High Spy
653m (2143ft)
The North Western Fells, The Lake District, Cumbria, England
You can find High Spy & all the walks that climb it on these unique free-to-access Interactive Walk Planning Maps: (click/TAP to select)
1:25,000 scale OS Explorer Map (the ones with orange/yellow covers):
1:50,000 scale OS Landranger Maps (the ones with pink/magenta covers):
See High Spy and the surrounding tops on our free-to-access 'Google Style' Peak Bagging Maps:
See High Spy and the surrounding tops on our downloadable PDF Peak Bagging Maps:
*Walk & bag all 29 Wainwrights in The North Western Fells area of The Lake District in just 7 easy-to-follow circular walks.
*This version is marked with the walk routes you need to follow to Walk all 214 Wainwrights in just 59 walks. Click here for more information.
NB: Whether you print off a copy on to paper or download it to your phone, these PDF Peak Baggers Maps will prove incredibly useful when your are up there on the tops and you cannot get a phone signal!
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 8.25ml (13km) |
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| Ascent: | 2,512ft (766m) |
| Time: | 5½ hrs |
| Grade: |  (Moderate) |
Route Summary:
Hawes End - Derwent Water - Newlands Valley - Skelgill Bank - Woodford's Path - Cat Bells (Catbells) - Maiden Moor - High Spy (North Top) - High Spy - Dalehead Tarn - Newlands Valley - Newlands Church - Little Town - Hawes End
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 10mls (16km) |
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| Ascent: | 3,349ft (1,082m) |
| Time: | 7.25hrs |
| Grade: |  (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Hawes End - Derwent Water - Skelgill Bank - Woodford's Path - Cat Bells (Catbells) - Maiden Moor - Narrow Moor - High Spy (North Top) - High Spy - Dale Head Tarn - Rigghead Quarries - The Allerdale Ramble - Castle Crag - River Derwent - Yewdale Knott - Manesty - Manesty Band - Hawes End - Derwent Water.
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 10.25ml (16.5km) |
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| Ascent: | 3,585ft (1,093m) |
| Time: | 7½ hrs |
| Grade: | (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Hawes End - Derwent Water - Skelgill Bank - Woodford's Path - Cat Bells (Catbells) - Maiden Moor - High Spy (North Top) - High Spy - Dalehead Tarn - Dale Head (Newlands) - Hindscarth - High Crags - Scope End - Low Snab Farm - Newlands Church - Little Town - Newlands Valley - Hawes End - Derwent Water.
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 12mls (19km) |
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| Ascent: | 4,152ft (1,266m) |
| Time: | 8½ hrs |
| Grade: |  (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Hawes End - Derwent Water - Skelgill Bank - Woodford's Path - Cat Bells (Catbells) - Maiden Moor - High Spy (North Top) - High Spy - Dale Head Tarn - Dale Head (Newlands) - Hindscarth Edge - Hindscarth - Littledale Edge - Robinson - High Snab Bank - Newlands Church - Little Town - Hawes End - Derwent Water.
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 14.5ml (23km) |
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| Ascent: | 5,409ft (1,648m) |
| Time: | 11 hrs |
| Grade: |  (Very Hard) |
Route Summary:
Hawes End - Derwent Water - Skelgill Bank - Woodford's Path - Cat Bells (Catbells) - Maiden Moor - High Spy (North Top) - High Spy - Dalehead Tarn - Dale Head (Newlands) - Hindscarth - Littledale Edge - Robinson - High Snockrigg - Moss Force - Newlands Hause - Knott Rigg - Ard Crags - Birkrigg - Keskerdale Beck - Newlands Church - Newlands Beck - Little Town - Skelgill Farm - Hawes End Derwent Water.
