hikes.guideLake District

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

Whiteless Pike - the grassy ridge dropping away from the summit, with the slopes of Wandope across the combe and the north-western fells beyond under broken cloud
Wainwright — North Western FellsAlso a Birkett

Whiteless Pike

Whiteless Pike at 660m (2,165ft) is the southern sentinel of the Grasmoor ridge above Buttermere, a sharp, pointed summit giving excellent views of the Buttermere valley and Crummock Water.

660 m
Height
~3–4 h
Typical time
+6
Bonus Birketts
See routes & download GPX → Parking & buses →
660 mWainwright — North Western Fells✓ summit is also a Birkett+6 bonus Birketts within 3 km Severe in cloud

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

Modelled guidance for the 660 m summit. Always check the Met Office mountain forecast and MWIS before you set off.

On the summit today (Fri 11 Sep): 11° to 9°C, gusts to 33 mph, 2.4 mm of rain forecast.

Fri 11 Sep
🌦️
11° / 9°
💨 33 mph
🌧 2.4 mm (100%)
Sat 12 Sep
🌧️
14° / 9°
💨 51 mph
🌧 26.1 mm (100%)
Sun 13 Sep
🌦️
12° / 7°
💨 20 mph
🌧 0.2 mm (74%)
Mon 14 Sep
🌧️
14° / 7°
💨 33 mph
🌧 12.7 mm (96%)
Tue 15 Sep
🌦️
12° / 8°
💨 32 mph
🌧 13.2 mm (100%)
Wed 16 Sep
🌦️
10° / 8°
💨 33 mph
🌧 5.4 mm (96%)
Thu 17 Sep
🌦️
10° / 8°
💨 37 mph
🌧 8.8 mm (98%)

Forecast snapshot from 11 Sep 2026, 08:30 UTC — refreshed nightly and updated live in your browser. Temperatures and gusts adjusted to the 660 m summit altitude via Open-Meteo. Summit conditions are always harsher than the valley — check the professional mountain forecasts before you go.

Whiteless Pike at a glance

Whiteless Pike

Whiteless Pike - the grassy ridge dropping away from the summit, with the slopes of Wandope across the combe and the north-western fells beyond under broken cloud
© Lee McCoy

Whiteless Pike at 660m (2,165ft) is the southern sentinel of the Grasmoor ridge above Buttermere, a sharp, pointed summit giving excellent views of the Buttermere valley and Crummock Water. Wainwright noted the dramatic view looking down to both lakes from the summit ridge. The ascent from Buttermere village via Whiteless Breast is direct and rewarding. Most naturally combined with Wandope and Grasmoor for the full western circuit above Buttermere and Crummock Water. The lake views are excellent throughout.

Routes up Whiteless Pike

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

Classifications & hill data

Wainwright
North Western
Birkett
Fellranger
Synge
Nuttall
660 m
Height
2,165 ft
In feet
NY 1801 1897
Grid ref

The short answers

Is Whiteless Pike a Wainwright?

Whiteless Pike is a Wainwright. It is also on the Birkett list, the Synge list, the Nuttall list and the Fellranger list.

Where do you park for Whiteless Pike?

The nearest car park we hold is High Snockrigg, north-west (layby), about 1.7 km from the summit in a straight line. The next is Rannerdale Knotts, south (layby), 1.8 km out. We only look within 2.5 km, measured straight-line: over longer distances a road may cross a pass and the drive bears no relation to the line.

