Red Screes

Written and walked by Lee McCoy · Summited April 2023

Home › Fells › Red Screes

779 mWainwright — Eastern Fells+2 bonus Birketts within 3 km Serious in Clag

Red Screes at 779m (2,555ft) stands dramatically above the Kirkstone Pass, its steep red scree slopes giving the fell its name and making it one of the most recognisable profiles above the A592.

Summit conditions on Red Screes

On the summit on Tuesday 27 October: 10° to 4°C, gusts to 62 mph, 7.5 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

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

The Met Office 2 km model’s gust of 48 mph times our exposure factor of 1.25. 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.

Cloud on the top

Past the line

19 out of 100, the clear-top reading

Averaged over the daylight hours, from the forecast’s humidity and low cloud.

The line Our line: a clear-top reading under 20 out of 100, where our scorer says “summit likely clagged in”. There is no outside threshold to cite; it is our estimate. What cloud does to finding the way: navigating in cloud.

Not an observation: cloud lifts and drops within the hour.

Rain, and the becks

Past the line

7.5 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 0 °C, no ice or snow forecast. 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 Screes

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

Compared	Long Hike to Fairfield from Ambleside	Red Screes from Kirkstone Pass
Starts from	Ambleside	Kirkstone Pass (Red Pit car park)
Distance and climb	22.39 km, 1,425 m of climb	5.85 km, 602 m of climb
Time, fast to steady	~6¾–9¼ h	~2–3 h
Scrambling	Hands for a few steps: rocky steps between Dove Crag and Hart Crag (km 10.0–11.4).	Hands for a few steps: rocky steps on the path up the ridge the OS map names Kilnshaw Chimney (about km 1.5). At about 1.5 km the path climbs rocky steps where hands help, on the ridge the OS map names Kilnshaw Chimney.
Exposure	Hard	Not assessed
Navigation	Hard	Hard
Steepest stretch	Descent of about 28% at 18.6 km (Hard)	Descent of about 44% at 3.3 km (Severe)
After the summit	Over Dove Crag, Hart Crag, Fairfield, Great Rigg, Heron Pike North Top (Rydal Fell), Heron Pike (Rydal) and Nab Scar	Over Middle Dodd
Walked or planned	Walked by Lee, April 2023	Planned: drawn, not yet walked
Car park at the start	Ambleside, Lake Road (paid)	Red Pit (LDNPA, free)
Bus to the start	555, 340 m walk from Ambleside, at Hayes Garden Centre	508, 920 m walk from Kirkstone, outside Pass Inn

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 Red Screes hard to climb?

It's short but stiff. From the top of Kirkstone Pass you start high (around 445 m) and need at least 334 m of climbing to the 779 m summit, but it's packed into a steep, rough, rocky climb with some hands-on steps — a sharp pull rather than a long day.

There's no exposed scrambling you must do, but the steep eastern face is crag- and scree-bound, so keep to the path and take care on the rocky, sometimes slippery ground.

Sources: Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team (opens in new tab)

How we check →

Conditions and 7-day summit forecast

Modelled for the 779 m summit (Open-Meteo). Check the Met Office mountain forecast and MWIS before you set off.

Full 7-day forecast

Tue 27 Oct

10° / 4°

62 mph

7.5 mm (100%)

Wed 28 Oct

8° / 5°

37 mph

11.6 mm (100%)

Thu 29 Oct

8° / 6°

28 mph

0.7 mm (33%)

Fri 30 Oct

7° / 5°

29 mph

0.0 mm (23%)

Sat 31 Oct

9° / 0°

12 mph

0.0 mm (18%)

Sun 1 Nov

6° / 0°

13 mph

0.0 mm (10%)

Mon 2 Nov

6° / 0°

16 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 Screes

Parking

Where do you park for Red Screes?

For the short route, park at the top of Kirkstone Pass, by the Kirkstone Pass Inn (the highest inn in the Lakes), where there's a car park — the summit path starts from there. It's a popular spot that fills on fine days.

For the Ambleside circular, start from the town and use the car parks there. Note the Kirkstone Pass road is steep and can be closed in winter snow.