Fellow go4awalkers who have already walked, climbed, summited & bagged High Spy
Martin Hartshorne walked up High Spy on April 25th, 2025 [from/via/route] Chapel bridge [with] finley [weather] Started warm & sunny with a cool breeze then clouded over later
Sarah Gunn climbed High Spy on February 27th, 2024 [from/via/route] From Littletown [with] Martin Gunn, Dan Gunn and Shannon Worton
Claire Kirk bagged High Spy on February 16th, 2025 [from/via/route] Portinscale [with] Gareth [weather] Very cold, windy but clear
Ian Ashton hiked High Spy on October 5th, 2024 [with] With JPH
Christina Lander summited High Spy on November 30th, 2019 [from/via/route] Hawse End - Cat Bells - Maiden Moor - High Spy north top - High Spy - Dalehead Tarn - Newlands Beck - Skelgill - Hawse End [with] Dick & Meg [weather] Beautiful sunny day, clouded over later in the afternoon - Another quite early start, to get the best of the weather
David Higginbottom conquered High Spy on April 23rd, 2024 [from/via/route] C405 [with] Carolyn [weather] Good
Sarah Moore scaled High Spy on March 29th, 2024 [from/via/route] c405 Amazing day having driven up early from Derby - & then a glorious Good Friday with clear views all day. Cat Bells - Maiden Moor - High Spy - down the Riggsdale Quarries - along the river back... [with] On my own [weather] Easter warmth - little wind & clear views all the way was incredible. - Over excited parking = parking ticket... And then coming down, & thinking about 2 more days of hiking I managed to twist my knee in a way that caused so much pain it's untrue. Writing this at the end of the weekend, I'm just glad it's ok & led to other things.
Paul Macey walked up High Spy on July 15th, 2023 [from/via/route] Using walk c405 in reverse not doing Cat Bells as did that in June [weather] Cloudy about 14degrees very strong winds with light to heavy rainfall
Kate Peacock climbed High Spy on June 7th, 2023 [from/via/route] From the bus stop at the cattle grid for Cat Bells [with] Me & Helen [weather] Gorgeous, the odd welcomed breeze - First overnight wild camp at Dale Head Tarn
John Ramsbottom bagged High Spy on May 1st, 2023 [from/via/route] walk c405 parked at roadside layby [with] Lola [weather] mixture of mist & sunshine - good walk rigghead quarry was interesting
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More Photographs & Pictures of views from, on or of High Spy
The view from the summit of Swinside (Portinscale) featuring Derwent Water, Cat Bells , Maiden Moor, High Spy, Dale Head (Newlands), Hindscarth, Robinson, Causey Pike, Sail, Crag Hill (Eel Crag), Barrow and Gridedale Pike
High Spy (North Top), High Spy, Maiden Moor, Hindscarth (left), Robinson, Crag Hill (Eel Crag), Causey Pike, Barrow (Newlands) (centre), Newlands, Bassenthwaite Lake, Swinside, Skiddaw, Derwent Water and Blencathra (right) beyond from Cat Bells (Catbells)
Cat Bells, High Spy (just poking up) and Dale Head (Newlands) (in the distance far right) from the Swinside Inn near Portinscale
360 degree panorama featuring Great Gable, Green Gable, Little Scoat Fell & Pillar (distance), Brandreth, Dale Head (Newlands), High Spy, Glaramara, Esk Pike, Great End and Scafell Pike from Base Brown
*High Spy, High Spy (North Top) and Cat Bells (Catbells) and Derwent Water from Latrigg
Early morning valley mist below Dale Head (Newlands) and High Spy, Maiden Moor & Cat Bells (Catbells) with the summit of Castle Crag (front right) lit by a ray of sunshine from Rosthwaite
The Newlands Valley from High Spy with Bassenthwaite Lake in the distance and The Skiddaw Massif to the right
Skiddaw and Blencathra in the distance and then High Spy and Maiden Moor forming the ridge on the right from the summit of Dale Head (Newlands)
Send us your photographs and pictures on, of, or from High Spy
If you would like to add your walk photographs and pictures featuring views from, on or of High Spy to this page, please send them as email attachments (configured for any computer) along with your name to:
and we shall do our best to publish them.
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You can also submit photos via our Facebook Page.
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