud line of 20. 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 Causey Pike

Both start from Braithwaite village (roadside/small areas); the last two rows give its parking and bus. Full maps further down.

Stile End, Outerside, Causey Pike, Rowling EndScar Crags, Causey Pike
Starts fromBraithwaite village (roadside/small areas)Braithwaite village (roadside/small areas)
Distance and climb10.08 km, 692 m of climb12.16 km, 848 m of climb
Time, fast to steady~3–4¼ h~3¾–5¼ h
ScramblingHands for a few steps: Causey Pike's top, up and down (km 3.4–6.0). The terrain changes from squelchy peat to loose scree and shattered rock, ending in a short, hands-on scramble onto the rocky "bobble" of the summit.Hands for a few steps: Causey Pike's top, up and down (km 5.9–8.2). From the summit of Causey Pike the route drops aggressively eastwards off the "bobble": steep, rocky, hands-on downclimbing over polished rock steps.
ExposureHardHard
NavigationModerateHard
Steepest stretchDescent of about 42% at 6.4 km (Severe)Descent of about 42% at 8.5 km (Severe)
After the summitOver Rowling EndOver Rowling End
Walked or plannedWalked in part; km 0.3–2.2, km 5.0–9.7 from the mapWalked in part; km 2.9–3.4, km 4.4–5.2, km 7.2–11.8 from the map
Car park at the startBraithwaite village (roadside/small areas)Braithwaite village (roadside/small areas)
Bus to the start77 at the start77 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 Causey Pike hard to climb?

It's a moderate fell with a fun finish. Causey Pike (637 m / 2,090 ft) is a steady climb up its ridge above Newlands, ending in a short rocky scramble onto the famous knobbly summit. The scramble is ungraded, with good holds and choices of line.

It's a great introduction to a little hands-on rock without the exposure of the big ridges. The final pull onto the summit knolls is still a genuine hands-on scramble, exposed and awkward when wet or windy.

Sources: Walkhighlands — Causey Pike

How we check →

Conditions and 7-day summit forecast

Modelled for the 637 m summit (Open-Meteo). Check the Met Office mountain forecast and MWIS before you set off.

Full 7-day forecast
Tue 27 Oct
11° / 6°
58 mph
10.3 mm (100%)
Wed 28 Oct
8° / 6°
44 mph
9.4 mm (100%)
Thu 29 Oct
9° / 7°
23 mph
3.1 mm (67%)
Fri 30 Oct
9° / 6°
19 mph
0.2 mm (12%)
Sat 31 Oct
8° / 3°
5 mph
4.6 mm (8%)
Sun 1 Nov
8° / 1°
13 mph
0.3 mm (2%)
Mon 2 Nov
6° / -1°
8 mph
0.0 mm (0%)

Taken 27 October 2026, 20:59 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 Causey Pike

Parking

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

Braithwaite village (roadside/small areas) — 0.1 km from the start of Stile End, Outerside, Causey Pike, Rowling End and Scar Crags, Causey Pike (straight line)
In the village centre, beside the primary school. The small car park there may be the one the Authority lists as 'Braithwaite School', open to the public at weekends and in school holidays only, with no overnight parking. The 'Scar Crags, Causey Pike', 'Stile End, Outerside, Causey Pike, Rowling End' and 'Ard Crags & Knott Rigg' routes start here; the 'Coledale Round' starts at the Whinlatter Pass road car park above the village, 0.7 km on foot.
Directions Something changed here?
If it is full: Noble Knott, Whinlatter (Forestry England, free) (1.7 km, 72 m up); Revelin Moss, Whinlatter (Forestry England, paid) (3.3 km, 117 m up); Stoneycroft Ghyll, Newlands (free) (2.3 km, 105 m up)
Outside Jasper's coffee shop (open when the shop is) (~89 m straight line) — Free Middle Ruddings Ivy House Jasper's Royal Oak Coledale Inn
Causey Pike (layby) — 1.3 km from summit (straight line)
Nearest fells: Causey Pike (1.3 km), Scope End (1.3 km), Rowling End (1.4 km). Free (OSM-tagged).
Directions Something changed here?
Rowling End car park (free) — 1.3 km from summit (straight line)
Nearest fells: Rowling End (0.5 km), Causey Pike (1.3 km), Cat Bells (Catbells) (1.5 km). Free (OSM-tagged). Compacted surface (OSM-tagged).
Directions Something changed here?
3 more places to park near Causey Pike
Ard Crags (layby) — 1.4 km from summit (straight line)
Nearest fells: Ard Crags (0.8 km), Scar Crags (1.3 km), Causey Pike (1.4 km). Free (OSM-tagged).
Directions Something changed here?
Stoneycroft (layby) — 1.4 km from summit (straight line)
Nearest fells: Rowling End (0.7 km), Barrow (0.8 km), Stile End (1.3 km). Free (OSM-tagged). Compacted surface (OSM-tagged).
Directions Something changed here?
Rowling End, south-east (layby) — 1.5 km from summit (straight line)
Nearest fells: Rowling End (0.5 km), Cat Bells (Catbells) (1.3 km), Skelgill Bank (1.3 km). Free (OSM-tagged). Compacted surface (OSM-tagged).
Directions Something changed here?

