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658 m · Wainwright — Northern Fells · Birketts to bag nearby, parking, buses, my hikes and live summit weather.

Wainwright — Northern FellsAlso a Birkett

High Pike (Caldbeck)

High Pike at 658m (2,159ft) above Caldbeck is the northernmost fell in Wainwright's guide, a broad grassy summit on the edge of the Lake District whose summit gives an extraordinary view north and east — the Solway Firth, the Isle of Man and the Pennines all visible on a clear day.

658 m
Height
~3–4 h
Typical time
+6
Bonus Birketts
See routes & download GPX →

Home › Fells › High Pike (Caldbeck)

658 mWainwright — Northern Fells✓ summit is also a Birkett+6 bonus Birketts within 3 km Straightforward in cloud

Is it worth going? — Today’s conditions & 7-day summit forecast

Modelled guidance for the 658 m summit. Always check the Met Office mountain forecast and MWIS before you set off.

On the summit today (Tue 28 Jul): 15° to 13°C, gusts to 39 mph, 5.5 mm of rain forecast.

Tue 28 Jul
🌦️
15° / 13°
💨 39 mph
🌧 5.5 mm (61%)
Wed 29 Jul
🌧️
16° / 11°
💨 31 mph
🌧 9.9 mm (71%)
Thu 30 Jul
🌧️
13° / 7°
💨 32 mph
🌧 1.2 mm (76%)
Fri 31 Jul
🌤️
14° / 4°
💨 25 mph
🌧 0.0 mm (76%)
Sat 1 Aug
🌦️
14° / 4°
💨 15 mph
🌧 1.2 mm (55%)
Sun 2 Aug
🌤️
15° / 4°
💨 15 mph
🌧 0.0 mm (28%)
Mon 3 Aug
🌦️
15° / 8°
💨 15 mph
🌧 0.4 mm (22%)

Forecast snapshot from 28 Jul 2026, 04:58 UTC — refreshed nightly and updated live in your browser. Temperatures and gusts adjusted to the 658 m summit altitude via Open-Meteo. Summit conditions are always harsher than the valley — check the professional mountain forecasts before you go.

Pro mountain forecasts: MWIS · Met Office mountain forecast

About the walk

Key information

High Pike (Caldbeck)

High Pike (Caldbeck), a Lake District fell
Photo: Mick Knapton, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

High Pike at 658m (2,159ft) above Caldbeck is the northernmost fell in Wainwright's guide, a broad grassy summit on the edge of the Lake District whose summit gives an extraordinary view north and east — the Solway Firth, the Isle of Man and the Pennines all visible on a clear day. Wainwright noted the unusual character of this summit as a Lakeland fell that faces away from Lakeland. The ascent from Caldbeck or Nether Row crosses open moorland. The fell is the northern anchor of the great Back o' Skiddaw traverse.

Routes up High Pike (Caldbeck)

Hand-mapped, with GPX to download — full maps further down.

Carrock Fell and Knott
16.6 km · ~4.5 hr
Classifications & hill data
Wainwright
Northern
Birkett
Fellranger
Synge
Nuttall
658 m
Height
2,159 ft
In feet
NY 3187 3500
Grid ref

Map & nearby Birketts

Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap (switch layers top-right). Parking positions are approximate.

Nearest parking: Caldbeck village (free), about 4.7 km from the summit (straight line). Full parking, toilets and bus details are below.

Birketts near High Pike (Caldbeck) (within 3 km)

These Birkett tops are not Wainwright summits — detour to them on this walk and they are pure profit. Distances are straight-line; allow extra for terrain.

0.7 km SSWHare Stones627 m · Northern
1.3 km SWGreat Lingy Hill616 m · Northern
1.4 km SEMiton Hill607 m · Northern
1.9 km SWMiller Moss (Little Lingy Hill)610 m · Northern
2.0 km SERound Knott603 m · Northern
2.4 km SSWCoomb Height627 m · Northern

Routes over High Pike (Caldbeck)

Carrock Fell and KnottLive
16.62 km · ~718 m ascent · loop · ~4.5–6 h
Summits: Carrock FellMiton HillHigh Pike (Caldbeck)Hare StonesKnott

⬇️ Download GPX

Full route guide ↗

A planned line is a suggestion, not a guarantee — conditions change. Navigate independently and carry a map & compass.

