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

Wainwright — North Western FellsAlso a Birkett

Whiteside (Whiteside West Top)

Whiteside at 719m (2,359ft) is a long, narrow ridge above Crummock Water, its steep south face dropping dramatically to the lake below.

707 m
Height
~3–4 h
Typical time
+11
Bonus Birketts
See routes & download GPX →

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707 mWainwright — North Western Fells✓ summit is also a Birkett+11 bonus Birketts within 3 km Straightforward in cloud

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

Modelled guidance for the 707 m summit. Always check the Met Office mountain forecast and MWIS before you set off.

On the summit today (Tue 28 Jul): 14° to 13°C, gusts to 38 mph, 4.8 mm of rain forecast.

Tue 28 Jul
🌧️
14° / 13°
💨 38 mph
🌧 4.8 mm (99%)
Wed 29 Jul
🌧️
14° / 10°
💨 28 mph
🌧 14.0 mm (100%)
Thu 30 Jul
🌦️
12° / 4°
💨 29 mph
🌧 3.0 mm (87%)
Fri 31 Jul
🌤️
13° / 2°
💨 22 mph
🌧 0.0 mm (86%)
Sat 1 Aug
🌦️
14° / 4°
💨 15 mph
🌧 2.7 mm (82%)
Sun 2 Aug
☁️
15° / 4°
💨 17 mph
🌧 0.0 mm (35%)
Mon 3 Aug
🌦️
14° / 4°
💨 16 mph
🌧 0.4 mm (23%)

Forecast snapshot from 28 Jul 2026, 04:58 UTC — refreshed nightly and updated live in your browser. Temperatures and gusts adjusted to the 707 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

Whiteside (Whiteside West Top)

Whiteside (Whiteside West Top), a Lake District fell
Photo: Mick Knapton at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Whiteside at 719m (2,359ft) is a long, narrow ridge above Crummock Water, its steep south face dropping dramatically to the lake below. Wainwright described the views from the Whiteside ridge as among the finest in the North Western Fells — the long lake of Crummock Water seen from above, backed by the Grasmoor massif. The traverse of the Whiteside ridge from Lanthwaite Green to Hopegill Head is an excellent route. The views across Crummock to Mellbreak and the western fells are particularly fine.

Routes up Whiteside (Whiteside West Top)

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

The Grasmoor round: Whiteside, Hopegill Head and Whiteless Pike
16.2 km · ~5 hr · Hard
Ten tops and the finest ridge walking in the North Western Fells — up Whiteside, along the narrow crest of Gasgale Crags to Hopegill Head, over the great whaleback of Grasmoor, then out along Wandope and down the elegant cone of Whiteless Pike to Rannerdale. Sixteen kilometres, a thousand metres of climbing, and views over Crummock Water all the way round.
Classifications & hill data
Wainwright
North Western
Birkett
Fellranger
Synge
Nuttall
707 m
Height
2,320 ft
In feet
NY 1704 2195
Grid ref

Map & nearby Birketts

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

Nearest parking: Lanthwaite Green (NT), about 1.3 km from the summit (straight line). Full parking, toilets and bus details are below.

Birketts near Whiteside (Whiteside West Top) (within 3 km)

These Birkett tops are not Wainwright summits — detour to them on this walk and they are pure profit. Distances are straight-line; allow extra for terrain.

0.5 km ENEWhiteside East Top (Whiteside) (Gasgale Crags)719 m · North Western
0.8 km ENEGasgale Crags703 m · North Western
1.1 km NDodd (Lorton)454 m · North Western
1.6 km ENELadyside Pike704 m · North Western
1.7 km ESand Hill756 m · North Western
2.1 km NNESwinside509 m · North Western
2.3 km EHobcarton Crag (Hobcarton Head)738 m · North Western
2.3 km ESEEel Crag (Birkett)807 m · North Western
2.7 km SLad Hows426 m · North Western
2.7 km SSEThirdgill Head Man734 m · North Western
2.9 km ENEHobcarton End634 m · North Western

Routes over Whiteside (Whiteside West Top)

The Grasmoor round: Whiteside, Hopegill Head and Whiteless PikePlanned
16.17 km · ~1068 m ascent · loop · ~5–6.5 h · Hard
Summits: Whiteside (Whiteside West Top)Whiteside East Top (Whiteside) (Gasgale Crags)Gasgale CragsHopegill HeadSand HillGrasmoorWandopeThirdgill Head ManWhiteless PikeRannerdale Knotts

✎️ 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 ↗

✎️ 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.