Positions are approximate.

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 77 and X5 stop at Braithwaite, at Croft Terrace, a 10 m walk from the start of Scar Crags, Causey Pike — a route we rate Severe overall (hardest: steepness). As timetabled from 27 October to 1 November. Towards Keswick (77): Tuesday to Sunday 17:37 to Keswick, 16:37 to Cockermouth. Towards Workington (X5): Tuesday to Thursday 22:27; Friday and Saturday 00:22 (after midnight); Sunday 20:17. Checked against the operator’s timetable, 24 September 2026. Times here are a guide, not a promise — leave yourself more than the minute.

Stagecoach 77 / 77A “Honister Rambler”
Keswick – Portinscale – Hawes End (Catbells) – Grange – Seatoller – Honister Pass – Buttermere – Lorton – Whinlatter – Keswick (circular)
Catch it from: Keswick (connect via 555 from Windermere/Ambleside or X4/X5 from Penrith)
Seasonal (Summer 2026 timetable: 23 March to 1 November 2026). Brilliant for the North Western fells: Catbells, Dale Head from Honister, the Buttermere fells and Whinlatter.

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 Causey Pike

Hazard & Incident Information for Causey Pike

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

Hazard: Moderate

A small fell with a big personality, instantly known by the knobbly rocky knolls along its summit. Reaching that crest involves a steep, hands-on scramble, and the narrow top is exposed to the wind; the steep northern flanks have no safe path, which has caught out walkers trusting mapping apps in the dark. Keswick Mountain Rescue Team, which lists local accident hotspots, is called here to falls and to navigation mishaps above Newlands.

  • The rocky summit scramble: The final pull onto the summit knolls is a genuine hands-on scramble. It's exposed and awkward when wet or windy. Take care with hand- and foot-holds, and don't commit if you're not comfortable scrambling.
  • Wind on the narrow summit crest: The slender top is fully exposed, and a strong gust can knock you off balance. In high wind keep low, keep three points of contact on the rocky bits, and consider turning back.
  • Steep north flank — no path (mapping-app trap): There is no safe path down the steep northern side toward Stonycroft Beck, despite lines shown on some walking apps. Walkers have become lost and cragfast taking these 'shortcuts', especially in fading light. Descend by the ridge you came up; don't trust an app-drawn path that isn't on the ground.
Who should attempt this fell: Causey Pike is a short but characterful fell whose summit is a real little scramble — fun in the dry for confident walkers, but exposed and slippery when wet or windy, and not to be hurried. Above all, go down the way you came along the ridge: the steep north side has no safe path, and app-drawn shortcuts there have led to rescues. Allow daylight, and turn back in fierce wind.

What to watch for: Slips and falls on the rocky summit scramble · Being blown off balance on the exposed crest in high wind · Getting lost or cragfast on the pathless north flank following mapping apps · Benightment after taking a wrong 'shortcut' off the summit

Local Mountain Rescue: Keswick 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

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 Causey Pike 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 Causey Pike

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 ERowling End433 m · North Western
1.1 km NStile End447 m · North Western
2.4 km NKinn374 m · North Western
2.5 km SWIll Crag (Newlands) (Knott Rigg North Top)546 m · North Western
2.6 km SSEScope End412 m · North Western
2.6 km ESkelgill Bank338 m · North Western
2.8 km WNWHobcarton Crag (Hobcarton Head)738 m · North Western
2.8 km WEel Crag (Birkett)807 m · North Western
2.9 km SRed Knott452 m · North Western