The View from High Pike (Caldbeck)

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 High Pike (Caldbeck)35 labelled tops shown (18 distant behind the far-horizon toggle). Theoretical visibility in perfect clarity; computed from terrain, not photographed.eye levelNNEESESSWWNWScafell Pike · 30 kmHelvellyn · 20 kmSkiddaw · 8 kmBowfell · 30 kmSkiddaw Little Man · 9 kmGategill Fell Top · 8 kmSt Sunday Crag · 22 kmHigh Street · 27 kmKirk Fell · 28 kmStony Cove Pike · 27 kmLow Raise · 25 kmLoadpot Hill · 22 kmCarrock Fell · 3 kmGreat Sca Fell · 3 kmCross Fell · 37 km · clear daysLittle Sca Fell · 3 kmCriffel · 45 km · clear daysMungrisdale Common · 6 kmMiller Moss · 2 kmMiton Hill · 1 kmBrae Fell · 3 kmBengairn · 58 km · clear daysSighty Crag · 54 km · clear daysWisp Hill · 65 km · clear daysCauldcleuch Head · 67 km · clear daysCalkin Rig · 53 km · clear daysFaulds Brow · 6 kmMickle Fell · 50 km · clear daysCaermote Hill · 12 kmBlackwood Hill · 65 km · clear daysBishop Forest Hill · 65 km · clear daysCold Fell · 35 km · clear daysBainloch Hill · 48 km · clear daysWhite Hill · 56 km · clear daysGrange Fell · 48 km · clear daysGreat Gable · 27 kmBlencathra · 7 kmBroad End · 8 kmAllen Crags · 28 kmThornthwaite Crag · 27 kmKidsty Pike · 26 kmGrey Friar · 35 km · clear daysJenkin Hill · 9 kmBowscale Fell · 5 kmScales Fell · 7 kmGreat Lingy Hill · 1 kmThe Calf · 52 km · clear daysGreat Shunner Fell · 65 km · clear daysSteel Knotts · 21 kmGreen How · 6 kmYarlside · 52 km · clear daysBurnhope Seat · 47 km · clear daysRogan's Seat · 68 km · clear daysBennan · 65 km · clear daysGreatmoor Hill · 68 km · clear daysLarriston Fells · 62 km · clear daysScaw'd Fell · 70 km · clear daysKillyleoch Hill · 64 km · clear daysMerrick · 102 km · a rare clear daySnaefell · 103 km · a rare clear dayCairnsmore of Carsphairn · 96 km · a rare clear dayThe Cheviot · 104 km · a rare clear dayCairnsmore of Fleet · 88 km · a rare clear dayTinto · 106 km · a rare clear daySlieve Croob · 193 km · a handful of days a yearGreen Lowther · 88 km · a rare clear dayWhite Coomb · 82 km · a rare clear dayCairn Table · 107 km · a rare clear dayCairnharrow · 81 km · a rare clear dayTosson Hill · 93 km · a rare clear dayDun Rig · 97 km · a rare clear dayBlackcraig Hill · 98 km · a rare clear dayDodd Fell Hill · 73 km · a rare clear dayRubers Law · 85 km · a rare clear dayPeel Fell · 72 km · a rare clear dayHoove · 74 km · a rare clear day
What you can see from High Pike (Caldbeck), by direction
  • South-east: High Raise (25 km), Rampsgill Head (25 km), Kidsty Pike (26 km), High Street (27 km), Thornthwaite Crag (27 km)
  • South: Atkinson Pike (7 km), Blencathra (7 km), Gategill Fell Top (8 km), Knowe Crags (8 km), Great Dodd (15 km), Green Side (17 km), Raise (18 km), Helvellyn (20 km), St Sunday Crag (22 km), Gavel Pike (22 km), Glaramara (26 km), Allen Crags (28 km), Great End (28 km), Esk Pike (29 km), Broad Crag (29 km), Ill Crag (29 km), Bowfell (30 km), Scafell Pike (30 km), Shelter Crags (30 km), Scafell (31 km), Crinkle Crags (31 km), Crinkle Crags (31 km), Crinkle Crags (31 km), Crinkle Crags (31 km), Crinkle Crags South Top (31 km)
  • South-west: Broad End (8 km), Skiddaw North Top (8 km), Skiddaw (8 km), Skiddaw Middle Top (8 km), Skiddaw South Top (9 km), Skiddaw Little Man (9 km), Skiddaw Lesser Man (9 km), Great Gable (27 km), Kirk Fell East Top (27 km), Kirk Fell (28 km)