My hikes over Whiteless Pike (Strava)

1 logged hike pass over this summit:

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

Parking & buses for Whiteless Pike

Best parking to hike Whiteless Pike

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

High Snockrigg, north-west (layby) — 1.7 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 391 m away. Free (OSM-tagged). Compacted surface (OSM-tagged).
Directions (opens in new tab)Something changed here?
Rannerdale Knotts, south (layby) — 1.8 km from summit (straight line)
Nearest fells: Rannerdale Knotts (0.5 km), Lad Hows (1.6 km), Whiteless Pike (1.8 km). Free (OSM-tagged). Unpaved surface (OSM-tagged).
Directions (opens in new tab)Something changed here?
Rannerdale Knotts (layby) — 1.8 km from summit (straight line)
Nearest fells: Rannerdale Knotts (0.5 km), Lad Hows (1.6 km), Whiteless Pike (1.8 km). Free (OSM-tagged). Unpaved surface (OSM-tagged).
Directions (opens in new tab)Something changed here?
Crummock Water, Cinderdale Common (free) — 1.8 km from summit (straight line)
Roadside common by Crummock Water - Rannerdale Knotts and Whiteless Pike.
Directions (opens in new tab)Something changed here?
Car park for Rannerdale Knotts — 1.8 km from summit (straight line)
0.4 km from Rannerdale Knotts. Added from the 5 Aug 2026 OSM candidate review.
Directions (opens in new tab)Something changed here?

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.

Vehicles are left entirely at their owner’s risk. We list places people park; we cannot vouch for any of them. Judge it on the day: take valuables with you, leave nothing on show, and if a spot feels wrong when you get there, park somewhere else.

Getting to Whiteless Pike by bus

The 77 stops at Lanthwaite Green Farm (opp), 20 m from the start of The Grasmoor Round. Seasonal: the 77 does not run all year. 1 November 2026 is its last day, and it is not daily before then — a bus on 31 of the 56 days from 7 September. We don’t know when it returns. Confirmed with the operator, 29 August 2026. The last bus is 18:03 towards Keswick (77), every day. Checked against the operator’s timetable, 7 September 2026. Times here are a guide, not a promise — leave yourself more than the minute.

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 (opens in new tab) or Traveline before relying on a last bus.

Hazards on Whiteless Pike

Hazard & Incident Information for Whiteless Pike

Hazard: Moderate

A shapely, conical peak above Buttermere that is steep on virtually every side, with a rocky little summit and the fine, airy crest of Whiteless Edge running off toward Wandope. There is no easy way up or down — every approach is a steep, rough pull — and the exposed ridge demands a steady head. Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team covers this Buttermere ground.

  • Steep flanks and the rocky summit: Whiteless Pike is steep on all sides and the final climb to the rocky top is rough underfoot. A slip on the steep ascent or descent can run a long way; take care with footing, especially when wet, and pace the relentless climb.
  • Whiteless Edge (the airy ridge to Wandope): The crest south-west to Saddle Gate and Wandope is a fine but exposed, narrow ridge. Straightforward in calm dry conditions but unnerving and slippery in strong wind, wet or ice — take it steadily.
  • The long steep descent to Buttermere / Rannerdale: The descent off Whiteless Breast toward Buttermere and Rannerdale is steep and unrelenting, hard on tired legs. Don't hurry it, and in cloud keep to the path so you don't drift onto steeper ground.
Who should attempt this fell: Whiteless Pike is a steep little mountain with no soft option — expect a rough climb whichever way you go, and treat Whiteless Edge as genuinely exposed, taking it carefully in wind or wet. Keep to the path on the steep descent, and treat it as full winter ground when there is snow or ice. A steady head for heights helps on the ridge.

Most common causes: Slips on the steep, rough ascent and descent · Loss of footing or balance on the exposed Whiteless Edge in wind · Drifting off the path on the steep flanks in cloud · Winter ice on the steep ground and the ridge

Local Mountain Rescue: Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team (opens in new tab) · 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 (opens in new tab)

Navigating Whiteless Pike in cloud

Severe

A rough, rocky summit ringed by crags, with no single obvious way off in poor visibility. 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 Whiteless Pike compares with all 214 — the Clag Index: navigating in cloud. A relative, deliberately cautious guide; the site can’t navigate for you.

Map & nearby Birketts

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

Nearest parking: High Snockrigg, north-west (layby), about 1.7 km from the summit (straight line). Full parking, toilets and bus details are below.

