Red Pike : Buttermere : Lake District Walks

Hey everyone…!!
We are finally back in the Lake District..!!
Today’s adventure sees us take on Red Pike, High Stile and High Crag. We start off our walk from Gatesgarth Farm on the south east corner of beautiful Buttermere. The route takes us up along the west side of Buttermere towards the north end passing some stunning scenery along the way. Once we reach the north end we head up hill though Burtness Wood towards Bleaberry Tarn where we catch our breath and have lunch before continuing on towards the summit of the magnificent Red Pike (755m) Once at the summit we our treated to amazing views down towards Crummock Water, Buttermere, Ennerdale Water and across to Great Gable, Pillar Rock, Mellbreak and much much more..!!
After a good look around we continue onwards towards High Stile (807m) and High Crag (744m) before we head back down towards Gatesgarth Farm via Scarth Gap Pass. On our decent we are treated to wonderful light on Fleetwith Pike and the lower fells due to the setting sun.
Total distance for the route is approximately 11.9km and should take around 5hrs 30mins.
The final accent to the summit of Red Pike is very loose under foot and care is needed ascending or descending in this area. Also the initial dropdown from High Crag is also loose and care is also needed in this area too.
Once you leave Bleaberry Tarn / Sourmilk Gill there are no other water sources for the rest of the route. ( Please filter all water collected on the route)
So why don’t you grab yourself a brew, put you feet up, settle yourself back into you chair and come along for another wonderful walk in the beautiful Lake District.
I do hope you enjoy the video and it brings a smile :-)
Mike
Chapters
00:00 Intro
01:25 Start of Hike
03:00 Peggy's Bridge
03:33 Walking along the West side of Buttermere
04:26 Chat about the Route and look at Map
09:32 Start of Climb up through Woods
11:13 Exiting the Woods and Climb up to Bleaberry Tarn
12:06 Arriving at Bleaberry Tarn
16:07 Start of Climb up Red Pike
17:37 Arriving at Summit of Red Pike
22:09 Drone Footage of Red Pike
25:13 Arriving at High Stile
27:54 Drone Footage of High Stile
31:28 Arriving at High Crag
33:56 Drone Footage of High Crag
35:04 Outro
#furrychalkbagproductions #Furrychalkbagoutdoors #Redpike #Lakedistrict #Buttermere

[@markjohnedwards8470]

Great hike

[@FurrychalkbagOutdoors]

Yea it’s definitely worth doing if you’re in the area. You could carry on to Haystacks if you wanted to extend it. However it is quite a long route on its own. Thanks for watching and for the comment🙏 All the best..Mike🙂

[@paulyoung3504]

Excellent vid, Mike. That looked like some lung buster hauling yourself up to Red Pike. ATB

[@FurrychalkbagOutdoors]

Thanks Paul🙏 I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Haha yea that one nearly found me out.!!😩I always seem to do the steep ascents on the hotter days of the year😰 Wonderful route though with fantastic views all along the way. Thanks again for giving the video a watcharoo. All the very best and I hope you have a brilliant summer out in the hills🙂 Mike

[@sidewaysid]

I did it the other way, reverse to yours mate, great filming, I have trouble with knees at moment and depressing me, hope to resolve and get walking again.

[@FurrychalkbagOutdoors]

It’s a great route isn’t it Phil. The views are outstanding. Sorry to hear about your knees fella😕 Hope they improve super quickly for you and you’re able to get out in the mountains this summer. Thank you for giving the video a watch. I’m glad it brought back fond memories. All the very best Mike🙂

[@burrianaUK]

Nice video, thanks. Would love to see some footage coming down Gamlin End… I guess because it’s steep, people put the cameras away!

[@FurrychalkbagOutdoors]

Awww thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed it. I did take some footage of the descent down Gamlin End but I did not include it in the video. It was pretty much all gopro footage and even with the inbuilt stabilisation it turned out quite shaky so I ended up not using it. I only filmed a couple of minutes of it anyway as I realised pretty quickly that it was much more important to concentrate on the descent down over the loose terrain rather than obtaining footage for my video😰😂 Thank you for taking time out to watch my video and for dropping me a comment, it’s very much appreciated🙂 Happy hiking Mike

[@Nick-66]

We climbed this the other day. Those first steps were a killer!