Sources: Mud and Routes — Red Screes from Kirkstone Pass (opens in new tab)

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

Ambleside, Lake Road (paid) — 0.2 km from the start of Long Hike to Fairfield from Ambleside (straight line)

South end of town towards Waterhead. Fees: pay and display (Lake District National Park car-parks directory, checked August 2026). 1h £2.60; 2h £4.40; 3h £5.80; 4h £7.40; 6h £8.80; all day £10.60. Early Bird: £1.40 all day if you arrive before 09:00. Motorcycles free. Blue Badge: +1h free. Cash/card/contactless; PayByPhone 9908. 3/7-day passes and permits accepted (W&F council, checked August 2026). Charges apply 08:00-20:00, 7 days a week incl. bank holidays. The council's own page is contradictory about access outside those hours - it says both open all day and open from 8am to 8pm - so do not count on getting in before 08:00 (W&F council, checked August 2026).

Directions Something changed here?

Red Pit (LDNPA, free) — at the start of Red Screes from Kirkstone Pass

The National Park's car park on the A592, 0.7 km north of the Kirkstone Pass summit in a straight line, on the Patterdale side. The 'Caudale Moor & St Raven's Edge' route passes about 15 m away; it starts at Hartsop village, 4.7 km on foot, the nearest route start. Free (OSM-tagged). Compacted surface (OSM-tagged).

Directions Something changed here?

St Raven's Edge, north-west car park (free) — 0.6 km from summit (straight line)

A small car park on the A592, 500 m north of the Kirkstone Pass summit in a straight line, on the Patterdale side. The 'Caudale Moor & St Raven's Edge' route passes about 25 m away; it starts at Hartsop village, 4.3 km away in a straight line (this pin sits too far from the mapped paths to measure a walk). Free (OSM-tagged).

Directions Something changed here?

3 more places to park near Red Screes

St Raven's Edge, west (layby) — 0.6 km from summit (straight line)

A lay-by on the A592, 230 m north of the Kirkstone Pass summit in a straight line, on the Patterdale side. The 'Caudale Moor & St Raven's Edge' route passes about 40 m away; it starts at Hartsop village, 5.2 km on foot, the nearest route start. Free (OSM-tagged).

Directions Something changed here?

St Raven's Edge, north-west (layby) — 0.6 km from summit (straight line)

A lay-by on the A592, 390 m north of the Kirkstone Pass summit in a straight line, on the Patterdale side. The 'Caudale Moor & St Raven's Edge' route passes about 45 m away; it starts at Hartsop village, 5.1 km on foot, the nearest route start. Free (OSM-tagged).

Directions Something changed here?

A592 Kirkstone Pass, 0.6 km north of the summit (free) — 0.6 km from summit (straight line)

A small car park on the A592, 0.6 km north of the Kirkstone Pass summit in a straight line and 70 m south of Red Pit, on the Patterdale side. The 'Caudale Moor & St Raven's Edge' route passes about 25 m away; it starts at Hartsop village, 4.2 km away in a straight line (this pin sits too far from the mapped paths to measure a walk). Free (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 505, 516 and 555 stop at Ambleside, at Hayes Garden Centre, a 340 m walk from the start of Long Hike to Fairfield from Ambleside — a route we rate Severe overall (hardest: distance). Last bus: Monday to Friday 22:43 towards Grasmere (555) and 20:29 towards Keswick (555); Saturday 22:43 towards Grasmere (555) and 20:29 towards Keswick (555); Sunday 19:09 towards Grasmere (555) and 18:15 towards Keswick (555). Checked against the operator’s timetable, 7 September 2026; that timetable runs to 1 November 2026. Times here are a guide, not a promise — leave yourself more than the minute.

Stagecoach 555

Kendal – Staveley – Windermere – Ambleside – Rydal – Grasmere – Thirlmere (Wythburn & Swirls) – Keswick

Catch it from: Windermere · Ambleside

Year-round, roughly hourly. The backbone bus of the A591 — ideal for Helvellyn (Wythburn/Swirls), Fairfield, the Central fells and anything around Grasmere/Rydal. From Penrith, take the X4/X5 to Keswick and change.

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 Screes

Hazard & Incident Information for Red Screes

Checked by Lee McCoy, 13 June 2026. Draws on published material from Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team. Editorial background, not a live callout feed.

Hazard: Moderate

A popular fell rising steeply above the Kirkstone Pass, with a deceptively dangerous western and eastern aspect. The summit plateau is easy, but it is ringed on several sides by steep, crag-riven slopes of loose red scree dropping toward Kirkstone and Caiston Glen. Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team covers this ground. Stick to the line of the path and keep well back from the broken edges.