Birketts near Whiteless Pike (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 NNEThirdgill Head Man734 m · North Western
0.9 km WNWLad Hows426 m · North Western
2.0 km EIll Crag (Newlands) (Knott Rigg North Top)546 m · North Western
2.0 km NNEEel Crag (Birkett)807 m · North Western
2.2 km SSEHigh Snockrigg526 m · North Western
3.0 km NNESand Hill756 m · North Western

Routes over Whiteless Pike

16.17 km · ~1068 m ascent · loop · ~5–6.5 h · Hard

✎️ If you only do one round in the North Western Fells, this is it. Grasmoor is a bigger, wilder mountain than its modest reputation suggests, and the ridge from Whiteside over Gasgale Crags to Hopegill Head is as good as ridge walking gets outside the Langdales. Whiteless Pike at the end is a perfect little peak — and a punishing descent.

⬇️ Download GPX

Best season: Late spring to autumn, in clear conditions. Gasgale Crags is narrow and rocky, and Grasmoor’s summit plateau is a blank, stony expanse that is thoroughly disorientating in cloud.

⚠️ Warnings: The climb straight up Whiteside from Lanthwaite is brutally steep — a relentless, loose, eroded pull with little respite. It is the hardest 500 m on this route and it comes first. Gasgale Crags is a narrow, rocky ridge. It is not a scramble in the Sharp Edge sense, but it is airy, the rock is loose in places, and it wants care in wind or wet. Grasmoor’s summit is a featureless stony plateau with crags on three sides. In cloud it is a genuine navigation trap — take a bearing before you leave the cairn. The descent off Whiteless Pike is a knee-breaker — steep, sustained and relentless, right at the end of a long day. It is one of the steepest sustained descents in the Lakes. A long day with 1,068 m of ascent and ten tops. Navigation is graded hard: the high ground is broad and the drops are real.

Full route guide ↗

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

15.69 km · ~1399 m ascent · loop · ~5.5–7.5 h

⬇️ Download GPX

Full route guide ↗

✎️ Planned route — drawn but not personally walked or checked yet.

