hikes.guideLake District

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

Red Pike (Buttermere), a Lake District fell
Wainwright — Western FellsAlso a Birkett

Red Pike (Buttermere)

Red Pike is the shapely, warm-hued peak at the Buttermere end of the High Stile ridge — its name from the red Ennerdale granophyre that colours its screes and summit.

755 m
Height
~3.5–4.5 h
Typical time
+6
Bonus Birketts
See routes & download GPX →

Home › Fells › Red Pike (Buttermere)

755 mWainwright — Western Fells✓ summit is also a Birkett+6 bonus Birketts within 3 km Serious in Clag

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

Modelled guidance for the 755 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 34 mph, 2.2 mm of rain forecast.

Tue 28 Jul
🌦️
14° / 12°
💨 34 mph
🌧 2.2 mm (99%)
Wed 29 Jul
🌧️
14° / 10°
💨 26 mph
🌧 10.9 mm (100%)
Thu 30 Jul
🌦️
11° / 4°
💨 29 mph
🌧 2.9 mm (87%)
Fri 31 Jul
🌤️
13° / 1°
💨 22 mph
🌧 0.0 mm (86%)
Sat 1 Aug
🌦️
13° / 4°
💨 15 mph
🌧 2.7 mm (82%)
Sun 2 Aug
☁️
14° / 4°
💨 17 mph
🌧 0.0 mm (35%)
Mon 3 Aug
🌦️
14° / 4°
💨 17 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 755 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

Red Pike (Buttermere)

Red Pike (Buttermere), a Lake District fell
© Lee McCoy

Red Pike is the shapely, warm-hued peak at the Buttermere end of the High Stile ridge — its name from the red Ennerdale granophyre that colours its screes and summit. Cradled beneath it lies Bleaberry Tarn, and the classic ascent climbs past it from Buttermere, up beside Sourmilk Gill and the steep 'saddle' to the top. The reward is one of the great Lakeland views: Buttermere, Crummock Water and Loweswater strung out below, with the Grasmoor fells beyond. It is the first or last summit of the Buttermere round over High Stile and High Crag, and a worthy objective in its own right — steep and loose in its upper reaches, so take care on the descent.

Routes up Red Pike (Buttermere)

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

Great Bourne & Starling Dodd
16 km · ~5 hr
High Stile, Seat via Buttermere
13 km · ~4 hr
Classifications & hill data
Wainwright
Western
Birkett
Fellranger
Synge
Nuttall
755 m
Height
2,477 ft
In feet
NY 1605 1546
Grid ref

Map & nearby Birketts

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

Nearest parking: Buttermere village (NT, paid), about 2.1 km from the summit (straight line). Full parking, toilets and bus details are below.

Birketts near Red Pike (Buttermere) (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.

0.4 km NEDodd (Buttermere)641 m · North Western
1.1 km ESEHigh Stile (Grey Crag - High Stile)806 m · Western
1.1 km WLittle Dodd (Ennerdale)590 m · Western
2.6 km NNWScale Knott338 m · Western
2.8 km WNWGale Fell518 m · Western
3.0 km ENEHigh Snockrigg526 m · North Western

Routes over Red Pike (Buttermere)

Great Bourne & Starling DoddLive
15.97 km · ~1100 m ascent · loop · ~5–6.5 h
Summits: Red Pike (Buttermere)Starling DoddGreat Borne

⬇️ Download GPX

Full route guide ↗

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

High Stile, Seat via ButtermereLive
12.97 km · ~836 m ascent · loop · ~4–5.5 h
Summits: Red Pike (Buttermere)High StileHigh Stile (Grey Crag - High Stile)High Crag (Buttermere)Seat

⬇️ 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 Red Pike (Buttermere)