Routes over Causey Pike

Scar Crags, Causey Pike
Summits: BarrowOutersideScar CragsCausey PikeRowling End

Download GPX Walked in part, May 2026 · km 2.9–3.4, km 4.4–5.2, km 7.2–11.8 from the map

Warnings: Leaving Causey Pike's summit is a short, steep downclimb over polished rock steps, slick in rain or ice. Take your time and face the rock if you need to. The grassy drop off Rowling End is very steep and a slip hazard when wet. The finish is along a narrow lane through the Newlands Valley, where cars can appear suddenly round blind, walled corners.

Route guide →

Stile End, Outerside, Causey Pike, Rowling End
Summits: Stile EndOutersideCausey PikeRowling End

Download GPX Walked in part, May 2026 · km 0.3–2.2, km 5.0–9.7 from the map

Warnings: Leaving Causey Pike's summit is a short, steep downclimb over polished rock steps, slick in rain or ice. Take your time and face the rock if you need to. The grassy drop off Rowling End is very steep and a slip hazard when wet. The finish is along a narrow lane through the Newlands Valley, where cars can appear suddenly round blind, walled corners.

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 Causey Pike

Water & shelter on the way up

On the Scar Crags, Causey Pike route:

shelter (mapped, not checked; 6 m off the line) Police Station (W bound) (6 m from the start, straight line) Police Station (E bound) (7 m from the start, straight line) Thornthwaite Road (N bound) (420 m from the start, straight line) Thornthwaite Road (S bound) (426 m from the start, straight line) Hope Memorial Camp (462 m from the start, straight line)

On the Stile End, Outerside, Causey Pike, Rowling End route:

shelter (mapped, not checked; 6 m off the line) Police Station (W bound) (11 m from the start, straight line) Police Station (E bound) (22 m from the start, straight line) Thornthwaite Road (N bound) (424 m from the start, straight line) Thornthwaite Road (S bound) (431 m from the start, straight line) Hope Memorial Camp (434 m from the start, straight line)

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

About Causey Pike

Causey Pike, a Lake District fell
Photo: Mick Knapton at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The ascent from Stoneycroft via Rowling End is a classic route — steep but short, with outstanding views of Derwent Water improving rapidly. The summit views north across Derwent Water to Skiddaw are magnificent.

My Strava hikes over Causey Pike

1 logged hike pass over this summit:

Data from Strava.

Classifications & hill data

Is Causey Pike a Wainwright?

Causey Pike 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
North Western
Birkett
Fellranger
Synge
Nuttall
Hewitt
637 m
Height
2,090 ft
In feet
NY 2187 2085
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 Causey Pike

