High Crag (Buttermere)
744m (2442ft)
The Western Fells, The Lake District, Cumbria, England
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 7.5ml (12km) |
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| Ascent: | 3,338ft (1,017m) |
| Time: | 6.25hrs |
| Grade: |  (Moderate) |
Route Summary:
Buttermere - Sourmilk Gill - Bleaberry Tarn - Dodd (Buttermere) - The Saddle - Red Pike (Buttermere) - High Stile - High Crag (Buttermere) - Gamlin End - Seat (Buttermere) - Scarth Gap - Peggy's Bridge - Burtness Wood - Buttermere
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 8.75ml (14km) |
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| Ascent: | 3,390ft (1,033m) |
| Time: | 6.25hrs |
| Grade: |  (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Buttermere - Scale Force - Scale Beck - Blea Crag - Lingcomb Edge - Red Pike (Buttermere) - High Stile - High Crag (Buttermere) - Gamlin End - Seat (Buttermere) - Scarth Gap - Burtness Wood - Sourmilk Gill - Buttermere
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 11.25ml (18km) |
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| Ascent: | 4,132ft (1,259m) |
| Time: | 8.25hrs |
| Grade: |  (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Buttermere - Scale Force - Scale Beck - Blea Crag - Lingcomb Edge - Red Pike (Buttermere) - High Stile - High Crag (Buttermere) - Gamlin End - Seat (Buttermere) - Scarth Gap - Hay Stacks (Haystacks) - Innominate Tarn - Blackbeck Tarn - Black Beck - Green Crag (Buttermere) - Warnscale Beck - Warnscale Bottom - Gatesgarth - Buttermere
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 16ml (25.5km) |
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| Ascent: | 6,285ft (1,915m) |
| Time: | 12.25hrs |
| Grade: |  (Very Hard) |
Route Summary:
Buttermere - Scale Force - Scale Beck - Blea Crag - Great Borne - Starling Dodd - Little Dodd (Ennerdale) - Ling Comb - Lingcomb Edge - Red Pike (Buttermere) - Dodd (Buttermere) - Red Pike (Buttermere) - High Stile - High Crag (Buttermere) - Gamlin End - Seat (Buttermere) - Scarth Gap - Hay Stacks (Haystacks) - Innominate Tarn - Blackbeck Tarn - Black Beck - Green Crag (Buttermere) - Warnscale Beck - Dubs Hut - Dubs Quarry - Fleetwith Pike - Honister Crag (Black Star) - Fleetwith Pike - Fleetwith Edge - Gatesgarth - Buttermere
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 18.75ml (30km) |
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| Ascent: | 7,309ft (2,408m) |
| Time: | 14.75hrs |
| Grade: | (Very Hard) |
Route Summary:
Bowness Knott Car Park Ennerdale - Low Gillerthwaite Field Centre - High Gillerthwaite Yourth Hostel - Red Pike (Buttermere) - High Stile - High Crag (Buttermere) - Seat (Buttermere) - Scarth Gap - Hay Stacks (Haystacks) - Innominate Tarn - Blackbeck Tarn - Black Beck - Green Crag (Buttermere) - Great Round How - Brandreth - Gillercomb Head - Green Gable - Windy Gap - Great Gable - Westmorland Cairn - Beck Head - Beckhead Tarn - Kirk Fell (East Top) - Kirk Fell - Black Sail Pass - Looking Stead (Pillar) - High Level Route - Robinson's Cairn - Pillar - Wind Gap - Black Crag (Pillar) - High Beck - Low Beck - Ennerdale.
Fellow go4awalkers who have already walked, climbed, summited & bagged High Crag (Buttermere)
Christine Shepherd walked up during May, 2004 [from/via/route] Climbed from Buttermere [with] On my own [weather] Bright & sunny - Enjoyed this walk so much I led a group to the summit an July of the same year. Climbed the Buttermere fells again on 29.8.2017.Climbed for a fourth time on 13.8.25 on a very hot day. Drank all of my three litres of water on this walk.
Paul Roddam climbed it on July 19th, 2025 [with] Barb, Bri [weather] Muggy
Richard Fulcher bagged it on March 25th, 2025 [from/via/route] Buttermere [with] Jen [weather] Started off with cloud over the tops but cleared around lunchtime. Not much wind but cold gusts every now & then .. generally cold with sunshine. - This was part of a ridge walk taking in Red Pike, High Stile & High Crag. Tough ascents & descents due to steepness & scree.
James Hughes hiked it on June 3rd, 2024 [from/via/route] c207 The High Stile from Buttermere [with] Sara [weather] Misty & wet at times. Poor visibility on tops. - Amazing walk - met three men on Red Pike struggling to navigate. Bounded across tops & added Haystacks at end. Slip on way down from Haystacks. Pint at Bridge Hotel.
Sarah Moore summited on April 9th, 2023 [from/via/route] My own invention! Wanting not to drive from YHA Ennerdale & to make the most of the High Stile ridge [with] On my own [weather] Not so sunny - good... very windy at times - tough (lots of people coming off the tops / turning back, but glad I didn't) - Loved this - an 8 hour walk really started to test me lengthwise & absolutely adored the lack of people on what I thought would be a crazy busy Easter Sunday. One to remember...
Ian Ashton conquered it on September 24th, 2022 [with] chelle
Richard Marchant scaled on July 18th, 2022 [from/via/route] Started out from the village of Buttermere making my way along a footpath to the Western end of Buttermere & up the Old Burtness to Bleaberry Tarn from here it was up to the Saddle & on to Red Pike. Then Ridge walked along to High Stile & High Crag down over Seat to Scarth Gap Pass & down the footpath to the South Shores of Buttermere & back to the car. [with] On my Own [weather] Clear hot sunny day with little or no breeze.
Paul Macey walked up on June 7th, 2022 [from/via/route] C207 [with] Luke [weather] Sunny Intervals
Jeremy Torrance climbed it on October 8th, 2021 [from/via/route] Buttermere [with] Jon Stu [weather] Good autumn
Wayne Baxter bagged it on August 19th, 2021 [from/via/route] From Buttermere car park walk along Buttermere lake & up Scarth Gap Pass. Turn right up to Seat & onto Gamlin End onto High Crag. Followed the path to High Stile & Red Pike. Down the Saddle to Bleaberry Tarn, continue on the path back to Buttermere. [with] Sue [weather] very low cloudy to start once on top cloudy level was good - I wished I have done this walk the other way round, coming down Red Pike not easy.
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More Photographs & Pictures of views from, on or of High Crag (Buttermere)
Seat (Buttermere), Gamlin End, High Crag (Buttermere), Mellbreak, Crummock Water, Buttermere Village, Rannerdale Knotts and the shoulder of Grasmoor from the summit of Hay Stacks (Haystacks)
Looking stead (Pillar) & Pillar behind Green Crag (Buttermere) & Hay Stacks (Haystacks) with High Crag (Buttermere) (right) from near Dubs Quarry
Seat (Buttermere) & High Crag (Buttermere) (left) and Grasmoor (right) from the small pool on Hay Stacks (Haystacks)
Fleetwith Pike (left), Hay Stacks (Haystacks) and the shoulder of High Crag (Buttermere) (right) across Buttermere
Seat (Buttermere), Gamlin End and High Crag (Buttermere) from Hay Stacks (Haystacks)
Honister Pass (left), Fleetwith Pike, Hay Stacks (Haystacks) and High Crag (Buttermere) across Buttermere
Scarth Gap (left), Seat (Buttermere), High Crag (Buttermere) and High Stile from Fleetwith Pike
Send us your photographs and pictures on, of, or from High Crag (Buttermere)
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