[@FurrychalkbagOutdoors]

Hey Nick..!! Haha yea the ones up through the woods.!! Omg yea they certainly are.!!😰 Well done on doing the route👏 It is a long hard one for sure, but well worth it for the views. Thanks for watching🙏 Happy hiking Mike

[@lynottfan4four826]

That was a lovely video, thank you.

[@FurrychalkbagOutdoors]

Awww I’m so pleased you liked it. Thank you for giving it a watch. It is a beautiful area of the country🙂 All the very best Mike

[@hittingthetrail]

Another great video 🙌🏼 the views are incredible 👍🏼 very jealous of the van too haha 😆

[@FurrychalkbagOutdoors]

Awww thank you so very much.!!! I’m so happy you enjoyed it🙂 Haha.. The van makes it a lot easier to charge my camera batteries. Also it obviously means I can head to my chosen location the night before instead of getting up at silly o’clock on the day of the walk😬 Get yourself a little van.!! You won’t regret it👍🙂 All the best Mike Ps... Sorry for the late response...I have been off grid in the lakes for the past few days🙂

[@ashleyjarnold]

Great video, loved all the views and commentary. Watched it right through as we did a similar walk 3 weeks ago but in the wind and rain. We had planned to go on and do Haystacks and Fleetwith Pike but we were drenched and bailed out at Scarth Gap. It's a tough one indeed but we found the descent from High Crag really hairy - we came down steps that were so slippery and I fell many times. You got superb views and made the most of it. Super stuff, regards, Ashley

[@FurrychalkbagOutdoors]

Hey thanks Ashley🙏 I’m glad you enjoyed the video. Yea it’s definitely a tough walk. I was puffing a bit on the last bit of a climb up Red Pike😰 I also found it very tricky coming down High Crag. I certainly wouldn’t want to do that decent in the wet. Glad you made it down ok albeit with a few slips along the way. Well you have Haystack’s and Fleetwith Pike to look forward to now. Hopefully you will have better weather for those two🤞Thank you again for giving the video a watch and for sticking with it to the end, it’s very much appreciated🙏 Hope you have a wonderful summer with plenty of fantastic hikes along the way. All the very best…Mike🙂

[@ashleyjarnold]

@@FurrychalkbagOutdoors We had 2 weeks in the Lakes in May and I'm hoping to get back again in Sept - just have some negotiating to do! Funny we did Haystacks 3 years ago but for some reason didn't do Fleetwith Pike but it's there for again!

[@FurrychalkbagOutdoors]

@@ashleyjarnold You will love Fleetwith Pike. In my opinion the summit has one of the best views in the Lake District. Hope you get a clear day to enjoy it. Happy hiking…Mike🙂

[@mattroberts3331]

Your videos get better with every watch, you always seem to bring the good weather with you to thanks again Matty. 👍👍

[@FurrychalkbagOutdoors]

Awww cheers Matt👍 Yes I’ve been lucky in most of my videos. Hopefully this luck will continue for this year too🤞🙏 Thanks for watching. Keep yourself safe fella.!!🙂

[@davidwright8091]

Fantastic

[@FurrychalkbagOutdoors]

Cheers David I’m glad you liked it. Thanks for giving it a watch🙂 All the very best Mike

[@kathmelia3262]

That was gorgeous Mike! Absolutely beautiful aerial footage and the scenery looked so lovely all the way up. Good going on those uphill stretches! Another excellent video :-)

[@FurrychalkbagOutdoors]

Awww I’m so glad you got to give it a watch🙂 It’s a wonderful area of the Lakes. Mother Nature did all the hard work, all I did was press record. However I suppose I was working a little bit hard myself on the climb up to the top of Red Pike.!!😰😃 Thank you so much for giving it a watch🙂

