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

High Raise (High White Stones), a Lake District fell
Wainwright — Central FellsAlso a Birkett

High Raise (High White Stones)

High Raise at 762m (2,500ft) is the central summit of the Lake District — literally and figuratively.

762 m
Height
~3.5–4.5 h
Typical time
+5
Bonus Birketts
See routes & download GPX →

Home › Fells › High Raise (High White Stones)

Written and walked by Lee McCoy · Last reviewed

762 mWainwright — Central Fells✓ summit is also a Birkett+5 bonus Birketts within 3 km Severe in cloud

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

Modelled guidance for the 762 m summit. Always check the Met Office mountain forecast and MWIS before you set off.

On the summit today (Tue 28 Jul): 14° to 12°C, gusts to 38 mph, 11.8 mm of rain forecast.

Tue 28 Jul
🌧️
14° / 12°
💨 38 mph
🌧 11.8 mm (100%)
Wed 29 Jul
🌧️
14° / 10°
💨 27 mph
🌧 5.0 mm (100%)
Thu 30 Jul
🌦️
12° / 4°
💨 28 mph
🌧 1.3 mm (78%)
Fri 31 Jul
🌤️
13° / 1°
💨 24 mph
🌧 0.0 mm (78%)
Sat 1 Aug
🌦️
13° / 3°
💨 15 mph
🌧 3.6 mm (54%)
Sun 2 Aug
🌫️
15° / 5°
💨 19 mph
🌧 0.0 mm (24%)
Mon 3 Aug
🌦️
14° / 5°
💨 16 mph
🌧 0.4 mm (23%)

Forecast snapshot from 28 Jul 2026, 04:58 UTC — refreshed nightly and updated live in your browser. Temperatures and gusts adjusted to the 762 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 Raise (High White Stones)

High Raise (High White Stones), a Lake District fell
© Lee McCoy

High Raise at 762m (2,500ft) is the central summit of the Lake District — literally and figuratively. Wainwright noted that it commands a view of almost every major fell in the district, a great 360-degree panorama that is almost unmatched for sheer breadth. The summit is a broad, grassy plateau, and its central position means that no approach is particularly long or difficult — the fell can be reached easily from Langdale, Grasmere, Borrowdale or Thirlmere. The Langdale Pikes are its dramatic near neighbours to the south. The summit is the starting point for descent to Stickle Tarn and the Langdale valley.

🗒️ My notes
Strangely High Raise is one of my favourite summits. I know the surrounding area to the north, east and south is relatively flat and featureless, but it's a great place to stop on a sunny day to grab a bite to eat and enjoy the views. That's what it's about - getting some peace and quite and contemplating the world. There's just enough of a cairn and incline to find a spot out of the wind should you need and you can build it into any route that may invole Ullock Pike, Sergeant Man or Thunacot Knott.

Routes up High Raise (High White Stones)

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

Langdale Pikes Round
12.3 km · ~3.9 hr · Moderate
A grand round of the Langdale Pikes and the fells behind them. From Great Langdale it climbs past Stickle Tarn to take in Pavey Ark (by the walkers' line, not Jack's Rake), Harrison Stickle, Pike of Stickle and Loft Crag, then loops over Thunacar Knott, High Raise and Sergeant Man before dropping back to the valley. It's a simpler line than my previous version, which added Blea Rigg — boggy on the approach from Sergeant Man. Handily, there are toilets at the car park at the end.
Classifications & hill data
Wainwright
Central
Birkett
Fellranger
Synge
Nuttall
Marilyn
762 m
Height
2,500 ft
In feet
NY 2808 0952
Grid ref

Map & nearby Birketts

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

Nearest parking: Stickle Ghyll / New Dungeon Ghyll (NT, paid), about 3.5 km from the summit (straight line). Full parking, toilets and bus details are below.

Birketts near High Raise (High White Stones) (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.