The 360° skyline from Causey Pike

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 Causey Pike36 labelled tops shown (7 distant behind the far-horizon toggle). Theoretical visibility in perfect clarity; computed from terrain, not photographed.eye levelNNEESESSWWNWScafell Pike · 14 kmHelvellyn · 14 kmSkiddaw · 9 kmBowfell · 15 kmPillar · 10 kmRaise · 13 kmFairfield · 17 kmBlencathra · 12 kmSkiddaw Little Man · 8 kmGreat Dodd · 12 kmStybarrow Dodd · 13 kmCrag Hill · 3 kmSteeple · 11 kmEel Crag · 3 kmHigh Stile · 8 kmKirk Fell · 11 kmWetherlam · 21 kmHigh Raise · 13 kmRed Pike · 8 kmDale Head · 6 kmRobinson · 4 kmJenkin Hill · 9 kmLong Side · 8 kmClough Head · 12 kmUllscarf · 11 kmLonscale Fell · 9 kmWhiteside · 5 kmCross Fell · 49 km · clear daysStarling Dodd · 9 kmHeron Pike North Top · 18 kmGrisedale Pike · 3 kmCrag Fell · 14 kmWandope · 3 kmHopegill Head · 4 kmCriffel · 49 km · clear daysMaiden Moor · 3 kmScafell · 14 kmNethermost Pike · 14 kmCatstye Cam · 14 kmEsk Pike · 14 kmWatson's Dodd · 12 kmGlaramara · 11 kmSail · 2 kmGreat Rigg · 17 kmHarrison Stickle · 15 kmPike of Stickle · 15 kmBowscale Fell · 15 kmUllock Pike · 8 kmStanding Crag · 11 kmLittle Dodd · 9 kmSand Hill · 3 kmHobcarton Crag · 3 kmCalfhow Pike · 11 kmLord's Seat · 6 kmWhinlatter Top · 5 kmUllister Hill · 5 kmThrelkeld Knotts · 11 kmBroom Fell · 7 kmSeat How · 5 kmBinsey · 15 kmStile End · 1 kmWalla Crag · 6 kmCalkin Rig · 67 km · clear daysEycott Hill · 19 kmGreen How · 17 kmBennan · 69 km · clear daysTinto · 117 km · a rare clear dayGreen Lowther · 97 km · a rare clear dayWhite Coomb · 94 km · a rare clear dayCairn Table · 115 km · a rare clear dayWisp Hill · 80 km · a rare clear dayWether Hill · 90 km · a rare clear dayDun Rig · 111 km · a rare clear day
The skyline as a list, by direction
  • North-east: Skiddaw Little Man (8 km), Skiddaw Lesser Man (8 km), Skiddaw South Top (9 km), Skiddaw Middle Top (9 km), Skiddaw (9 km), Gategill Fell Top (12 km), Blencathra (12 km), Atkinson Pike (13 km)
  • East: Watson's Dodd (12 km), Great Dodd (12 km), White Side (13 km), Stybarrow Dodd (13 km), Raise (13 km), Catstye Cam (14 km)
  • South-east: Helvellyn Lower Man (13 km), Helvellyn (14 km), Nethermost Pike (14 km), High Crag (14 km), Dollywaggon Pike (15 km), Fairfield (17 km)
  • South: Kirk Fell East Top (10 km), Great Gable (11 km), Kirk Fell (11 km), Glaramara (11 km), Looking Steads (11 km), Great End (12 km), Broad Crag (13 km), Ill Crag (14 km), Esk Pike (14 km), Scafell Pike (14 km), Scafell (14 km), Bowfell (15 km)
  • South-west: High Stile (8 km), High Stile (8 km), Pillar (10 km), Steeple (11 km), Scoat Fell (11 km), Haycock (12 km)
  • West: Crag Hill (3 km), Eel Crag (3 km)

On the clearest days the far horizon adds: Tinto (117 km, Scotland), Green Lowther (97 km, Scotland), White Coomb (94 km, Scotland), Queensberry (82 km, Scotland), Ettrick Pen (87 km, Scotland), Culter Fell (110 km, Scotland), Cairn Table (115 km, Scotland), Wisp Hill (80 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 Causey Pike

Causey Pike sits close to the flat-horizon case. Even on its longest wait of the modelled year (on 1 November) first light is only 8 minutes after almanac sunrise, so the published sunrise time is a fair guide here.

0°30°40°50°60°04:41
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
Midsummer04:41 BST ±5.0 min04:37+4 min
Equinox06:22 GMT ±5.0 min06:16+6 min
Midwinter08:32 GMT ±5.0 min08:34-2 min

A low, open northern horizon — the ground falls away northwards (mean 0.09°).

Last light — when the sun leaves Causey Pike

Causey Pike loses the sun early. Its earliest evening of the modelled year falls on 1 October, when last light is 33 minutes before almanac sunset — 18:17 against 18:50. The sun goes down to the west from here (258.8°), and the skyline on that bearing stands at 4.26°.

The evening of the same three days. A negative difference means a ridge takes the sun before the valley loses it.
Last lightAlmanac sunsetDifference
Midsummer21:23 BST ±5.0 min21:53-30 min
Equinox18:02 GMT ±5.0 min18:27-25 min
Midwinter15:42 GMT ±5.0 min15:49-7 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 Causey Pike

On a clear day — computed sightlines, curvature- and refraction-corrected.
84Wainwrights in view+3 marginal
70 kmFurthest sightlineIngleborough
1Sea in viewSolway Firth

On the clearest days the view reaches across to Scotland.