[@gaznos]

Absolutely awesome Mike, well worth the wait😆 Inspired me to get up to the lakes asap, I need this... quality footage, thanks for sharing 😁

[@FurrychalkbagOutdoors]

Hey Gaz, Thanks for giving it a watcharoo👍 I’m made up you liked it and it has inspired you to get up and give the area a visit. Get on the route, you will love it.!!! Thanks again🙏

[@jonm4989]

I’m staying near to Buttermere in a few weeks and used this fantastic vlog to check out this walk. I shudder to think how much effort you put in to produce this video, but I really enjoyed it and weather permitting I intend having a go at this one when I’m there.

[@FurrychalkbagOutdoors]

Hey Jon, Thanks for giving it a watch. I’m super pleased you liked it and that it has given you a little insight as to what’s in store for you when you give the route a go. Definitely give yourself a full day on the route. Haha yea I definitely slept well after I did that route for sure.!!😅😴 If the weather is kind to you, you’ll have a fantastic time. It is a wonderful part of the Lake District❤️ Have an amazing time and stay safe on the decent from High Crag as it’s a little loose underfoot. Happy hiking 🙂 Mike

[@jonm4989]

@@FurrychalkbagOutdoors many thanks Mike, I really appreciate that. 👍🏻

[@mariumrajah]

Lovely video enjoyed watching Thank you..

[@FurrychalkbagOutdoors]

Thank you Marium🙏 Thanks for giving it a watch. I’m so pleased you enjoyed it.🙂

[@mariumrajah]

@@FurrychalkbagOutdoors i actually walked the same walk but in rain condition not many views summit of red pike had 60mph winds .. but I loved every moment of it ..

[@FurrychalkbagOutdoors]

@@mariumrajah So glad you got to give the route ago. Shame about the weather though. You have an excuse to go back and do it again in better weather now though. All the best for 2023 Mike

[@debbiebooth7720]

Did it last year … killer! We met you on the way down from Haystack … great videos

[@FurrychalkbagOutdoors]

Hey Debbie, Yea it’s a good old hard route. My legs were wasted the day after😬 Hope you’ve got plenty more Lakeland adventures planned for this year. I’m glad you like the videos. I enjoy putting them together. Trying to improve with each one that I do. Thanks for giving them a watcharoo. Happy hiking🙂

[@nigelgregory5996]

Thanks for this video. explaining the route and map in the simple terms is just what i needed for my first ever visit to the lakes especially buttermere.

[@FurrychalkbagOutdoors]

Your more than welcome Nigel. I hope you enjoy your visit. Wishing you wonderful weather and a super safe journey to the area. It is a beautiful part of the lakes. Enjoy.!!🙂 Mike

[@Tony-P489]

That looks like a brilliant route. The drone footage is epic 👍

[@FurrychalkbagOutdoors]

Yea Tony it’s definitely a route you should get yourself on if you’re in the area. You won’t be disappointed.!! Haha cheers fella but it’s hard not to get half decent drone footage with the scenery the Lake District gives you to work with. Thanks for giving the video a watch I’m so glad you liked it🙂 All the very best Mike

[@Sinnistrall]

lovely car park to set out to all manner of walks. Parked more or less where you did, was lucky enough to see a couple of dippers and a kingfisher in the stream behind it while I was lacing up my boots

[@FurrychalkbagOutdoors]

Hi Jaime, yea I think it’s my favourite car park in the lakes. Wow....A Kingfisher..!! I’ve never seen one of those in real life. I’ll have to keep my eyes open and look a bit more harder next time I’m there. On super busy days like a summer bank holiday the farmer opens up one of his fields as a overflow carpark and leaves a honesty bucket at the gate to collect your payment. It’s still only 4 pound which I think is fantastic. So if you ever get there and find the gravel carpark full have a look to see if he has opened up one of his fields behind the farm. All the very best Mike

[@PeakMotoHiker]

Another great hike, video and production, a route I've not done since 2010!! But we did Haystacks and Fleetwith Pike!! Which is probably why 😂🤣, thanks once again for sharing.