The View from Whiteside (Whiteside West Top)

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 Whiteside (Whiteside West Top)36 labelled tops shown (19 distant behind the far-horizon toggle). Theoretical visibility in perfect clarity; computed from terrain, not photographed.eye levelNNEESESSWWNWHelvellyn · 18 kmSkiddaw · 12 kmRaise · 18 kmBlencathra · 16 kmSkiddaw Little Man · 11 kmGrasmoor · 2 kmCrag Hill · 3 kmHaycock · 12 kmWatson's Dodd · 17 kmCaw Fell · 12 kmGreat Sca Fell · 17 kmIron Crag · 11 kmGreat Borne · 7 kmGrisedale Pike · 3 kmSand Hill · 2 kmCriffel · 45 km · clear daysBlake Fell · 6 kmLord's Seat · 6 kmGavel Fell · 6 kmLoweswater End · 5 kmGale Fell · 7 kmBroom Fell · 6 kmSwinside · 2 kmMellbreak North Top · 4 kmHigh Pen · 7 kmBurnbank Fell · 6 kmGraystones · 4 kmKirk Fell · 5 kmLow Fell · 3 kmLoweswater Fell · 4 kmFellbarrow · 4 kmSourfoot Fell · 4 kmHatteringill Head · 5 kmClints Crags · 13 kmWatch Hill · 10 kmMochrum Fell · 69 km · clear daysCatstye Cam · 19 kmHigh Crag · 19 kmBroad End · 12 kmEel Crag · 2 kmJenkin Hill · 12 kmBrae Fell · 18 kmHopegill Head · 2 kmWhiteside East Top · 0 kmBleaberry Fell · 12 kmHerdus · 8 kmWhinlatter · 4 kmBinsey · 15 kmSmithy Fell · 4 kmGreen How · 18 kmBennan · 65 km · clear daysSee Morris Hill · 62 km · clear daysSlieve Donard · 177 km · a handful of days a yearMerrick · 98 km · a rare clear dayBroad Law · 102 km · a rare clear daySnaefell · 84 km · a rare clear dayCairnsmore of Carsphairn · 95 km · a rare clear dayThe Cheviot · 123 km · a handful of days a yearCairnsmore of Fleet · 81 km · a rare clear dayWindlestraw Law · 123 km · a handful of days a yearTinto · 114 km · a rare clear daySlieve Croob · 176 km · a handful of days a yearGreen Lowther · 94 km · a rare clear dayDivis · 177 km · a handful of days a yearEttrick Pen · 86 km · a rare clear dayCairn Table · 112 km · a rare clear dayCairnharrow · 72 km · a rare clear dayWisp Hill · 80 km · a rare clear dayRoan Fell · 76 km · a rare clear dayColt Hill · 90 km · a rare clear dayPeel Fell · 90 km · a rare clear day
What you can see from Whiteside (Whiteside West Top), by direction
  • North-east: Long Side (10 km), Carl Side (10 km), Skiddaw South Top (11 km), Skiddaw Middle Top (11 km), Skiddaw Little Man (11 km), Skiddaw Lesser Man (11 km), Skiddaw (12 km), Skiddaw North Top (12 km), Jenkin Hill (12 km), Broad End (12 km), Great Sca Fell (17 km), Little Sca Fell (17 km), Brae Fell (18 km)
  • East: Whiteside East Top (0 km), Hopegill Head (2 km), Sand Hill (2 km), Grisedale Pike (3 km), Knowe Crags (15 km), Gategill Fell Top (16 km), Blencathra (16 km), Atkinson Pike (17 km), Watson's Dodd (17 km), White Side (18 km), Stybarrow Dodd (18 km), Raise (18 km), Helvellyn Lower Man (18 km), Helvellyn (18 km), Catstye Cam (19 km)
  • South-east: Eel Crag (2 km), Crag Hill (3 km), Nethermost Pike (19 km), High Crag (19 km)
  • South: Grasmoor (2 km), Little Gowder Crag (11 km), Haycock (12 km), Caw Fell (12 km)
  • South-west: Great Borne (7 km), Iron Crag (11 km), Lank Rigg (13 km)
  • North-west: Criffel (45 km)

On the clearest days the far horizon adds: Slieve Donard (177 km, Ireland), Merrick (98 km, Scotland), Broad Law (102 km, Scotland), Snaefell (84 km, Isle of Man), Cairnsmore of Carsphairn (95 km, Scotland), The Cheviot (123 km, England), Cairnsmore of Fleet (81 km, Scotland), Corserine (94 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 Whiteside (Whiteside West Top)

