Haystacks
Photo: © Lee McCoy
Start Honister Pass (paid, slate mine)
Getting here Parking: Honister Pass (paid, slate mine), 0.0 km from the start (straight line). Bus: the 77 stops at Honister Youth Hostel (near), a 210 m walk from this start. Seasonal: the 77 does not run all year. 1 November 2026 is its last day. Getting there ↓ · Route map ↓
Hardest part Hard steepness: Steepest sustained descent about 31% around the 10.7 km mark. Hard navigation: Care needed in cloud — ~16% featureless high ground, 32 path junctions near the line. Hard – estimated from the map, not checked on the ground Hands for a few steps: the craggy east end and the summit rocks (km 2.4–5.5).
Before you choose
- The summit area of Haystacks is a maze of rocky knolls, tarns and boggy hollows — one of the most complex summit plateaux in Lakeland. In cloud it is very easy to lose the path and end up above steep crags. Do not attempt the summit in poor visibility unless you are a confident navigator with map and compass.
Conditions on this route
We score every Lakeland Wainwright each morning on cloud, wind, rain and underfoot, and this route crosses 4 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
By bus: the Honister Rambler (77/77A) (opens in new tab) reaches Honister Slate Mine at 08:59 and the last one back leaves from Honister Youth Hostel (near) at 18:33. At a steady pace this walk finishes about 13:42. Be off Haystacks (Buttermere) by 13:20, to be down at least an hour before dusk on 1 November; that is earlier than the last bus needs. Seasonal: the 77’s last day is in Buses. The last bus is from the operator’s timetable, checked 12 September 2026; that timetable runs to 1 November. Check the timetable before you rely on it.
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.
See also walking in bad weather and today’s conditions.
Route map
1 Fleetwith Pike2 Haystacks (Buttermere)3 Brandreth4 Grey Knotts
Easy 77%Moderate 17%Hard 6%Severe
Heights on this chart and its high point are read from the track itself (a terrain model sampled along the line, or a GPS recording), so a top can differ from its listed height, usually reading lower.
Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap, with SRTM elevation data (switch layers top-right).
The elevation profile is under the map; the stage notes follow.
The walk, stage by stage
- 1
Start → Fleetwith Pike (2.4 km, 302 m)
Leave the Honister Slate Mine car park and climb the old tramway incline heading West up the fellside to the old Drum House ruins, where the gradient eases. From there the path heads north-west, weaving through the industrial scars of the old slate workings, and near the top it runs close to the sheer northern edge of Honister Crag, on your right. Follow the grassy ridge line directly to the summit cairn of Fleetwith Pike, which offers one of the most famous plunging views down towards Buttermere.
WaypointsHonister Slate Mine, Tramway incline, Drum House, Hopper Quarry, Fleetwith Pike summit.
Decision pointThe massive quarry tracks make the early navigation very straightforward. The summit is clearly marked and visually dominates the ridge.
Easy to get wrongThe initial climb up the tramway incline is steep and unrelenting. Care must be taken near the top of Honister Crag, as the cliffs drop sheer into the pass below.
If you need to get offTurn around and walk back down the wide quarry track straight to your car at Honister.
© Lee McCoy - 2
Fleetwith Pike → Haystacks (Buttermere) (3.0 km, 198 m)
From Fleetwith Pike, drop South-East down the ridge towards the wide, boggy hollow of Dubs Bottom. You will descend into the remnants of Dubs Quarry, passing the old slate-built Dubs Hut (now a bothy). Cross Warnscale Beck, and begin the approach to Haystacks, climbing west from its eastern side. Haystacks is not a simple cone; it is a chaotic jumble of rocky knolls and tarns. The path weaves up and through these crags, requiring some minor hands-on scrambling to breach the summit plateau.
WaypointsDubs Quarry, Dubs Hut, Warnscale Beck crossing, Haystacks summit.
Decision pointDubs Hut is a highly visible landmark in the depression between the fells.
Easy to get wrongThe descent off Fleetwith is steep in places. Finding the correct line up the eastern, craggy end of Haystacks can be confusing and involves some light scrambling.
If you need to get offDubs Quarry / Dubs Hut. If you want to skip Haystacks entirely, do not cross Warnscale Beck. Instead, turn left (East) at Dubs Hut and follow the very clear, wide Dubs Quarry road to the Drum House ruins, then go back down the steep tramway incline you came up to the Honister Slate Mine.
© Lee McCoy · 2 photographs - 3
Haystacks (Buttermere) → Brandreth (3.1 km, 265 m)
Leave the summit of Haystacks heading East/South-East. You will weave through the labyrinth of the summit plateau, passing Innominate Tarn (the resting place of Alfred Wainwright) and Blackbeck Tarn. Instead of dropping back to Dubs Quarry, this route turns South-East to tackle the ascent up the grassy, rocky slopes of Brandreth.