0.5 km NNELow White Stones731 m · Central
0.9 km ESECodale Head732 m · Central
1.7 km NLining Crag542 m · Central
2.4 km SThorn Crag644 m · Central
2.9 km WSWBlack Crags (Mickleden)588 m · Southern

Routes over High Raise (High White Stones)

Langdale Pikes RoundRevised
12.34 km · ~830 m ascent · loop · ~3.5–5 h · Clockwise · Moderate
Summits: Sergeant ManHigh Raise (High White Stones)Thunacar KnottPavey ArkHarrison SticklePike of StickleLoft CragThorn Crag

⬇️ Download GPX

Best season: Any season in good conditions; the plateau behind the Pikes is featureless in cloud.

⚠️ Warnings: Avoid Jack's Rake on Pavey Ark unless you're a confident scrambler — the walkers' route reaches the same summit.; Boggy ground and confusing navigation on the High Raise and Sergeant Man plateau in mist.; Steep, rocky ground around the Pikes.

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 Raise (High White Stones)

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 Raise (High White Stones)36 labelled tops shown (12 distant behind the far-horizon toggle). Theoretical visibility in perfect clarity; computed from terrain, not photographed.eye levelNNEESESSWWNWScafell Pike · 7 kmHelvellyn · 8 kmSkiddaw · 20 kmGreat End · 6 kmGreat Gable · 7 kmPillar · 11 kmNethermost Pike · 8 kmRaise · 10 kmFairfield · 8 kmBlencathra · 19 kmCrinkle Crags · 6 kmDollywaggon Pike · 7 kmGreat Dodd · 13 kmGrasmoor · 15 kmCrag Hill · 14 kmHigh Street · 16 kmPike de Bield · 5 kmHigh Stile · 12 kmThe Old Man of Coniston · 12 kmGrisedale Pike · 15 kmGavel Pike · 10 kmHarter Fell · 18 kmGrey Friar · 9 kmWetherlam · 8 kmIll Bell · 16 kmLittle Stand · 7 kmClough Head · 14 kmLonscale Fell · 18 kmSeatallan · 14 kmCoomb Height · 23 kmBowfell · 5 kmBlake Fell · 20 kmLord's Seat · 19 kmSergeant Man · 1 kmCodale Head · 1 kmPavey Ark · 2 kmScafell · 8 kmHelvellyn Lower Man · 8 kmHigh Crag · 8 kmStybarrow Dodd · 11 kmBlack Crag · 12 kmHart Crag · 9 kmKnowe Crags · 18 kmThornthwaite Crag · 15 kmRed Screes · 12 kmDow Crag · 12 kmBlack Sails · 9 kmRobinson · 11 kmJenkin Hill · 18 kmLong Side · 19 kmBrandreth · 7 kmYoke · 16 kmLadyside Pike · 16 kmCold Pike · 6 kmDodd · 13 kmCausey Pike · 13 kmYewbarrow North Top · 10 kmCrinkle Crags South Top · 6 kmCarling Knott · 20 kmRed Beck Top · 4 kmGreat Knott · 6 kmIngleborough · 58 km · clear daysDovenest Top · 3 kmHigh Seat · 8 kmWard's Stone · 60 km · clear daysThe Calf · 41 km · clear daysSergeant's Crag · 2 kmWild Boar Fell · 49 km · clear daysEagle Crag · 3 kmWansfell Pike · 12 kmPen-y-ghent · 66 km · clear daysBaugh Fell · 49 km · clear daysKing's How · 8 kmFair Snape Fell · 70 km · clear daysTop o' Selside · 18 kmCarron Crag · 16 kmnameless · 20 kmWhite Hill · 64 km · clear daysHampsfell · 32 km · clear daysBrant Fell · 19 kmSnowdon · 169 km · a handful of days a yearCairnsmore of Fleet · 97 km · a rare clear dayTinto · 129 km · a handful of days a yearSlieve Croob · 186 km · a handful of days a yearGreen Lowther · 109 km · a rare clear dayBoulsworth Hill · 98 km · a rare clear dayCairn Table · 128 km · a handful of days a yearArenig Fach · 174 km · a handful of days a yearSighty Crag · 78 km · a rare clear dayGreat Whernside · 80 km · a rare clear dayWinter Hill · 102 km · a rare clear dayBillinge Hill · 111 km · a rare clear day
What you can see from High Raise (High White Stones), by direction
  • North: Knowe Crags (18 km), Skiddaw Lesser Man (18 km), Gategill Fell Top (18 km), Skiddaw Little Man (18 km), Blencathra (19 km), Skiddaw South Top (19 km), Skiddaw Middle Top (19 km), Skiddaw (20 km), Skiddaw North Top (20 km)
  • North-east: Dollywaggon Pike (7 km), High Crag (8 km), Nethermost Pike (8 km), Helvellyn (8 km), Helvellyn Lower Man (8 km), White Side (9 km), St Sunday Crag (10 km), Raise (10 km), Stybarrow Dodd (11 km), Great Dodd (13 km)
  • East: Fairfield (8 km), Hart Crag (9 km), High Street (16 km)
  • South-west: Esk Pike (5 km), Pike de Bield (5 km), Crinkle Crags (6 km), Crinkle Crags (6 km)
  • West: Great End (6 km), Ill Crag (6 km), Broad Crag (6 km), Scafell Pike (7 km), Great Gable (7 km), Scafell (8 km), Pillar (11 km), Black Crag (12 km), Scoat Fell (12 km), Steeple (12 km)
  • North-west: High Stile (12 km), High Stile (12 km), Crag Hill (14 km), Grasmoor (15 km)