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 Red Pike (Buttermere)36 labelled tops shown (17 distant behind the far-horizon toggle). Theoretical visibility in perfect clarity; computed from terrain, not photographed.eye levelNNEESESSWWNWScafell Pike · 10 kmScafell · 10 kmHelvellyn · 18 kmSkiddaw · 17 kmPillar · 4 kmRaise · 18 kmFairfield · 20 kmBlencathra · 20 kmGreat Dodd · 19 kmGrasmoor · 5 kmScoat Fell · 4 kmSkiddaw Lesser Man · 16 kmEel Crag · 6 kmHaycock · 5 kmRed Screes · 24 kmLittle Gowder Crag · 5 kmClough Head · 19 kmLonscale Fell · 17 kmCaw Fell · 5 kmBlack Crag · 4 kmHigh Stile · 1 kmHigh Stile · 1 kmCriffel · 51 km · clear daysIron Crag · 5 kmStarling Dodd · 2 kmLittle Dodd · 1 kmBlake Fell · 7 kmCarling Knott · 6 kmLank Rigg · 8 kmHigh Snockrigg · 3 kmGavel Fell · 5 kmCrag Fell · 6 kmGale Fell · 3 kmFloutern Cop · 4 kmLingmell · 3 kmLow Fell · 8 kmBroad Crag · 10 kmNethermost Pike · 18 kmDollywaggon Pike · 19 kmStybarrow Dodd · 19 kmCrag Hill · 6 kmSteeple · 4 kmDove Crag · 22 kmRobinson · 4 kmHeron Pike North Top · 21 kmGreat Borne · 4 kmLoweswater End · 6 kmWhoap · 7 kmMellbreak · 3 kmHen Comb · 4 kmBanna Fell · 5 kmLow Pen · 7 kmRannerdale Knotts · 3 kmEycott Hill · 27 kmBurn Edge · 10 kmClints Crags · 20 kmWatch Hill · 16 kmGrange Fell · 67 km · clear daysBainloch Hill · 50 km · clear daysWhite Hill · 69 km · clear daysSlieve Donard · 175 km · a handful of days a yearMerrick · 101 km · a rare clear dayBroad Law · 108 km · a rare clear daySnaefell · 81 km · a rare clear dayCairnsmore of Carsphairn · 100 km · a rare clear dayCairnsmore of Fleet · 84 km · a rare clear dayTinto · 121 km · a handful of days a yearSlieve Croob · 175 km · a handful of days a yearGreen Lowther · 100 km · a rare clear dayDivis · 176 km · a handful of days a yearWhite Coomb · 100 km · a rare clear dayCairn Table · 117 km · a rare clear dayBeneraird · 120 km · a handful of days a yearAgnew's Hill · 174 km · a handful of days a yearColt Hill · 96 km · a rare clear dayLaw Kneis · 98 km · a rare clear dayMull Hill · 108 km · a rare clear day
What you can see from Red Pike (Buttermere), by direction
  • North: Grasmoor (5 km)
  • North-east: Crag Hill (6 km), Eel Crag (6 km), Grisedale Pike (8 km), Skiddaw Lesser Man (16 km), Skiddaw Little Man (16 km), Skiddaw South Top (16 km), Skiddaw Middle Top (17 km), Skiddaw (17 km), Skiddaw North Top (17 km), Knowe Crags (19 km), Gategill Fell Top (20 km), Blencathra (20 km), Atkinson Pike (21 km), Doddick Fell (21 km)
  • East: Robinson (4 km), Helvellyn Lower Man (18 km), White Side (18 km), Watson's Dodd (18 km), Helvellyn (18 km), Nethermost Pike (18 km), Raise (18 km), High Crag (18 km), Stybarrow Dodd (19 km), Dollywaggon Pike (19 km), Catstye Cam (19 km), Great Dodd (19 km), Cofa Pike (20 km), Fairfield (20 km), Great Rigg (20 km), Dove Crag (22 km), Red Screes (24 km), High Street (28 km)
  • South-east: Broad Crag (10 km), Scafell Pike (10 km), Scafell (10 km)
  • South: Pillar (4 km), Steeple (4 km), Scoat Fell (4 km), Haycock (5 km)