WaypointsInnominate Tarn, Blackbeck Tarn, Brandreth summit.
Decision pointThe tarns are distinctive visual markers.
Easy to get wrongThe Haystacks Plateau: The micro-topography here is highly confusing in thick mist; there are dozens of false summits and unmarked pools. The Late Climb: Hitting the ascent up Brandreth this late in the walk is physically taxing.
If you need to get offBefore the Brandreth climb: At Blackbeck Tarn, before starting the uphill slog to Brandreth, you can turn left (north-east) onto the path you came up by. It leads about 1.1 km back across Warnscale Beck to Dubs Hut, where the Dubs Quarry road takes you east to the Drum House ruins and the tramway incline back down to Honister, bypassing the final two mountains.
- 4
Brandreth → Grey Knotts (0.9 km, 15 m)
From Brandreth's summit, follow the undulating ridge North-East to the rocky outcrops of Grey Knotts.
WaypointsBrandreth summit, Grey Knotts summit.
Decision pointOnce you reach Brandreth, you can pick up a line of old, rusted iron fence posts that act as a "handrail" leading you directly across the plateau to Grey Knotts.
Easy to get wrongBrandreth's broad top has few landmarks beyond the ruined fence posts, and the ground is wet and confusing in mist.
If you need to get offNone between Brandreth and Grey Knotts: carry on to the finish, or go back the way you came.
© Lee McCoy · 2 photographs Grey Knotts → Finish (1.7 km, 12 m)
Leave Grey Knotts heading east, then drop steeply north-north-east beside the wall, straight down the fellside to the slate mine.
WaypointsGrey Knotts summit, the wall, Honister Slate Mine, Finish.
Easy to get wrongThe Final Descent: The steep drop off Grey Knotts down to the slate mine is pathless in places and very slippery on wet grass.
GPX track for your GPS or phone. Walked by Lee, April 2026
Summits bagged (4)
- 1Fleetwith Pike649 m
- 2Haystacks (Buttermere)597 m
- 3Brandreth715 m
- 4Grey Knotts697 m
In the order you walk them — the same numbers the elevation profile, the stage notes and the pacing table use.
Conditions and timing
Check live conditions in the “From the fells” panel, on MWIS (opens in new tab) and the Met Office mountain forecast (opens in new tab) before you set off.
When the sun reaches the tops
Not sunrise — the moment the sun clears the skyline from that summit, which on a fell with high ground to its east can be a good deal later.
- Fleetwith Pike — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:30, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00. It waits longest in midsummer — about half an hour after sunrise. In late December, not until about 08:45.
- Haystacks (Buttermere) — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:30, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00. It waits longest in late December — about half an hour after sunrise.
- Brandreth — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.
- Grey Knotts — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.
How to read these times
The two equinoxes are shown because they fall in the walking season, and late December too wherever a top keeps you waiting then; the clock gap between the equinoxes is British Summer Time, not the hill. Rounded to the nearest quarter hour and meant as a general idea, not a schedule.
Modelled from a 30 m elevation model against each summit’s own skyline — the same figures the fell pages carry, never observed. Cloud is not in it.
Getting there and back
Nearest fuel to the parking at Seathwaite Farm, Borrowdale: High Hill, Keswick, 14.2 km by road (07:00-20:00 daily when checked on 8 August 2026; hours change, so check on the day). Nearest shop: Open All Hours, 13.3 km. Both measured along the road from that parking, which is not where this route starts, checked 8 August 2026. Coming in from a particular direction you may pass a closer one — the last petrol before each valley →
Parking
2 more places to park near the start
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.
If the parking is full
There is no real plan B by car here. Every place we know beside this route serves the same walks and sits close together, so expect them to fill on the same mornings. Worth starting early, or having a different walk in mind before you set off. The bus below is the exception: it is not limited by car-park space, though it runs to a timetable and can be full.
- Honister Pass (paid, slate mine) — at the start
- Honister (NT, paid) — at the start
- By bus: buses stop at Honister Youth Hostel (near), a 210 m walk from the start. A bus is not affected by a full car park. Its return times are under Buses.
We never say whether anywhere has spaces today. Walks to the line are measured along mapped paths (OpenStreetMap), not in a straight line. How we choose these places.
No signal when you get there? RoutePark keeps this list on your phone: choose this walk’s GPX at home, keep it, and it opens offline.
Buses
The 77 stops at Honister Youth Hostel (near), a 210 m walk from this start. 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. The last bus is 18:33 towards Keswick (77), every day. 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.
The 77 passes this route at 11.1 km (Honister Youth Hostel (near), 100 m off the line).
Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com (opens in new tab) or Traveline before travelling.
Toilets and refreshments
The essentials
- Arrival Honister Pass: the slate mine’s car park beside the start (£5 a day for visitors on its own page), and the National Trust car park about 170 m east, where the machine sets the price and members bring their card. 28 m in a straight line, not a walking distance. (Honister, Your visit, checked 11 August 2026)
- Toilets Toilets are mapped at the slate mine, beside the start. 16 m in a straight line, not a walking distance. (OpenStreetMap, as mapped on 13 September 2026, checked 13 September 2026)
- Refreshments The Sky Hi Café at the slate mine is mapped beside the start. Opening hours are not recorded here. 19 m in a straight line, not a walking distance. (OpenStreetMap, as mapped on 13 September 2026, checked 13 September 2026)
- Limitation The summit is a maze of knolls, tarns and hollows: in cloud it is easy to lose the path and end up above steep crags. (our route notes (this route's own warnings), checked 28 September 2026)
Everything mapped near the start
At Honister Pass (paid, slate mine), the closest parking we hold to where this route starts:
Distances are straight lines from the car park, not walking routes. Opening hours change; none of this is checked daily.
Mapped as nearby on OpenStreetMap too, as of 13 September 2026, within 250 m of the start and not already listed above:
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (opens in new tab), ODbL.
Water, shelter & getting away
On-route facilities © OpenStreetMap contributors — an absent marker does not mean the facility isn’t there.
Getting there across the Lake District: Buses · Parking map · By train · By boat
Planning detail
How each grade on this page is set, and the timings stage by stage.
Difficulty profile
Hard overall — hardest: Steepness and navigation (estimated from the map, not checked on the ground); terrain not assessed
Five independent axes, not one score. One of the five was set on the ground; the rest are computed from the recorded track and the map, which measures the line rather than surveying the ground.
How we grade: each axis is Easy, Moderate, Hard or Severe, and a route between two bands takes the higher one. Length: under 8 km, 8–14 km, 14–20 km, over 20 km. Steepness, the steepest 500 m of the track: under 15%, 15–25%, 25–35%, over 35%. Terrain, navigation and exposure are judged rather than measured, and each note says why. How we grade.
Pacing
| Summit | Cumulative | Ascent | Time (fast–steady) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Fleetwith Pike | 2.4 km | 302 m | 0:59–1:19 |
| 2Haystacks (Buttermere) | 5.5 km | 500 m | 1:56–2:34 |
| 3Brandreth | 8.6 km | 765 m | 3:00–3:59 |
| 4Grey Knotts | 9.5 km | 780 m | 3:12–4:16 |
| Finish | 11.2 km | 792 m | 3:34–4:44 |
A fast–steady range from Naismith’s rule, deliberately on the slow side. Breaks, weather, rough ground and the slowest person in your party all add to it. How we time walks.
Access & barriers
Can a dog, a buggy or dodgy knees manage this route?
- Buggy: Stiles or rough going on the route.
- Knees: A long, steep ~41% drop over 250 m around the 10.7 km mark — hard on the knees.
With a dog
Hardest for a dog here: stiles and gates. The steepest stretch is a sustained descent of about 31% around the 10.7 km mark.
- Stiles and gates: A stile of unmapped type at 11.1 km — a dog may need lifting over. (OpenStreetMap, mapped as of 25 September 2026)
- Drops and exposed ground: Moderate – graded by Lee on the ground. Easy 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.
- Rock and scrambling: Hands for a few steps: the craggy east end and the summit rocks (km 2.4–5.5). Ground underfoot: Not assessed.
- Ways off early: None recorded for this route.
- Livestock, shade and water: Not recorded for this route yet. We never call a stream safe for a dog to drink, so carry enough for both of you. The lead rules, and what to do around cattle, are on dogs on the fells.
On the line: 1 gate · 1 step-over stile · 1 stile (type unmapped)
Barriers as mapped on OpenStreetMap, which can miss some. Spotted one? Tell us (opens in new tab). Barrier data as of 25 September 2026. Access data © OpenStreetMap contributors (via Overpass).
Places to stay near this start
- Seatoller House (opens in new tab) guest houseabout 2.0 km
Also nearby, but not independent
- YHA Borrowdale (opens in new tab) hostelabout 3.1 km
We have not stayed at any of them. We take no bookings or affiliate fees. Distances are straight lines from the route start, never walking times. Properties found via OpenStreetMap (opens in new tab).
Walks from places nearby
- Walks from Honister Pass — 0.0 km from this start
- Walks from Seatoller — 2.1 km from this start
Straight-line distance from this walk’s start. Those lists hold the routes we have mapped and every Wainwright and Outlying fell within about 5 km of the town, ranked nearest first.
