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11.37 km · ~738 m ascent · ~3.5–4.5 h · loop · 2 summits

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Haystacks above Buttermere
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Haystacks

11.37 km
Distance
~3.5–4.5 h
Typical time
~738 m
Ascent
2
Summits

Photo: © Lee McCoy

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Key facts

Distance 11.37 km
Ascent ~738 m
Descent ~735 m
Time ~3.5–4.5 h
Type Loop
A planned line is a suggestion, not a guarantee — conditions change. Navigate independently and carry a map & compass.

🧭 The automated detail on this page — distance, climb, pacing and a first-pass difficulty read — is live. Hand-written field notes are being added.

Difficulty profile

LengthModerate11.37 km round.
SteepnessSevereSteepest sustained pull about 40% around the 11.0 km mark.
TerrainModerateMostly good mountain path. desk assessment — not field-verified
NavigationHardCare needed in cloud — ~16% featureless high ground. desk assessment — not field-verified
ExposureModerateEasy walking to the base; only the last few metres to the true summit are a short, sharp scramble on the sharp peak, and that final top can be skipped.

Five independent axes, not one score. “Desk” ratings come from maps and guidebooks, not yet walked — treat them as a guide, not a survey.

Conditions on this route

We score every Lakeland Wainwright each morning on cloud, wind, rain and underfoot, and this route crosses 2 of them. The worst summit governs the verdict — a route is only as kind as its roughest top.

Modelled guidance — not a substitute for the mountain forecast or your own judgement. See how every fell ranks today →

☀️ Daylight & turnaround

Daylight is short from October to February — check today’s sunrise and sunset before you set off, and carry a head-torch and spare batteries. On short days, decide your turn-back time before you start.

Why this matters: 78% of Mountain Rescue call-outs come after midday — the day runs out on the way home, not on the way up. See also walking in bad weather and today’s conditions.

OpenTopoMap
Elevation profile
Elevation profile Rises from about 347 m to 697 m over 11.4 km, with the summits marked in order. 697 m 347 m 0 km 11.4 km 12

1 Fleetwith Pike2 Haystacks (Buttermere)

~738 m
Total ascent
697 m
High point
347 m
Start height

Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap (switch layers top-right).

This walk covers about 11.37 km with around 738 m of ascent, taking in 2 summits. The map above shows the line; the elevation profile and stage notes are below.

Access & barriers

Can a dog, a buggy or dodgy knees manage this route? A quick read from the gates and stiles mapped along the way.

Dog
Mostly gates
Buggy
Not buggy-able
Knees
Tough descent
  • Dog: A stile of unmapped type — a dog may need lifting over.
  • Buggy: Stiles or rough going on the route.
  • Knees: A long, steep ~40% drop around the 10.9 km mark — hard on the knees.

On the line: 1 step-over stile · 2 stiles (type unmapped)

These are mapped barriers, from OpenStreetMap — coverage in the Lakes is good but not guaranteed complete. Spotted a stile or gate we’ve missed? Tell us and we’ll fix it. Barrier data as of 2026-07-09. Access data © OpenStreetMap contributors (via Overpass).

Pacing

SummitCumulativeAscentTime (fast–steady)
Fleetwith Pike2.5 km326 m1:03–1:24
Haystacks (Buttermere)5.6 km495 m1:57–2:36
Finish11.4 km738 m3:30–4:40

Naismith-based estimate — a fast/steady range. Your pace will vary.

The walk, stage by stage

Start → Fleetwith Pike (2.5 km, 326 m)

Climb of about 326 m over 2.5 km (around 13% average).

Fleetwith Pike → Haystacks (Buttermere) (3.1 km, 169 m)

Climb of about 169 m over 3.1 km (around 5% average).

Haystacks (Buttermere) → Finish (5.7 km, 242 m)

Climb of about 242 m over 5.7 km (around 4% average).

Stage-by-stage field notes coming soon.

Summits bagged (2)

🅿️ Getting there & parking

Honister Pass (paid, slate mine) — 0.1 km from the start (straight line)
Pay & display at the top of the pass — Dale Head, Fleetwith Pike, Grey Knotts with minimal ascent.
Directions
Seathwaite Farm, Borrowdale (free verge) — 1.7 km from the start (straight line)
Free verge parking on the Seathwaite lane — the honeypot start for the Scafells, Great Gable and Glaramara. Arrive very early.
Directions

Positions are approximate. Lakeland car parks fill before 9am on fine weekends.

💧 Water, shelter & getting away

🚌 Honister Youth Hostel / Slate Quarry (E) (123 m)🚌 map (129 m)⛺ Honister Pass YHA (77 m)

On-route facilities © OpenStreetMap contributors — an absent marker does not mean the facility isn’t there.

🚌 Buses

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.
Stagecoach 78 “Borrowdale Rambler”
Keswick – Lodore – Grange – Rosthwaite – Seatoller
Catch it from: Keswick (connect via 555 or X4/X5)
Year-round, frequent in season. Serves all the Borrowdale starts — Glaramara, the Scafells and Great Gable via Seathwaite (alight Seatoller, 20 min walk up the lane).

Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com or Traveline before travelling.

⚠️ Safety & conditions

Check live conditions in the “From the fells” panel, on MWIS and the Met Office mountain forecast before you set off.

Make it easier or harder

Short version: turn back at about 3.8 km (drop to Start) — roughly half the distance.

⬇️ Download

Download GPX

GPX track for your GPS or phone.

📚 Maps & guidebooks for Haystacks

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