Red Pike's steep grassy cone under a clear blue sky, a red path zigzagging up its face, seen across a stony shoulder in morning sun.

Red Pike (Buttermere)

Written and walked by Lee McCoy · Summited October 2026

Home › Fells › Red Pike (Buttermere)

755 mWainwright — Western Fells+6 bonus Birketts within 3 km Serious in Clag

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.

Summit conditions on Red Pike (Buttermere)

On the summit on Tuesday 27 October: 11° to 5°C, gusts to 62 mph, 4.2 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

64 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 1.24. The summit line above gives Open-Meteo’s highest gust for the whole day, 62 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 (opens in new tab) 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.

Also checked cold: feels like 1 °C, no ice or snow forecast; cloud: a clear-top reading of 35 out of 100, over our in-cloud line of 20; rain: 4.2 mm in the day, under our 6 mm line. 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 (opens in new tab)

Routes up Red Pike (Buttermere)

Choose the way up before the car park: these five routes start from three places, and the last two rows give the parking and bus at each route’s own start. Full maps further down.

Compared	Red Pike by Scale Force	The Buttermere Ridge Anti-Clockwise	High Stile, Seat via Buttermere	The Buttermere Ridge	Great Borne & Starling Dodd
Starts from	Buttermere village	Buttermere village	Buttermere village, by the Bridge Hotel (roadside, free)	Buttermere village (NT, paid)	Buttermere village
Distance and climb	9.25 km, 756 m of climb	12.88 km, 970 m of climb	12.97 km, 881 m of climb	13.39 km, 1,012 m of climb	15.97 km, 1,122 m of climb
Time, fast to steady	~3–4¼ h	~4–5¾ h	~4–5½ h	~4¼–6 h	~5–6¾ h
Scrambling	Hands for a few steps: the red scree up from Dodd to Red Pike (km 3.2–3.7).	Hands for a few steps: the red scree up from Dodd to Red Pike, the loose ground on to High Stile, and the high rocky steps down off Seat (km 3.5–5.0 and km 7.7–8.1).	Not mentioned in the route’s notes	Hands for a few steps: high steps onto Seat, and the loose scree up Red Pike (about km 5.4 and km 8.2–9.4). The path to the summit is a steep, loose scramble up this red scree.	Not mentioned in the route’s notes
Exposure	Not assessed	Not assessed	Not assessed	Not assessed	Not assessed
Navigation	Moderate	Hard	Moderate	Hard	Moderate
Steepest stretch	Climb of about 33% at 1.4 km (Hard)	Descent of about 38% at 7.1 km (Severe)	Climb of about 39% at 2.9 km (Severe)	Climb of about 35% at 6.0 km (Severe)	Climb of about 40% at 2.9 km (Severe)
After the summit	No further tops	Over High Stile, High Stile (Grey Crag - High Stile), High Crag (Buttermere) and Seat	Over High Stile, High Stile (Grey Crag - High Stile), High Crag (Buttermere) and Seat	Over Dodd (Buttermere)	Over Starling Dodd and Great Borne
Walked or planned	Planned: drawn, not yet walked	Walked by Lee, October 2026	Planned: drawn, not yet walked	Planned: drawn, not yet walked	Planned: drawn, not yet walked
Car park at the start	Buttermere village, by the Bridge Hotel (roadside, free)	High Snockrigg (verge)	Buttermere village, by the Bridge Hotel (roadside, free)	Buttermere village (NT, paid)	Buttermere village, by the Bridge Hotel (roadside, free)
Bus to the start	77 at the start. The 77A runs until 1 November 2026, the last day of its season. Seasonal: the 77 does not run all year. 1 November 2026 is its last day.	77, 330 m walk from Buttermere Youth Hostel (near). Seasonal: the 77 does not run all year. 1 November 2026 is its last day.	77 at the start. The 77A runs until 1 November 2026, the last day of its season. Seasonal: the 77 does not run all year. 1 November 2026 is its last day.	77, 410 m walk from Buttermere, outside Court Hotel. The 77A runs until 1 November 2026, the last day of its season. Seasonal: the 77 does not run all year. 1 November 2026 is its last day.	77 at the start. The 77A runs until 1 November 2026, the last day of its season. Seasonal: the 77 does not run all year. 1 November 2026 is its last day.

