Bowness Knott via Great Borne and Starling Dodd up Red Pike: route map, distance and time
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.
A hard mountain walk to the summit from Bowness Knott car park, Ennerdale.
Bowness Knott via Great Borne and Starling Dodd starts at about 133 m and gains 785 m over 6.5 km to 748 m on the track. The first kilometre climbs 88 m. The steepest kilometre is the one ending at 2 km, which climbs 318 m at an average of 32%, with a 500 m stretch from 1.4 km at about 42%. It keeps climbing at 25% to the top. About 31% of the way is steeper than 1 in 5, so expect hands-on-knees going and a slow descent.
Bowness Knott via Great Borne and Starling Dodd at a glance
| Distance | 6.5 km one way, to the top |
|---|---|
| Climb on the track | 785 m up, 169 m down on the way |
| Start and top of the track | 123 m to 750 m (summit 755 m) |
| Steepest 500 m | About 42%, from 1.4 km |
| Steeper than 1 in 5 | 31% of the way |
| Grade | Hard |
| Start | Bowness Knott car park, Ennerdale, CA23 3AU |
| Start grid reference | NY 109 153 |
| Summit grid reference | NY 160 154 |
| Parking | Bowness Knott car park, Ennerdale; the postcode is approximate |
Bowness Knott via Great Borne and Starling Dodd map
The track from the start (green) to the summit (blue), with a marker at each kilometre.
Height profile and getting to the start
Download the Bowness Knott via Great Borne and Starling Dodd GPX
Ascent only: plan your way down. A planning track, not checked on the ground; it doesn't show safe scrambling moves. Track data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), heights from a terrain model.
Bowness Knott via Great Borne and Starling Dodd kilometre by kilometre
Height, climb and average gradient for each kilometre of the track, with a grid reference at the end of each one to check your position on the map.
| At | Height | Climb | Gradient | Grid ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 km | 221 m | +88 m | 9% | NY 113 159 |
| 2 km | 539 m | +318 m | 32% steep | NY 120 162 |
| 3 km | 528 m | -10 m | -1% | NY 128 162 |
| 4 km | 530 m | +1 m | 0% | NY 137 159 |
| 5 km | 560 m | +30 m | 3% | NY 146 156 |
| 6 km | 618 m | +58 m | 6% | NY 156 155 |
| 6.5 km | 748 m | +130 m | 25% steep | NY 160 154 |
How long Bowness Knott via Great Borne and Starling Dodd takes
| Pace | To the top | There and back |
|---|---|---|
| Brisk 6 km/h, 8 min per 100 m up | 2h 10m | 3h 15m |
| Steady (Naismith) 5 km/h, 10 min per 100 m up | 2h 35m | 3h 55m |
| Relaxed 4 km/h, 12 min per 100 m up | 3h 10m | 4h 50m |
Times leave out stops. Coming down the same way, the table counts the ascent once; steep descents on rough ground can be as slow as the climb.
Red Pike summit weather for this route
There is no recent summit forecast cached for Red Pike right now. The main Red Pike page loads the live forecast when you open it. Open the live Red Pike forecast.
Before you go, also check: MWIS Lake District forecast · Met Office mountain forecast · Weatherline fell top conditions.
About Red Pike
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. More about Red Pike, with the live forecast.
On the lists: Wainwright, Hewitt, Nuttall, Birkett.
Extend the walk: tops near the summit
- Dodd (641 m), 0.4 km north-east
- High Stile (806 m), 1 km south-east
- High Stile (807 m), 1.1 km south-east
- Starling Dodd (633 m), 1.9 km west
- High Crag (745 m), 2.5 km south-east
- Rannerdale Knotts (355 m), 2.9 km north
More walks from Bowness Knott car park, Ennerdale
Routes in Peakify's guides that start within 500 m of this one, for another day from the same car park.
- Bowness Knott via Great Borne and Starling Dodd up Great Borne
- Ennerdale via Steeple up Scoat Fell
- Bowness Knott via Great Borne and Starling Dodd up Starling Dodd
- Ennerdale via the north ridge up Steeple
Other routes up Red Pike
| Route | Distance | Ascent | Time up | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buttermere via Bleaberry Tarn | 4.6 km one way | 670 m | 2h 0m | Moderate |
| High Stile ridge | 3.4 km one way | 649 m | 1h 45m | Hard |
In an emergency
Call 999, ask for the police and then mountain rescue. Give your location (the start is at NY 109 153, the summit at NY 160 154), what happened and how many are in your group. If you have no signal for a call, a text to 999 works once you have registered your phone with emergencySMS: text "register" to 999 before you go.
Bowness Knott via Great Borne and Starling Dodd: questions and answers
How far is Bowness Knott via Great Borne and Starling Dodd?
Bowness Knott via Great Borne and Starling Dodd is 6.5 km one way to the summit of Red Pike. There and back by the same way is about 13.0 km.
How steep is Bowness Knott via Great Borne and Starling Dodd?
The steepest 500 m averages about 42%, starting 1.4 km from the start, and 31% of the way is steeper than 1 in 5. Bowness Knott via Great Borne and Starling Dodd climbs 785 m in all on the track.
Where do you park for Bowness Knott via Great Borne and Starling Dodd?
Bowness Knott via Great Borne and Starling Dodd starts from Bowness Knott car park, Ennerdale (postcode CA23 3AU). The grid reference is NY 109 153. Bowness Knott car park, Ennerdale; the postcode is approximate
Is Bowness Knott via Great Borne and Starling Dodd suitable for beginners?
Not as a first mountain. Peakify grades it Hard: steep, rough ground where a slip matters. Build up on an easier route first, such as Buttermere via Bleaberry Tarn.
Is there a GPX for Bowness Knott via Great Borne and Starling Dodd?
Yes. Download it from this page. It is an ascent-only planning track from the start to the summit, plotted on OpenStreetMap paths and not checked on the ground.