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

16.17 km · ~1197 m ascent · loop · ~5–7 h

⬇️ Download GPX

Full route guide ↗

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

On the hill: terrain and water on Whiteless Pike

The view from Whiteless Pike

The 360° skyline from Whiteless Pike

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 Whiteless Pike35 labelled tops shown (8 distant behind the far-horizon toggle). Theoretical visibility in perfect clarity; computed from terrain, not photographed.eye levelNNEESESSWWNWScafell Pike · 12 kmHelvellyn · 17 kmGreat End · 12 kmPillar · 7 kmRaise · 16 kmFairfield · 19 kmGreat Dodd · 16 kmStybarrow Dodd · 16 kmHigh Stile · 4 kmKirk Fell · 9 kmHaycock · 9 kmGlaramara · 11 kmSail · 2 kmRed Pike · 4 kmHigh Crag · 5 kmRobinson · 3 kmHindscarth · 4 kmClough Head · 16 kmGrey Knotts · 7 kmColdbarrow Fell · 12 kmIron Crag · 9 kmCausey Pike · 4 kmStarling Dodd · 5 kmGreat Borne · 6 kmBlake Fell · 7 kmGrasmoor · 2 kmWandope · 1 kmThirdgill Head Man · 1 kmCarling Knott · 6 kmGavel Fell · 6 kmHen Comb · 5 kmFloutern Cop · 6 kmLad Hows · 1 kmLow Fell · 6 kmDarling Fell · 6 kmBowfell · 14 kmGreat Gable · 9 kmNethermost Pike · 17 kmCatstye Cam · 17 kmBlack Crag · 8 kmHigh Stile · 4 kmRed Screes · 24 kmRed Beck Top · 11 kmCalfhow Pike · 15 kmCross Fell · 53 km · clear daysLooking Stead · 7 kmKirk Fell East Top · 8 kmWhoap · 10 kmLittle Dodd · 5 kmCrag Fell · 10 kmLoweswater End · 6 kmGavel Fell · 6 kmScale Knott · 3 kmSlieve Donard · 177 km · a handful of days a yearMerrick · 100 km · a rare clear daySnaefell · 84 km · a rare clear dayCairnsmore of Fleet · 83 km · a rare clear daySlieve Croob · 177 km · a handful of days a yearDivis · 178 km · a handful of days a yearCairnharrow · 75 km · a rare clear dayAgnew's Hill · 175 km · a handful of days a year
What you can see from Whiteless Pike, by direction
  • North-east: Sail (2 km)
  • East: Watson's Dodd (16 km), Clough Head (16 km), White Side (16 km), Helvellyn Lower Man (16 km), Raise (16 km), Great Dodd (16 km), Stybarrow Dodd (16 km), Helvellyn (17 km), Nethermost Pike (17 km), Catstye Cam (17 km), High Crag (17 km), Dollywaggon Pike (18 km), Cofa Pike (19 km), Fairfield (19 km)
  • South-east: Robinson (3 km), Hindscarth (4 km), Glaramara (11 km), Looking Steads (11 km), Red Beck Top (11 km), Great End (12 km), Allen Crags (12 km), Esk Pike (13 km), Bowfell (14 km), Seat Sandal (18 km), Great Rigg (20 km), Red Screes (24 km)
  • South: High Stile (4 km), High Stile (4 km), High Crag (5 km), Pillar (7 km), Black Crag (8 km), Red Pike (8 km), Kirk Fell (9 km), Great Gable (9 km), Broad Crag (12 km), Scafell Pike (12 km), Scafell (13 km)
  • South-west: Red Pike (4 km), Haycock (9 km)

On the clearest days the far horizon adds: Slieve Donard (177 km, Ireland), Merrick (100 km, Scotland), Snaefell (84 km, Isle of Man), Cairnsmore of Fleet (83 km, Scotland), Corserine (96 km, Scotland), Lamachan Hill (94 km, Scotland), South Barrule (102 km, Isle of Man), Slieve Croob (177 km, Ireland).

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 (opens in new tab) (CC BY 4.0). See how we compute the view · and the summit intervisibility report below.

Sunrise and sunset on Whiteless Pike

Whiteless Pike waits for the sun. Its longest wait of the modelled year falls at midsummer, when the sun is up for 28 minutes before it clears this skyline — first light 05:05 against an almanac sunrise of 04:37. You are standing in shadow while the valley below is already lit. The sun comes up to the north-east from here (50.8°), and the skyline on that bearing stands at 2.63°.

30°40°50°60°70°05:05
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 lightAlmanac sunriseDifference
Midsummer05:05 BST ±5.0 min04:37+28 min
Equinox06:20 GMT ±5.0 min06:16+4 min
Midwinter08:48 GMT ±5.0 min08:34+14 min

The northern horizon stands at about 5.41° from here.

Last light — when the sun leaves Whiteless Pike

Whiteless Pike 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 3 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 lightAlmanac sunsetDifference
Midsummer21:57 BST ±5.0 min21:54+3 min
Equinox18:33 GMT ±5.0 min18:27+6 min
Midwinter15:55 GMT ±5.0 min15:49+6 min

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 Whiteless Pike. 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. 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 Whiteless Pike

On a clear day — computed sightlines, curvature- and refraction-corrected.
60Wainwrights in view+7 marginal
102 kmFurthest sightlineMerrick · possible under favourable refraction
1Sea in viewIrish Sea

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

Far horizons
  • Merrick ScotlandNW · 102 km clear
  • Snaefell Isle of ManWSW · 84 km clear
  • Cross Fell North PenninesENE · 53 km clear
  • Irish Sea open waterW · 36 km in view
All 60 Wainwrights in clear view (nearest first)

How Whiteless Pike’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.