Steep western/eastern slopes above Kirkstone & Caiston Glen: The summit plateau drops away into steep, loose scree and crags on more than one side. A simple slip near the edge — especially in wind, cloud or with tired legs on descent — can turn into a long, uncontrolled fall over broken ground. Keep back from the rim and don't shortcut down the screes.
Kilnshaw Chimney (a harder gully beside the direct path): A steep, narrow gully of loose scree that collects water and stays muddy and slippery. Around two-thirds of the way up there is an awkward, near-vertical slippery rock step. Manageable for confident walkers in dry conditions but unpleasant and exposed when wet — not a good descent route.
Descent toward Snarker Moss / Raven Crag: The path down the Ambleside side is loose in places and passes above crags before reaching boggy ground. Easy to lose the line in mist and drift onto steeper terrain.

Who should attempt this fell: The walkers' route up from Scandale Pass is straightforward, and the summit itself is gentle. The danger is the steep, crag-and-scree edges that surround it: navigate carefully in cloud, keep clear of the rim in wind, and avoid descending the loose screes or Kilnshaw Chimney unless you are confident. Carry a map and compass — the summit can be a featureless place to be in cloud.

What to watch for: Slips on loose scree on the steep flanks · Falls over the crag edges near the summit, especially in poor visibility or wind · Difficulty on the awkward rock step in Kilnshaw Chimney, particularly when wet · Losing the path in cloud on the broad summit and drifting onto steep ground

Local Mountain Rescue: Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team (opens in new tab)

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 (opens in new tab)

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 Screes 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 Screes

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

1.0 km ESESt Raven's Edge593 m · Far Eastern

2.1 km NECaudale Moor - John Bell's Banner755 m · Far Eastern

Routes over Red Screes

Long Hike to Fairfield from Ambleside

Summits: Red ScreesDove Crag Hart Crag Fairfield Great Rigg Heron Pike North Top (Rydal Fell)Heron Pike (Rydal)Nab Scar

Download GPX Walked by Lee, April 2023

From the hazard notes for Red Screes · Fairfield, each with its sources.

Route guide: Long Hike to Fairfield from Ambleside →

Red Screes from Kirkstone Pass

Summits: Red ScreesMiddle Dodd

Download GPX Planned route · not yet walked

Warnings: Red Screes: The summit plateau drops away into steep, loose scree and crags on more than one side. A simple slip near the edge — especially in wind, cloud or with tired legs on descent — can turn into a long, uncontrolled fall over broken ground. Keep back from the rim and don't shortcut down the screes. From Middle Dodd the line descends a very steep ridge: about 44% sustained near 3.3 km, with a crag mapped within about 10 m of the line near 3.6 km. Kilnshaw Chimney (a harder gully beside the direct path): A steep, narrow gully of loose scree that collects water and stays muddy and slippery. Around two-thirds of the way up there is an awkward, near-vertical slippery rock step. Manageable for confident walkers in dry conditions but unpleasant and exposed when wet — not a good descent route.

From the hazard notes for Red Screes, each with its sources.

Route guide: Red Screes from Kirkstone Pass →

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 Screes

Water & shelter on the way up

On the Long Hike to Fairfield from Ambleside route:

shelter (weather shelter, mapped, not checked; 6 m off the line) bus shelter (65 m off the line) bus shelter (77 m off the line) toilets (30 m off the line) toilets (108 m off the line) toilets (123 m off the line) Loughrigg Avenue (71 m from the start, straight line) Hayes Garden Centre (189 m from the start, straight line) Kelsick Road Stand 1 (256 m from the start, straight line) Ambleside Backpackers (19 m from the start, straight line)

On the Red Screes from Kirkstone Pass route:

shelter (weather shelter, mapped, not checked; 3 m off the line)

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

About Red Screes

Wainwright was enthusiastic about it, noting the outstanding views from the summit across Windermere and south to Morecambe Bay — among the finest low-elevation views in the district. The direct ascent from the Kirkstone Inn is steep but short, while the ridge approach via Middle Dodd is more sustained. The views north to the Helvellyn range and across Kirkstone Pass to Place Fell are equally impressive.

Field notes

This fell was my first Wainwright. I recall it being an icy cold April morning. I made my way up from Ambleside over Flesh crags. At that point it was bright and crisp. When I got up to Red Screes it was blowing hard and the clag obscured everything that wasn't a handful of meters in front of me. Out of nowhere a middle-aged woman appeared out of a direction I didn't think was possible - smiling at me as she continued her journey. I later found out it was the Kilnshaw Chimney - kudos to her!

— Lee McCoy, who walked it on our Long Hike to Fairfield from Ambleside route in April 2023

My Strava hikes over Red Screes

1 logged hike pass over this summit:

Bit of a hike in the Lake District (opens in new tab) — 23.0 km · 1488 m ascent · 6h 13m moving · 3 April 2023

Data from Strava.