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 →

How hard is Red Pike (Buttermere)?

The shortest way up we hold is Red Pike by Scale Force — 9.25 km, 756 m of ascent, ~3–4¼ h. On our scale its hardest axis is steepness — Hard.

All axes: steepness: Hard · length: Moderate · navigation: Moderate · terrain: Not assessed · exposure: Not assessed.

These are the route page’s grades, set by the rules on how we grade: length and steepness measured from its GPX track, the others set on the ground, judged from the map or estimated from OpenStreetMap. The route page says which. How we check →

Conditions and 7-day summit forecast

Modelled for the 755 m summit (Open-Meteo). Check the Met Office mountain forecast and MWIS before you set off.

Full 7-day forecast

Tue 27 Oct

11° / 5°

62 mph

4.2 mm (100%)

Wed 28 Oct

8° / 5°

44 mph

5.5 mm (100%)

Thu 29 Oct

8° / 6°

25 mph

0.7 mm (26%)

Fri 30 Oct

8° / 5°

25 mph

0.0 mm (31%)

Sat 31 Oct

9° / 0°

8 mph

0.0 mm (25%)

Sun 1 Nov

7° / 0°

5 mph

0.0 mm (12%)

Mon 2 Nov

6° / 0°

15 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 (opens in new tab)

Pro mountain forecasts: MWIS · Met Office mountain forecast

Parking & buses for Red Pike (Buttermere)

Parking

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

Buttermere village, by the Bridge Hotel (roadside, free) — at the start of Red Pike by Scale Force, High Stile, Seat via Buttermere and Great Borne & Starling Dodd

Walking base for Red Pike (Buttermere), High Stile, High Stile (Grey Crag - High Stile) and High Crag (Buttermere) — the 'High Stile, Seat via Buttermere' route starts 5 m away. Also serves 'Great Bourne & Starling Dodd'. Unpaved surface (OSM-tagged).

Directions Something changed here?

High Snockrigg (verge) — at the start of The Buttermere Ridge Anti-Clockwise

On the Newlands Pass road above Buttermere village, about 70 m from the Mountain Road junction bus stop. The 'High Snockrigg, Eel Crag & Lad Hows' route starts 60 m away, and 'Great Borne & Starling Dodd' and 'High Stile, Seat via Buttermere' about 210 m away in the village.

The Newlands Pass road above Buttermere with a rough verge beside it, a grassy fell rising ahead Taken October 2026

Directions Something changed here?

Buttermere village (NT, paid) — at the start of The Buttermere Ridge

For Red Pike, High Stile, Robinson, Rannerdale Knotts. Fees: pay and display (LDNP directory, checked August 2026). £7 up to 2 hours; £8 up to 4 hours; £9.50 all day. Free for NT members (checked August 2026). Charges apply at all times. Cash at machine; JustPark app at some car parks; card/phone payment not available in all car parks (NT, checked August 2026).

Typically full before 10:00 on fine weekends, Apr-Oct — Lee McCoy, local observation, 9 August 2026.

Directions Something changed here?

If it is full: High Snockrigg (verge) (0.6 km, 20 m up); Car park for Rannerdale Knotts (1.7 km, 139 m up)

Buttermere village (~285 m straight line) — Accessible Syke Farm Tea Room Croft House Farm Café The Buttermere Court Hotel

2 more places to park near Red Pike (Buttermere)

Buttermere village (LDNPA, paid) — 1.9 km from summit (straight line)

The 'Buttermere lake circuit' route starts 49 m away. Also serves 'Crummock Water shore circuit'. Unpaved surface (OSM-tagged). Toilets on site. Fees: pay and display; coins and cards; RingGo ID 37311 (LDNPA, checked August 2026).

Directions When people arrive, and what it costs →Something changed here?

High Snockrigg (layby) — 2.5 km from summit (straight line)

Walking base for High Snockrigg, Whiteless Pike, Thirdgill Head Man and Crag Hill (Eel Crag) — the 'High Snockrigg, Eel Crag & Lad Hows' route starts 250 m away. Also serves 'Great Bourne & Starling Dodd'. Free (OSM-tagged). Compacted surface (OSM-tagged).

Directions Something changed here?

Positions are approximate.