Places to stay near this fell

High Swinside Holiday Cottages (opens in new tab) guest house

about 3.9 km from the start, in a straight line

The only property in this cluster that states how to put a large family under one roof: The Farmhouse sleeps 9 in four bedrooms and links to Little Swinside through a lockable connecting door for 11-12, so a Grasmoor-round party that arrives as two households can still eat together. Dogs are taken, there is a 7kw EV charger for the drive back over Whinlatter, and the site sorts its own walk suggestions into four bands (Gentle Strolls, Wonderful Rambles, Intermediate Fells, High Peaks & Horseshoes) - useful when half the party wants Whiteside and half wants the valley.

One of the three cottages started life in the 1800s as housing for the farm's workers; it still has the beamed ceilings, and the owners keep hens and sell guests their eggs.

  • Dogs “Three Holiday Cottages sleeping 2, 5, or 9 (2 of the cottages can be connected to sleep 11-12) Dog friendly 7kw EV Charger Good Wi-fi Hot tubs in a superb setting 20-35 mins walk to village shop & pub Fresh free range eggs”
  • Family rooms “It sleeps 9 in its four bedrooms. Alternatively it can be linked to Little Swinside to sleep 11 overall (via lockable connecting door).”

Crummockwater Cottages (opens in new tab) guest house

about 1.8 km from the start, in a straight line

Three self-catering cottages 1.82 km from the start, and the only place here whose owner has written down her own judgements rather than a list: go up Melbreak's Nose rather than down it, take Low Fell from Thackthwaite rather than straight up the fence line, walk Loweswater out and back on the far side using the old coffin route. For this start in particular, the fells she names in the view from the front of the house open with Whiteside, Grassmoor and Whiteless Pike - the three summits of the Grasmoor round - though she describes them as a view from the door, not as a walk she writes up. Her own walk pages cover Buttermere, Crummock, Loweswater, Low Fell, Melbreak, Blake Fell and three waterfalls.

The cottages are the converted barn and stables of a 16th-century manor house, reached through a carriage arch with 1797 cut into it.

Bridge Hotel (opens in new tab) hotel

about 4.2 km from the start, in a straight line

The largest bed stock in the radius and the only hotel here that publishes both a restaurant and a dog policy - 21 en-suite bedrooms plus 6 self-catering apartments in Buttermere village, with an EV point in the car park. Two things a family should know before booking rather than after: the bedrooms are deliberately unplugged, with no television, no radio and no mobile signal, and the hotel publishes a late-January closure. There is no email address and no contact form anywhere on the cached site, so the only route in is the phone or the booking engine.

It sells the absence of a signal as the point: the bedrooms have no television, no radio and no mobile reception.

  • Dogs “A true dog-friendly hotel in the Lake District”
  • Evening meal “Exceptionally friendly and professional service, homemade food, carefully selected local real ales with our staff who naturally go the extra mile to ensure your needs meet your expectations.”

Worth knowing before you book

These places state on their own site that they do not take children.

What each place says about itself, quoted from their own site. We have not stayed at any of them, and there are no prices, no booking and no affiliate links. Distances are straight lines from each route start, never walking times. Properties found via OpenStreetMap (opens in new tab).

Frequently asked questions about Whiteless Pike

Is Whiteless Pike hard to climb?

Steep on virtually every side, with a small rocky summit — a shapely, conical fell that earns its height honestly. The walking is not technical, but there is no gentle way onto it from Buttermere.

The best of it is Whiteless Edge, the fine airy crest running on toward Wandope, which is the reason to include it rather than pass it. Our round with Grasmoor and its neighbours is 16.2 km with 1068 m of ascent and we rate that day Hard.

Questions drawn from real Google “People also ask” searches; answers written and fact-checked by us. · Reviewed 2026-08-30 · Suggest a question or correction (opens in new tab)

Other fells near Whiteless Pike