Classifications & hill data

Is Red Screes a Wainwright?

Red Screes is a Wainwright. It is also on the Birkett list, the Synge list, the Nuttall list, the Fellranger list, the Marilyn list and the Hewitt list.

Selected lists

779 m

Height

2,555 ft

In feet

NY 3965 0875

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 Screes

The 360° skyline from Red Screes

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: Blencathra (20 km), Atkinson Pike (21 km)
North-east: High Street (5 km), High Raise (7 km)
South-west: Swirl How (15 km), The Old Man of Coniston (16 km)
West: Crinkle Crags (15 km), Crinkle Crags (15 km), Crinkle Crags (15 km), Shelter Crags (15 km), Crinkle Crags South Top (15 km), Crinkle Crags (15 km), Bowfell (15 km), Great End (17 km), Ill Crag (17 km), Broad Crag (18 km), Scafell Pike (18 km), Green Gable (18 km), Great Gable (19 km), Scafell (19 km), Pillar (23 km), Black Crag (23 km), High Stile (23 km), High Stile (24 km), Scoat Fell (24 km), Steeple (24 km)
North-west: Hart Crag (4 km), Fairfield (5 km), St Sunday Crag (5 km), High Crag (7 km), Nethermost Pike (8 km), Helvellyn (8 km), Catstye Cam (9 km), Raise (10 km), Stybarrow Dodd (12 km), Great Dodd (13 km), Gategill Fell Top (20 km), Crag Hill (23 km), Eel Crag (24 km), Grasmoor (25 km)

On the clearest days the far horizon adds: Snowdon (173 km, Wales), Carnedd Llewelyn (161 km, Wales), Moel Siabod (169 km, Wales), Arenig Fawr (181 km, Wales), Yr Eifl (194 km, Wales), Craig Cwm Silyn (181 km, Wales), Pendle Hill (79 km, England), Gyrn Ddu (190 km, Wales).

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 Screes

Red Screes sits close to the flat-horizon case. Even on its longest wait of the modelled year (on 1 May) first light is only 5 minutes after almanac sunrise, so the published sunrise time is a fair guide here.

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	04:36	-2 min
Equinox	06:13 GMT ±5.0 min	06:15	-2 min
Midwinter	08:29 GMT ±5.0 min	08:32	-3 min

A low, open northern horizon — the ground falls away northwards (mean -0.21°).

Last light — when the sun leaves Red Screes

The evening here runs close to the flat-horizon case. Even on its earliest evening of the modelled year (on 1 June) last light is only 9 minutes before almanac sunset, so the published sunset time is a fair guide on Red Screes.

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	21:44 BST ±5.0 min	21:52	-8 min
Equinox	18:28 GMT ±5.0 min	18:26	+2 min
Midwinter	15:49 GMT ±5.0 min	15:49	—

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 Screes

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

102Wainwrights in view+17 marginal

173 kmFurthest sightlineSnowdon (Yr Wyddfa) · possible under favourable refraction

2Sea in viewIrish Sea, Morecambe Bay

On the clearest days the view reaches across to Wales.

Far horizons

Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) WalesSSW · 173 km clear
Carnedd Llewelyn WalesSSW · 158 km clear
Irish Sea open waterSW · 65 km in view
Ingleborough Yorkshire DalesSE · 49 km clear
Whernside Yorkshire DalesSE · 43 km clear
Great Dun Fell North PenninesNE · 39 km clear
Morecambe Bay bay/estuarySSW · 35 km in view

All 102 Wainwrights in clear view (nearest first)