Of the pay-and-display machine tickets sold at Buttermere from 17 August 2024 to 31 March 2026, 15% 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 77 and 77A stop at Buttermere, outside Court Hotel, an 80 m walk from the start of Red Pike by Scale Force — a route we rate Hard overall (hardest: steepness). The 77A runs until 1 November 2026, the last day of its season. Seasonal: the 77 does not run all year. 1 November 2026 is its last day. It returns on 22 March 2027. Confirmed with the operator: its last day on 29 August 2026, its return on 16 October 2026. Last bus: Monday to Friday 19:23 towards Cockermouth (77A) and 18:20 towards Keswick (77); Saturday 19:23 towards Cockermouth (77A) and 18:20 towards Keswick (77); Sunday 18:20 towards Keswick (77). Checked against the operator’s timetable, 12 September 2026; that timetable runs to 1 November 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 (opens in new tab) or Traveline before relying on a last bus.

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

Hazards on Red Pike (Buttermere)

Notes from the The Buttermere Ridge Anti-Clockwise route

The line follows the road for about 0.3 km at the start, down the Newlands Pass road into Buttermere village and along the B5289 past the Fish Hotel, and for about 0.25 km at the end, back up the Newlands Pass road from the Bridge Hotel. OpenStreetMap maps no pavement beside it.
Two stretches are steep and loose. The climb from Dodd to Red Pike is a path of red scree, about 125 m of height between about 3.5 and 3.8 km. The descent from High Crag down Gamlin End is the steepest ground of the walk, about 38% sustained around 7.1 km.
Crags are mapped beside the ridge path on its north side: Chapel Crags between Red Pike and High Stile, within a few metres of the path near 4.7 km, and the crags above Burtness Comb between about 5.6 and 6.6 km. Keep back from the edge, above all in mist or a strong wind.
The line crosses the outflow of Bleaberry Tarn, Sourmilk Gill, at a place OpenStreetMap maps as a ford near 2.7 km, and becks at mapped fords on Scarth Gap Pass near 8.5 and 9.6 km.
About 2.2 km of the line, in pieces, follows paths that OpenStreetMap does not record as public rights of way; the longest is about 0.8 km between about 7.25 and 8.1 km, from below Gamlin End over Seat to Scarth Gap. The rest is public bridleways, a permissive path by the lake and the road in the village. That is a map-data note, not a ruling on access: check the access land and rights of way maps before relying on this stretch.

If you need to get off (the leg from Dodd): Back down to The Saddle and the way you came, past Bleaberry Tarn to the village.

Quoted from the route page: its warnings and the note for the leg that reaches Red Pike (Buttermere).

We have not written a hazard card for this fell yet, and that is not a sign that it is low-hazard. Read the warnings on the route pages that climb it, check the forecast, carry a map and compass, and turn back in cloud if the ground is not what you expected. The National Park Authority’s What to pack page, AdventureSmart’s hill walking kit list and Mountain Rescue England and Wales’s safety page are linked from our what to carry guide.

Navigating in cloud

Serious in cloud

Of the three things our terrain model measures, the highest reading here is the amount of walkable ground near the summit that lies close to steep ground or crag. 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 (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 (opens in new tab) (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 Red Pike (Buttermere)

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

0.4 km NEDodd (Buttermere)641 m · Western

1.1 km ESEHigh Stile (Grey Crag)807 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 Borne & Starling Dodd

Summits: Red Pike (Buttermere)Starling Dodd Great Borne

Download GPX Planned route · not yet walked

Route guide: Great Borne & Starling Dodd →

High Stile, Seat via Buttermere

Summits: Red Pike (Buttermere)High Stile High Stile (Grey Crag - High Stile)High Crag (Buttermere)Seat

Download GPX Planned route · not yet walked

Route guide: High Stile, Seat via Buttermere →

Red Pike by Scale Force

Summits: Dodd (Buttermere)Red Pike (Buttermere)

The start is in Buttermere village, by the Bridge Hotel, with bus stops, a café and toilets mapped within about 100 m.