On the clearest days the far horizon adds: Merrick (102 km, Scotland), Snaefell (103 km, Isle of Man), Cairnsmore of Carsphairn (96 km, Scotland), The Cheviot (104 km, England), Cairnsmore of Fleet (88 km, Scotland), Corserine (97 km, Scotland), Lamachan Hill (98 km, Scotland), Tinto (106 km, Scotland).

Computed from terrain in perfect clarity, not photographed · distances are straight-line.

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

What you can see from High Pike (Caldbeck)

On a clear day — computed sightlines, curvature- and refraction-corrected.
49Wainwrights in view+9 marginal
104 kmFurthest sightlineSnaefell · possible under favourable refraction
1Sea in viewSolway Firth

On the clearest days the view reaches across to Scotland and the Isle of Man.

Far horizons
  • Snaefell Isle of ManWSW · 104 km clear
  • Merrick ScotlandWNW · 103 km clear
  • Criffel ScotlandNW · 46 km clear
  • Great Dun Fell North PenninesE · 39 km distant
  • Cross Fell North PenninesE · 37 km clear
  • Solway Firth bay/estuaryNW · 33 km in view
All 49 Wainwrights in clear view (nearest first)

Carrock Fell, Knott, Brae Fell, Bowscale Fell, Great Calva, Bannerdale Crags, Blencathra - Hallsfell Top, Skiddaw, Lonscale Fell, Skiddaw Little Man, Binsey, Great Mell Fell, Great Dodd, Little Mell Fell, Hart Side, Bleaberry Fell, Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit), High Seat, Raise, Grange Fell (Brund Fell), Helvellyn, Place Fell, Bonscale Pike, Arthur's Pike, Loadpot Hill, Dale Head, St Sunday Crag, Wether Hill, Rosthwaite Fell - Bessyboot, High Raise (High Street), Rampsgill Head, Glaramara, Gray Crag, Kidsty Pike, Seathwaite Fell (Wainwright summit), Great Gable, High Street, Thornthwaite Crag, Kirk Fell, Allen Crags, Great End, Rossett Pike, Esk Pike, Bowfell, Scafell Pike, Scafell, Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle), Cold Pike, Grey Friar

How High Pike (Caldbeck)’s view compares with all 214 — the View Report: every Wainwright ranked by what you can see from the top.

Sightlines from a bare-earth terrain model (forests and buildings not included), 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.

Best parking to hike High Pike (Caldbeck)

Where we have the data, each parking spot also shows the nearest public toilets and facilities (cafés, pubs, shops).

Caldbeck village (free) — 4.7 km from summit (straight line)
Northern edge — High Pike and Carrock Fell from the north.
Directions
🚺 Public toilets (949m)
Mungrisdale village hall (donation) — 6.7 km from summit (straight line)
For Bowscale Fell, Bannerdale Crags, Souther Fell and The Tongue.
Directions

Positions are approximate — zoom the map to confirm. Lakeland car parks fill before 9am on fine weekends.

Tip: pan and zoom the interactive map at the top of this page to spot other potential parking near your route.

Buses to High Pike (Caldbeck) from Penrith / Ambleside / Windermere

No regular bus serves the start points for this fell — this is one for the car (or a long approach from the nearest served valley). The nearest hubs are Penrith (X4/X5 & 508), Ambleside and Windermere (555, 505, 516).

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

Navigating High Pike (Caldbeck) in cloud

Straightforward

A broad, gently-sloping top with little to steer by — easy to lose your bearings and hard to relocate in mist. Navigation here is relatively straightforward even in cloud — but carry map and compass and know how to use them; a low score never means “safe”.

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 High Pike (Caldbeck) compares with all 214 — the Clag Index: navigating in cloud. A relative, deliberately cautious guide; the site can’t navigate for you.

Other fells near High Pike (Caldbeck)

Maps & guidebooks for High Pike (Caldbeck)

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