On the clearest days the far horizon adds: Snowdon (169 km, Wales), Carnedd Llewelyn (157 km, Wales), Moel Siabod (165 km, Wales), Cairnsmore of Fleet (97 km, Scotland), Lamachan Hill (108 km, Scotland), Tinto (129 km, Scotland), Slieve Croob (186 km, Ireland), Green Lowther (109 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 Raise (High White Stones)

On a clear day — computed sightlines, curvature- and refraction-corrected.
81Wainwrights in view+30 marginal
169 kmFurthest sightlineSnowdon (Yr Wyddfa) · possible under favourable refraction
2Sea in viewSolway Firth, Morecambe Bay

On the clearest days the view reaches across to Wales.

Far horizons
  • Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) WalesSSW · 169 km clear
  • Carnedd Llewelyn WalesSSW · 154 km clear
  • Ingleborough Yorkshire DalesSE · 58 km clear
  • Solway Firth bay/estuaryNNW · 56 km in view
  • Whernside Yorkshire DalesESE · 53 km clear
  • Morecambe Bay bay/estuaryS · 38 km in view
All 81 Wainwrights in clear view (nearest first)

Thunacar Knott, Sergeant's Crag, Harrison Stickle, Pike of Stickle, Eagle Crag, Ullscarf, Glaramara, Rossett Pike, Rosthwaite Fell - Bessyboot, Allen Crags, Bowfell, Esk Pike, Great Crag (Stonethwaite), Pike of Blisco, Great End, Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle), Cold Pike, Seat Sandal, Green Gable, Stone Arthur, Scafell Pike, Grange Fell (Brund Fell), Great Gable, Grey Knotts, High Tove, Brandreth, Castle Crag, Heron Pike (Rydal), Nab Scar, Scafell, Dale Head, High Spy, High Seat, Great Carrs, Fleetwith Pike, Grey Friar, High Pike (Scandale), Hindscarth, Bleaberry Fell, Robinson, High Crag (Buttermere), Cat Bells (Catbells), Pillar, Dow Crag, Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell), High Stile, Ard Crags, Causey Pike, Baystones (Wansfell), Scar Crags, Barrow, Sail, Wandope, Crag Hill (Eel Crag), Clough Head, Seatallan, Grasmoor, Grisedale Pike, Ill Bell, Hopegill Head, Yoke, Sour Howes, Mellbreak (Mellbreak South Top), Sallows, Hen Comb, Lonscale Fell, Dodd (Skiddaw), Skiddaw Little Man, Barf, Blencathra - Hallsfell Top, Carl Side, Lord's Seat, Long Side, Broom Fell, Ullock Pike, Skiddaw, Blake Fell, Bannerdale Crags, Great Calva, Knott, Binsey

How High Raise (High White Stones)’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 Raise (High White Stones)

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

Stickle Ghyll / New Dungeon Ghyll (NT, paid) — 3.5 km from summit (straight line)
Direct start up Stickle Ghyll for the Langdale Pikes.
Directions
🚺 Public toilets (640m) — Free🚺 Public toilets (770m) — Free
Old Dungeon Ghyll (NT, paid) — 3.6 km from summit (straight line)
Head of Great Langdale — Bowfell, Crinkle Crags, Pike o' Blisco, the Langdale Pikes.
Directions
🚺 Public toilets (510m) — Free🚺 Public toilets (649m) — Free🍺 Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel🍺 Sticklebarn

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.