Download GPX Planned route · not yet walked

Warnings: The climb is steep: about 33% sustained near 1.4 km, and about 38% over 250 m between Dodd and Red Pike, near 3.4 km. Just below the top of Red Pike, near 3.6 km, OpenStreetMap maps the edge of Chapel Crags about 4 m from the path. Near 6.15 km the line passes Scale Force, where OpenStreetMap maps crags about 13 to 18 m from the path; the descent there is about 32% over 250 m near 6.0 km. The line crosses the outflow of Bleaberry Tarn at a point OpenStreetMap maps as a ford, near 2.5 km. About 4 km of the line follows paths that OpenStreetMap does not record as public rights of way: short pieces around Dodd and the top of Red Pike (about 2.9 to 3.9 km), and about 3.2 km from about 4.5 km down past Scale Force and along to the bridleway at about 7.7 km. The rest is public bridleways and a public footpath. That is a map-data note, not a ruling on access: check the access land and rights of way maps before relying on this stretch.

Route guide: Red Pike by Scale Force →

The Buttermere Ridge Anti-Clockwise

Summits: Dodd (Buttermere)Red Pike (Buttermere)High Stile High Stile (Grey Crag - High Stile)High Crag (Buttermere)Seat

This walk runs the Buttermere ridge the other way round from The Buttermere Ridge: the red scree below Red Pike is climbed, not descended, and Gamlin End is the way down.

Download GPX Walked by Lee, October 2026

Warnings: The line follows the road for about 0.3 km at the start, down the Newlands Pass road into Buttermere village and along the B5289 past the Fish Hotel, and for about 0.25 km at the end, back up the Newlands Pass road from the Bridge Hotel. OpenStreetMap maps no pavement beside it. Two stretches are steep and loose. The climb from Dodd to Red Pike is a path of red scree, about 125 m of height between about 3.5 and 3.8 km. The descent from High Crag down Gamlin End is the steepest ground of the walk, about 38% sustained around 7.1 km. Crags are mapped beside the ridge path on its north side: Chapel Crags between Red Pike and High Stile, within a few metres of the path near 4.7 km, and the crags above Burtness Comb between about 5.6 and 6.6 km. Keep back from the edge, above all in mist or a strong wind. The line crosses the outflow of Bleaberry Tarn, Sourmilk Gill, at a place OpenStreetMap maps as a ford near 2.7 km, and becks at mapped fords on Scarth Gap Pass near 8.5 and 9.6 km. About 2.2 km of the line, in pieces, follows paths that OpenStreetMap does not record as public rights of way; the longest is about 0.8 km between about 7.25 and 8.1 km, from below Gamlin End over Seat to Scarth Gap. The rest is public bridleways, a permissive path by the lake and the road in the village. That is a map-data note, not a ruling on access: check the access land and rights of way maps before relying on this stretch.

Route guide: The Buttermere Ridge Anti-Clockwise →

The Buttermere Ridge

Summits: Seat High Crag (Buttermere)High Stile (Grey Crag - High Stile)High StileRed Pike (Buttermere)Dodd (Buttermere)

The Buttermere Ridge Anti-Clockwise walks the same ridge the other way round, up the red scree to Red Pike and down Gamlin End.

Download GPX Planned route · not yet walked

Route guide: The Buttermere Ridge →

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 Red Pike (Buttermere)

Water & shelter on the way up

On the Great Borne & Starling Dodd route:

Bridge Hotel (10 m from the start, straight line) The Fish Hotel (53 m from the start, straight line) Mountain Road junction (142 m from the start, straight line) Buttermere Youth Hostel (N bound) (301 m from the start, straight line) Syke Farm Campsite (227 m from the start, straight line)

On the High Stile, Seat via Buttermere route:

Bridge Hotel (6 m from the start, straight line) The Fish Hotel (62 m from the start, straight line) Mountain Road junction (153 m from the start, straight line) Buttermere Youth Hostel (N bound) (312 m from the start, straight line) Syke Farm Campsite (217 m from the start, straight line)

On the Red Pike by Scale Force route:

Bridge Hotel (28 m from the start, straight line) The Fish Hotel (32 m from the start, straight line) Mountain Road junction (172 m from the start, straight line) Buttermere Youth Hostel (N bound) (314 m from the start, straight line) Syke Farm Campsite (183 m from the start, straight line)

On the The Buttermere Ridge Anti-Clockwise route:

Mountain Road junction (103 m from the start, straight line) Buttermere Youth Hostel (S bound) (219 m from the start, straight line) Buttermere Youth Hostel (N bound) (224 m from the start, straight line) Bridge Hotel (245 m from the start, straight line) Syke Farm Campsite (456 m from the start, straight line)

On the The Buttermere Ridge route:

Bridge Hotel (307 m from the start, straight line) The Fish Hotel (324 m from the start, straight line) Mountain Road junction (398 m from the start, straight line) Syke Farm Campsite (232 m from the start, straight line)

About Red Pike (Buttermere)

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.