Middle Dodd, Little Hart Crag (Little Hart Crag - West Top), High Hartsop Dodd, High Pike (Scandale), Stony Cove Pike (Caudale Moor), Dove Crag, Hartsop Dodd, Hartsop Above How (Gill Crag - Hartsop Above How), Troutbeck Tongue, Thornthwaite Crag, Baystones (Wansfell), Hart Crag, Froswick, Ill Bell, Heron Pike (Rydal), Great Rigg, Yoke, Fairfield, High Street, Brock Crags (Wainwright), St Sunday Crag, The Knott (High Street), Birks, Rest Dodd, Rampsgill Head, Sallows, Arnison Crag, Harter Fell (Mardale), Angletarn Pikes (Angletarn Pikes North Top), Sour Howes, Kidsty Pike, High Raise (High Street), Kentmere Pike, The Nab, Silver How, Nethermost Pike, Birkhouse Moor, Place Fell, Helvellyn, Catstye Cam, Glenridding Dodd, Beda Fell (Beda Head), Black Fell, Tarn Crag (Easedale), Blea Rigg, Calf Crag, Sheffield Pike, Raise, Lingmoor Fell (Brown How), Steel Knotts (Pikeawassa - Steel Knotts), Sergeant Man, Loadpot Hill, Pavey Ark, Stybarrow Dodd, Holme Fell, Hart Side, Harrison Stickle, Hallin Fell, Thunacar Knott, Loft Crag, Great Dodd, Wetherlam, Pike of Blisco, Cold Pike, Swirl How, Glaramara, Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle), Bowfell, Little Mell Fell, Allen Crags, Esk Pike, Brim Fell, The Old Man of Coniston (Coniston Old Man), Great Mell Fell, Great End, High Spy, Scafell Pike, Green Gable, Grey Knotts, Brandreth, Great Gable, Dale Head, Slight Side, Scafell, Hindscarth, Fleetwith Pike, Harter Fell (Eskdale), Blencathra - Hallsfell Top, Souther Fell, Robinson, High Crag (Buttermere), Bowscale Fell, Pillar, Crag Hill (Eel Crag), Wandope, High Stile, Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell), Whiteless Pike, Steeple, Red Pike (Buttermere), Grasmoor, Carrock Fell

How the view from Red Screes 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 Screes. 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 Ambleside or Grasmere: 10 places

Frequently asked questions about Red Screes

Is Red Screes hard to climb? Answered above.

What is the shortest route up Red Screes?

The shortest way is straight up from the top of Kirkstone Pass — about 2.5 km, with at least 334 m of climbing — because the road already takes you to 445 m. It's one of the quickest summits in the Lakes, but the path is steep and rough, winding up among the crags on rocky steps. Shortest is not the same as easiest. The ordinary path avoids Kilnshaw Chimney, a harder gully beside the direct line.

A gentler but much longer option is the circular from Ambleside via Scandale Pass, returning over the southern ridge.

How long does it take to climb Red Screes? Answered above: Routes up Red Screes.

Is the steep face of Red Screes dangerous?

The eastern and western flanks above Kirkstone and Caiston Glen are steep, loose scree and crag, and a slip near the edges — particularly in wind, cloud or on tired legs coming down — can run a long way over broken ground. The direct path's rocky steps are slippery when wet.

Keep to the path, stay back from the steep edges near the summit, and take the descent carefully. The broad top can be disorienting in cloud, so carry a compass.

Sources: Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team (opens in new tab)

Is Red Screes suitable for beginners?

The short Kirkstone route makes a good 'quick summit' for fit beginners, but don't underestimate it — it's a steep, rough, rocky pull, not a stroll, and the descent is harder than the climb. Sure-footedness helps on the rocky steps.

Go on a clear, dry day, wear proper boots, carry a map and compass for the broad top, and keep back from the steep edges. Take particular care descending when it's wet.

Sources: Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team (opens in new tab)

Where do you park for Red Screes? Answered above: Parking for Red Screes.

What should I wear and take up Red Screes?

Wear proper walking boots with good grip — the path is steep, rough and rocky, and slippery when wet. Even on the short route carry warm and waterproof layers, as the summit is far cooler and windier than the pass.

Take a map and compass (the broad top is confusing in cloud), water, a snack and a charged phone, and check the mountain forecast. In winter the steep ground and the pass road both need real care.

Sources: MWIS — Lake District forecast (opens in new tab)

Questions from Google’s “People also ask”. · Last updated 2026-06-14 · Suggest a question or correction (opens in new tab)

Red Screes

Summit conditions on Red Screes

Wind on the top

Cloud on the top

Rain, and the becks

Routes up Red Screes

Is Red Screes hard to climb?

Conditions and 7-day summit forecast

Parking & buses for Red Screes

Parking

Where do you park for Red Screes?

Buses

Hazards on Red Screes

Hazard & Incident Information for Red Screes

Navigating in cloud

If you need Mountain Rescue

Map, GPX and nearby Birketts

Birketts within 3 km of Red Screes

Routes over Red Screes

On the hill: terrain and water on Red Screes

Water & shelter on the way up

About Red Screes

Field notes

My Strava hikes over Red Screes

Classifications & hill data

Is Red Screes a Wainwright?

Selected lists

The view from Red Screes

The 360° skyline from Red Screes

Sunrise and sunset on Red Screes

Last light — when the sun leaves Red Screes

What you can see from Red Screes

Places to stay near this fell

Frequently asked questions about Red Screes

Other fells near Red Screes