Water & shelter on the way up

On the Langdale Pikes Round route:

💧 possible water source (7 m)🛖 map (6 m)🚌 New Dungeon Ghyll (110 m)

💧 Treat water from the fell before you drink it. A mapped point is usually a tap or public supply, but never drink untreated from a beck, stream or tarn — even clear-looking hill water can carry giardia or cryptosporidium from livestock or a carcass upstream and leave you seriously ill. Run it through a filter or purifier (a LifeStraw, Sawyer Squeeze or HydraPak) or bring it to a rolling boil first.

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

Buses to High Raise (High White Stones) from Penrith / Ambleside / Windermere

Stagecoach 516 “Langdale Rambler”
Ambleside – Skelwith Bridge – Elterwater – New Dungeon Ghyll – Old Dungeon Ghyll
Catch it from: Ambleside · Windermere (change at Ambleside)
The Langdale bus — Pikes, Bowfell, Crinkle Crags, Pike o' Blisco all walkable from the Dungeon Ghyll stops. Seasonal frequency varies; check before relying on the last bus back.

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

My hikes over High Raise (High White Stones) (Strava)

2 logged hikes pass over this summit:

Interactive route maps and photos load here for visitors with JavaScript. Data from Strava.

Hazard & Incident Information for High Raise (High White Stones)

Hazard: Moderate

The highest of the Central Fells and the hub of the District's central watershed — a broad, smooth, grassy plateau where many paths meet. There are no real crags at the top, so the hazard here is almost entirely navigational: in cloud the vast featureless plateau is one of the easiest places in the Lakes to walk off on the wrong bearing, and it is a long way down to any valley in every direction. Langdale Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team covers this ground.

  • The featureless summit plateau in cloud: A wide grassy dome with few landmarks beyond the summit cairn/windshelter and a ruined fence. Several paths radiate from here (to the Langdale Pikes, Sergeant Man, Greenup Edge, Borrowdale). In mist it is very easy to leave on the wrong line — take and trust a compass bearing before you move.
  • Greenup Edge / the boggy cols: The connecting cols, especially Greenup Edge, are boggy and confusing in cloud and have caught out many walkers (including on the Coast to Coast). Navigate carefully through the path junctions rather than following the lie of the land.
  • Remoteness, exposure and steep margins: It is a long descent to any valley, with no shelter but the summit windbreak, and the plateau breaks into steeper ground toward the Langdale Pikes and the valley heads if you drift off it. Carry full kit and allow time; don't rely on finding shelter up high.
Who should attempt this fell: High Raise is gentle underfoot but a serious navigation test: on a clear day it's an easy plateau walk, while in cloud the lack of features defeats people who could handle far rougher ground. Be confident with map, compass and bearings, set your line before leaving the summit, and take particular care at Greenup Edge. Allow for the remoteness and carry what you need — there is no shelter up here. Full winter competence when there is snow.

Most common causes: Navigation errors off the broad featureless plateau in cloud · Walkers getting lost at Greenup Edge and the boggy cols · Drifting onto steeper ground at the plateau margins · Exposure and long walk-outs in bad weather

Local Mountain Rescue: Langdale Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team · Reviewed 14 Jun 2026

Safety: Hazard guidance compiled from published Mountain Rescue reports and well-documented accident history - editorial background, not a live feed of callouts. 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 High Raise (High White Stones) in cloud

Severe

A broad, gently-sloping top with little to steer by — easy to lose your bearings and hard to relocate in mist. A serious place to be caught in cloud: carry map and compass (or GPS) and know how to use them, or save it for a clear day.

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 Raise (High White Stones) 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 Raise (High White Stones)

Maps & guidebooks for High Raise (High White Stones)

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