My Strava hikes over Red Pike (Buttermere)

1 logged hike pass over this summit:

Red Pike, High Stile and High Crag (opens in new tab) — 12.9 km · 904 m ascent · 3h 44m moving · 17 October 2026

Data from Strava.

Classifications & hill data

Is Red Pike (Buttermere) a Wainwright?

Red Pike (Buttermere) 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

755 m

Height

2,478 ft

In feet

NY 1605 1546

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 Red Pike (Buttermere)

The 360° skyline 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

The skyline as a list, 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 Copernicus GLO-30 terrain; distant tops from the Database of British and Irish Hills v18.4 (opens in new tab) (CC BY 4.0). See how we compute the view · and the summit intervisibility report below.

Sunrise and sunset on Red Pike (Buttermere)

Red Pike (Buttermere) waits for the sun. Its longest wait of the modelled year falls at midwinter, when the sun is up for 26 minutes before it clears this skyline — first light 09:00 against an almanac sunrise of 08:34. You are standing in shadow while the valley below is already lit. The sun comes up to the south-east from here (137.1°), and the skyline on that bearing stands at 2.41°.

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 light	Almanac sunrise	Difference
Midsummer	04:34 BST ±5.0 min	04:38	-4 min
Equinox	06:20 GMT ±5.0 min	06:16	+4 min
Midwinter	09:00 GMT ±5.0 min	08:34	+26 min

A low, open northern horizon — the ground falls away northwards (mean -0.12°).

Last light — when the sun leaves Red Pike (Buttermere)

Red Pike (Buttermere) holds the light. On not one of the sixteen dates modelled does the sun leave this summit before almanac sunset — the ground falls away westward rather than standing over you, and at midsummer it is still in the sun 5 minutes after the valley has lost it.

The evening of the same three days. A negative difference means a ridge takes the sun before the valley loses it.
	Last light	Almanac sunset	Difference
Midsummer	21:58 BST ±5.0 min	21:53	+5 min
Equinox	18:33 GMT ±5.0 min	18:27	+6 min
Midwinter	15:58 GMT ±5.0 min	15:50	+8 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 Red Pike (Buttermere)

On a clear day — computed sightlines, curvature- and refraction-corrected.

66Wainwrights in view+5 marginal

180 kmFurthest sightlineSlieve Binnian · possible under favourable refraction

2Sea in viewIrish Sea, Solway Firth

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

Far horizons

Slieve Binnian Northern IrelandWSW · 180 km clear
Slieve Donard Northern IrelandW · 175 km clear
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 the view from Red Pike (Buttermere) 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 Red Pike (Buttermere). 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

Bridge Hotel (opens in new tab) hotelabout 0.0 km

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 (opens in new tab).

Red Pike (Buttermere)

Summit conditions on Red Pike (Buttermere)

Wind on the top

Routes up Red Pike (Buttermere)

How hard is Red Pike (Buttermere)?

Conditions and 7-day summit forecast

Parking & buses for Red Pike (Buttermere)

Parking

Buses

Hazards on Red Pike (Buttermere)

Notes from the The Buttermere Ridge Anti-Clockwise route

Navigating in cloud

If you need Mountain Rescue

Map, GPX and nearby Birketts

Birketts within 3 km of Red Pike (Buttermere)

Routes over Red Pike (Buttermere)

On the hill: terrain and water on Red Pike (Buttermere)

Water & shelter on the way up

About Red Pike (Buttermere)

My Strava hikes over Red Pike (Buttermere)

Classifications & hill data

Is Red Pike (Buttermere) a Wainwright?

Selected lists

The view from Red Pike (Buttermere)

The 360° skyline from Red Pike (Buttermere)

Sunrise and sunset on Red Pike (Buttermere)

Last light — when the sun leaves Red Pike (Buttermere)

What you can see from Red Pike (Buttermere)

Places to stay near this fell

Other fells near Red Pike (Buttermere)