On the clearest days the far horizon adds: Slieve Donard (175 km, Ireland), Merrick (101 km, Scotland), Broad Law (108 km, Scotland), Snaefell (81 km, Isle of Man), Cairnsmore of Carsphairn (100 km, Scotland), Cairnsmore of Fleet (84 km, Scotland), Corserine (98 km, Scotland), Lamachan Hill (95 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 Red Pike (Buttermere)

On a clear day — computed sightlines, curvature- and refraction-corrected.
66Wainwrights in view+5 marginal
103 kmFurthest sightlineMerrick · possible under favourable refraction
2Sea in viewIrish Sea, Solway Firth

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

Far horizons
  • Merrick ScotlandNW · 103 km clear
  • Snaefell Isle of ManWSW · 81 km clear
  • Cross Fell North PenninesENE · 56 km clear
  • Criffel ScotlandNNW · 52 km clear
  • Solway Firth bay/estuaryNNW · 40 km in view
  • Irish Sea open waterWNW · 26 km in view
All 66 Wainwrights in clear view (nearest first)

High Stile, Starling Dodd, Rannerdale Knotts, Mellbreak (Mellbreak South Top), Pillar, Steeple, Great Borne, Hen Comb, Whiteless Pike, Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell), Robinson, Fleetwith Pike, Haycock, Knott Rigg, Grasmoor, Wandope, Caw Fell, Gavel Fell, Hindscarth, Crag Hill (Eel Crag), Sail, Dale Head, Ard Crags, Crag Fell, Blake Fell, Scar Crags, Low Fell, Lank Rigg, Grike, Causey Pike, Grisedale Pike, Fellbarrow - Mosser Fell, Cat Bells (Catbells), Scafell Pike, Scafell, Rosthwaite Fell - Bessyboot, Sergeant's Crag, Eagle Crag, Walla Crag, Ullscarf, Latrigg, Carl Side, Skiddaw Little Man, Skiddaw, Lonscale Fell, White Side, Watson's Dodd, Helvellyn, Nethermost Pike, Raise, Stybarrow Dodd, Dollywaggon Pike, Clough Head, Catstye Cam, Great Dodd, Seat Sandal, Fairfield, Great Rigg, Blencathra - Hallsfell Top, Heron Pike (Rydal), Dove Crag, High Pike (Scandale), Bowscale Fell, Red Screes, Carrock Fell, High Street

How Red Pike (Buttermere)’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 Red Pike (Buttermere)

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

Buttermere village (NT, paid) — 2.1 km from summit (straight line)
For Red Pike, High Stile, Robinson, Rannerdale Knotts.
Directions
🚺 Buttermere village (132m) — Accessible☕ Syke Farm Tea Room☕ Croft House Farm Café🍺 The Buttermere Court Hotel
Gatesgarth Farm, Buttermere (paid) — 3.5 km from summit (straight line)
Farm car park at the foot of Haystacks, Fleetwith Pike and the High Stile ridge.
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.

Water & shelter on the way up

On the Great Bourne & Starling Dodd route:

🚌 Bridge Hotel (10 m)🚌 The Fish Hotel (53 m)🚌 Mountain Road junction (142 m)🚌 Buttermere Youth Hostel (N bound) (301 m)⛺ Syke Farm Campsite (227 m)

On the High Stile, Seat via Buttermere route:

🚌 Bridge Hotel (6 m)🚌 The Fish Hotel (62 m)🚌 Mountain Road junction (153 m)🚌 Buttermere Youth Hostel (N bound) (312 m)⛺ Syke Farm Campsite (217 m)

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

Buses to Red Pike (Buttermere) from Penrith / Ambleside / Windermere

Stagecoach 77 / 77A “Honister Rambler”
Keswick – Portinscale – Hawse 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 (roughly Easter–October). 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.

Navigating Red Pike (Buttermere) in cloud

Serious in cloud

Walkable ground sits close to a lethal drop — in cloud it’s easy to walk straight onto steep ground. 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 Red Pike (Buttermere) 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 Red Pike (Buttermere)

Maps & guidebooks for Red Pike (Buttermere)

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases — at no extra cost to you. How affiliate links work →