Red Pike

Red Pike stands on the High Stile ridge in the western Lake District, dividing Ennerdale from the valleys of Buttermere and Crummock Water. It is a fell of red rock, its slopes streaked where syenite shows through the soil. The fell’s summit ridge curves above The Saddle, a narrow grassy col that links it to Dodd. From the top, five lakes appear—Derwentwater, Buttermere, Crummock Water, Ennerdale Water and Loweswater—along with Pillar Rock and Chapel Crags. The fell’s red paths are best seen where erosion has uncovered the rock beside Scale Force and on the route from Bleaberry Tarn. Alfred Wainwright noted in his guide that the nearby Wasdale fell shares the name but lacks the colour and character of this Buttermere summit. The Buttermere fells form a horseshoe around Ennerdale, with Red Pike at the southern end of the trio that includes High Crag and High Stile. The Ennerdale flanks are steep and rough, while the Buttermere side drops into deep combs such as Bleaberry Comb and Ling Comb. Between the fells, Scale Force plunges about thirty metres into a narrow valley, one of the district’s longest single-drop waterfalls. Walkers leave Buttermere village along Sourmilk Gill to reach Bleaberry Tarn, a small pool kept in winter shadow by the surrounding crags. From the tarn, The Saddle leads up to the summit where a large cairn marks the top. An alternative start follows the path to Scale Force, climbing beside the waterfall to reach Lincomb Edge before turning back to the ridge. The Ennerdale side offers a quieter route up Gillflinter Beck through the trees, emerging onto the open fell. Many combine Red Pike with High Stile and High Crag in a single day’s walk from Buttermere or Gatesgarth.