On a clear day — computed sightlines, curvature- and refraction-corrected.
43Wainwrights in view+9 marginal
99 kmFurthest sightlineMerrick
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 · 99 km clear
  • Snaefell Isle of ManWSW · 85 km clear
  • Criffel ScotlandNNW · 46 km clear
  • Solway Firth bay/estuaryNNW · 35 km in view
  • Irish Sea open waterW · 25 km in view
All 43 Wainwrights in clear view (nearest first)

Hopegill Head, Grasmoor, Crag Hill (Eel Crag), Grisedale Pike, Low Fell, Whinlatter (Brown How - Whinlatter), Scar Crags, Mellbreak (Mellbreak South Top), Fellbarrow - Mosser Fell, Graystones (Graystones North Top), Causey Pike, Hen Comb, Lord's Seat, Broom Fell, Burnbank Fell, Blake Fell, Gavel Fell, Ling Fell, Starling Dodd, Great Borne, Sale Fell, Ullock Pike, Long Side, Crag Fell, Skiddaw, Haycock, Caw Fell, Grike, Bleaberry Fell, High Seat, Lank Rigg, Binsey, Great Cockup, Meal Fell, Watson's Dodd, Longlands Fell, White Side, Stybarrow Dodd, Brae Fell, Raise, Helvellyn, Catstye Cam, Nethermost Pike

How Whiteside (Whiteside West Top)’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 Whiteside (Whiteside West Top)

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

Lanthwaite Green (NT) — 1.3 km from summit (straight line)
At the foot of Grasmoor and Whiteside, Crummock Water.
Directions
Maggie's Bridge, Loweswater (NT, free) — 3.7 km from summit (straight line)
Small free car park for Mellbreak, Hen Comb and the Loweswater fells.
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 The Grasmoor round: Whiteside, Hopegill Head and Whiteless Pike route:

🛖 map (5 m)🚌 Lanthwaite Green Farm (58 m)

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

Buses to Whiteside (Whiteside West Top) from Penrith / Ambleside / Windermere

No regular bus serves the start points for this fell — this is one for the car (or a long approach from the nearest served valley). The nearest hubs are Penrith (X4/X5 & 508), Ambleside and Windermere (555, 505, 516).

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

Hazard & Incident Information for Whiteside (Whiteside West Top)

Hazard: Moderate

A long, narrow whaleback above Crummock Water, carrying one of the finest ridge traverses in the Lakes along to Hopegill Head — but a ridge that needs a head for heights, with the steep wall of Gasgale Crags dropping away on its southern side. The direct ascent from Crummock is steep and unrelenting, and the airy crest is exposed in wind and serious when iced. Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team covers this north-western ground.

  • The narrow ridge traverse to Hopegill Head: An exhilarating but airy high-level crest with steep drops, especially into Gasgale Gill to the south. Easier than Striding Edge, but it still needs a steady head and becomes treacherous in strong wind, wet or ice. Take it carefully and keep to the crest.
  • Gasgale Crags (steep southern flank): The ridge towers above Gasgale Gill on a wall of crag. Keep back from the southern edge, particularly in cloud or wind where the drop comes with little warning.
  • The steep direct ascent from Crummock: The western nose climbed straight from the Crummock side is steep, loose and relentless — tiring on the way up and awkward as a descent. Pace it, and avoid coming down it if tired or in poor conditions.
Who should attempt this fell: Whiteside gives a superb ridge walk, but it is exposed: the traverse to Hopegill Head needs a head for heights, and the Gasgale Crags edge is unforgiving in wind or cloud. Save the steep Crummock nose for ascent rather than a tired descent, keep to the crest and a compass bearing in mist, and treat the whole ridge as full winter ground when there is snow or ice.

Most common causes: Slips on the exposed ridge traverse, especially in wind or when wet/iced · Walkers straying toward the Gasgale Crags edge in poor visibility · Falls and fatigue on the steep, loose direct ascent/descent from Crummock · Underestimating the exposure of the crest

Local Mountain Rescue: Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team · Reviewed 14 Jun 2026

Safety: Hazard guidance compiled from published Mountain Rescue reports and well-documented accident history - editorial background, not a live feed of callouts. Always check current conditions, carry proper navigation equipment, and seek qualified instruction before heading onto the fells. In an emergency, call 999, ask for Police, then Mountain Rescue.

Report incorrect information

Navigating Whiteside (Whiteside West Top) in cloud

Straightforward

A rough, rocky summit ringed by crags, with no single obvious way off in poor visibility. Navigation here is relatively straightforward even in cloud — but carry map and compass and know how to use them; a low score never means “safe”.

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 Whiteside (Whiteside West Top) 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 Whiteside (Whiteside West Top)

Maps & guidebooks for Whiteside (Whiteside West Top)

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