Red Pike routes, easiest to hardest: times, distances and GPX
755 m · Cumbria
Red Pike is the reddish-topped fell above Buttermere, climbed from the village past Bleaberry Tarn and the first top on the High Stile ridge.
Peakify lists 3 measured routes up Red Pike, traced on OpenStreetMap paths from the start to the summit. Distances and ascent are one way, to the top.
Red Pike routes, easiest to hardest
Sorted by grade, easiest first: Easy, Moderate, Hard, then Scramble. Routes with the same grade keep the order in which Peakify's editors listed them.
| Route | Start | Distance | Ascent | Time up | There and back | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buttermere via Bleaberry Tarn | Buttermere village National Trust car park | 4.6 km one way | 670 m | 2h 0m | 2h 55m | Moderate |
| High Stile ridge | Buttermere village car park | 3.4 km one way | 649 m | 1h 45m | 2h 25m | Hard |
| Bowness Knott via Great Borne and Starling Dodd | Bowness Knott car park, Ennerdale | 6.5 km one way | — | — | — | Hard |
Red Pike route times by Naismith's rule
The times above use Naismith's rule: 5 km/h on the flat plus 10 minutes for every 100 m of ascent, rounded to the nearest 5 minutes. "There and back" doubles the distance and counts the ascent once, for coming down the same way. Naismith assumes a fit walker and no stops, so add time for breaks, a heavy pack, rough or snowy ground, and a group that moves at its slowest member's pace.
Each Red Pike route
Buttermere via Bleaberry Tarn
Climb through the woods beside Sourmilk Gill to Bleaberry Tarn, then up the steep red scree path to the top. It starts from Buttermere village National Trust car park. 4.6 km one way with 670 m of ascent. About 2h 0m to the summit and 2h 55m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Moderate.
High Stile ridge
Climb Red Pike, follow the ridge over High Stile and High Crag, and return via Scarth Gap and the lake shore. It starts from Buttermere village car park. 3.4 km one way with 649 m of ascent. About 1h 45m to the summit and 2h 25m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Hard.
Bowness Knott via Great Borne and Starling Dodd
A hard mountain walk to the summit from Bowness Knott car park, Ennerdale. It starts from Bowness Knott car park, Ennerdale. 6.5 km one way. Grade: Hard.
Red Pike route GPX
Download a GPX for each route with a track: Buttermere via Bleaberry Tarn, Bowness Knott via Great Borne and Starling Dodd. Each is an ascent-only planning track from the start to the summit, plotted on OpenStreetMap paths and not checked on the ground.
Before you pick a route
The grade describes the ground in fair weather. Wind, rain, cloud and ice change it: a Moderate path can be hard to follow in mist, and a scramble in strong gusts is a different proposition from the same rock on a calm day. Check whether it is safe to climb Red Pike today and the Red Pike 14-day forecast before you set off, and allow for the walk out in daylight.
Planning a day on Red Pike routes
The walking times above use Naismith's rule, which assumes a fit walker on good paths with short stops. Most groups take longer: add a quarter for a mixed group, more for children or heavy packs, and plan the descent as carefully as the climb, because tired legs and fading light cause more trouble on the way down than on the way up.
Start early. Car parks at popular starts fill by mid-morning in summer and at weekends, and an early start leaves spare daylight if the weather turns or the walk takes longer than planned. In winter, work back from sunset and leave a margin of at least an hour.
Carry a map and compass and know how to use them, even on a well-trodden path; a phone battery fails fastest in cold, wet weather. Pack a waterproof jacket and trousers, a warm layer, a hat and gloves in every season, plus food, water and a head torch. Tell someone your route and when you expect to be back.
If you are new to Red Pike, choose the easiest route in the table for a first ascent and save the harder lines for a settled day when you know the mountain. Turning back is always an option; the summit will still be there.
Questions about Red Pike
What is the easiest route up Red Pike?
From Buttermere, climb past Sourmilk Gill to Bleaberry Tarn and follow the steep path to the summit.
How much time does each Red Pike route take?
Buttermere via Bleaberry Tarn: about 2h 0m up and 2h 55m there and back. High Stile ridge: about 1h 45m up and 2h 25m there and back. Times are by Naismith's rule (5 km/h plus 10 minutes per 100 m of ascent), before stops.
Can I get a GPX file for a Red Pike route?
Yes. Open a route below and download its GPX: an ascent track from the start to the summit, plotted on OpenStreetMap paths.