Far horizons
  • Ingleborough Yorkshire DalesSE · 70 km clear
  • Criffel ScotlandNNW · 50 km distant
  • Great Dun Fell North PenninesENE · 50 km clear
  • Cross Fell North PenninesENE · 49 km clear
  • Solway Firth bay/estuaryNNW · 38 km in view
All 84 Wainwrights in clear view (nearest first)

Scar Crags, Outerside, Barrow, Ard Crags, Sail, Grisedale Pike, Crag Hill (Eel Crag), Cat Bells (Catbells), Knott Rigg, Maiden Moor, Wandope, Hopegill Head, Robinson, Hindscarth, Whiteless Pike, High Spy, Whiteside (Whiteside West Top), Whinlatter (Brown How - Whinlatter), Dale Head, Walla Crag, Lord's Seat, Barf, Grange Fell (Brund Fell), Broom Fell, Fleetwith Pike, Bleaberry Fell, Dodd (Skiddaw), Latrigg, High Seat, High Stile, Red Pike (Buttermere), High Crag (Buttermere), Great Crag (Stonethwaite), Carl Side, Long Side, Ullock Pike, Skiddaw Little Man, High Rigg (Naddle Fell), Skiddaw, Lonscale Fell, Starling Dodd, Pillar, Eagle Crag, Great Gable, Kirk Fell, Glaramara, Steeple, Sergeant's Crag, Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell), Ullscarf, Clough Head, Watson's Dodd, Great Dodd, Great End, Blencathra - Hallsfell Top, Haycock, Allen Crags, White Side, Stybarrow Dodd, Raise, High Raise (High White Stones), Esk Pike, Scafell Pike, Helvellyn, Crag Fell, Catstye Cam, Nethermost Pike, Thunacar Knott, Scafell, Pavey Ark, Bowfell, Pike of Stickle, Binsey, Dollywaggon Pike, Harrison Stickle, Loft Crag, Bowscale Fell, Lank Rigg, Seat Sandal, Fairfield, Great Rigg, Great Mell Fell, Heron Pike (Rydal), Wetherlam

How the view from Causey Pike 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 Causey Pike. 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

From Whinlatter: 10 places in Keswick

Frequently asked questions about Causey Pike

Is Causey Pike hard to climb? Answered above.

What is that knobbly bump on top of Causey Pike?

That distinctive 'knobble' is Causey Pike's actual summit, and it's what makes the fell instantly recognisable from Keswick and Derwentwater. The top is a row of several rocky humps of almost equal height, with the highest reached by a short scramble.

Among Lakeland's many fells, that jagged little silhouette is one of the easiest to pick out on the skyline.

Sources: Wikipedia — Causey Pike

What is the best route up Causey Pike?

The popular ascent climbs the steep, shapely east ridge from the Newlands valley (often starting near Stonycroft or Braithwaite). It rises directly to the knobbly summit and gives grand views over Derwentwater.

Causey Pike is also linked over Scar Crags to Sail and Crag Hill.

How long does it take to climb Causey Pike? Answered above: Routes up Causey Pike.

Do you have to scramble on Causey Pike?

There's a short scramble onto the very top, but it's ungraded rock with plenty of holds and route choices, and only a few metres of it. It's far gentler than airy ridges like Striding Edge. It is still a genuine hands-on scramble, exposed and awkward when wet or windy: take care with hand- and foot-holds, and don't commit if you're not comfortable scrambling.

If you'd rather not use your hands at all you can admire the knobble from just below, but most walkers find this little scramble the highlight of the fell.

Sources: Walkhighlands — Causey Pike

Is Causey Pike good for beginners and families?

It's a good choice for fit beginners and older children who'll enjoy the little summit scramble — modest in height, with a big reward and a memorable knobbly top. The east ridge is steep in places, and the final rock means keeping younger children close and supervised.

Pick a dry, clear day (wet rock is more slippery), wear boots with grip, and carry a map, waterproofs and a warm layer. That final pull onto the summit knolls is a genuine hands-on scramble, exposed and awkward when wet or windy.

Sources: Keswick Mountain Rescue Team

What should I wear and take up Causey Pike?

Wear proper walking boots with good grip for the steep ridge and the rocky summit, and carry warm and waterproof layers — the top is exposed despite the modest height. Take a map and compass, water, food and a charged phone, and check the mountain forecast.

Save the summit scramble for dry conditions, and treat the steep ridge with care in wind or winter, when the grass and rock get slippery.

Sources: MWIS — Lake District forecast

Questions from Google’s “People also ask”. · Last updated 2026-06-15 · Suggest a question or correction

Other fells near Causey Pike

Places nearby: Braithwaite · Portinscale