[@FurrychalkbagOutdoors]

Aww cheers Mark.!! Love Haystacks and Fleetwith. You get some wonderful views down from the top of those two. Love that area of the lakes. Thanks again🙂

[@michaelhallam6336]

WOW!! Absolutely enthralling all the way through from beginning to end. Appreciate the energy, vitality, enthusiasm and sheer hard work you put into your videos! I've wild camped around Burtness woods 30 + years ago, and all those memories flooding back to me. Keep them coming, and I'll be watching them over again. Awesome!!

[@FurrychalkbagOutdoors]

Thank you so much Michael for your lovely comment🙏 I’m honestly so happy that you enjoyed it and that it brought fond memories back of your wild camping days around the area. It is a special place for sure. I am tempted to rig a hammock up in the woods there for a little overnighter myself. Thank you again for taking the time to watch my video and for dropping me a comment it’s so very much appreciated🙂 All the very best🙂 Mike

[@michaelhallam6336]

@@FurrychalkbagOutdoors Thanks Mike, I've shared your video with family friends who climbed it years ago. Go for the bivvi Mike, that would be great, (p.s. I'm a O/S map & compass 'old school' guy myself, lol)

[@FurrychalkbagOutdoors]

@@michaelhallam6336 I have a few wild camp videos planned for the not too distant future. They will involve a number of different shelters. I’m sure a night out in a bivi will be in amongst them somewhere😃 Hey.!!! Thank you so much for sharing my video.!! That is amazingly kind of you.!!🙏 I hope your family and friends like it and it brings back fond memories for them too.!!🙂 Keep safe and well Mike Ps...Yea you can’t beat a good old map and compass. However I have been known to use modern technology on the odd occasion when it’s very windy😬😃

[@noseymare]

Mike, this is so brilliant!!!! I did this walk a couple of months ago but also included Haystacks on the end! it was a tough in places hard challenge! I agree with every word you have said in this video, amazing views and that loose steep scree took me alot of pushing myself mentally to conquer, but the views are well worth the effort! Thanks for including the part with the map at the beginning so everyone can see the planned route, its a great help! Keep the fab vids coming and happy hiking!

[@FurrychalkbagOutdoors]

Awww thank you Phoebe, that’s so nice of you to say that about the video. I’m so glad you enjoyed it🙂 Well done indeed for adding Haystacks onto the end of it.!! You must certainly have burned some calories that day.!! Omg that scree slope certainly took some negotiating through😰 The views are totally amazing from up there like you say. I was especially in awe of the view down the Ennerdale valley towards Ennerdale Water past Pillar Rock. Yep I’ll keep the videos coming for sure. Thanks again for watching the video and happy hiking to you too.!!🙂 Mike

[@xjessukx]

That's a cracking walk I did it last year and included haystacks my legs definitely felt it

[@FurrychalkbagOutdoors]

Yea Shawn it certainly is.!! Haha my legs were wasted after it too.!! However as you know I didn’t do Haystacks as well so well done for adding that on to your route.!!👏 Hope you gave your legs a good soak in the bath when you got back home afterwards😃 Thanks for giving the video a watch I’m glad it reminded you of your time up there on the route🙂 All the very best Mike

[@detlefbalbachviews6034]

Incredibly beautiful landscape, my friend. And I like the calm way of your presentation.👍🏼👌🏼💯 Really well done. Best greetings from Germany.

[@FurrychalkbagOutdoors]

Thank you Detlef, It is a wonderful area of the UK. I’m so lucky it’s only a couple of hours away from my front door. Thank you for your kind words they are so very much appreciated🙏 All the very best to you over there in Germany❤️ I hope you’re able to visit the Lake District and enjoy it’s stunning landscape for yourself super soon🙂 Thank you again for watching the video, I’m so happy you liked it 🙏 Mike

[@detlefbalbachviews6034]

@@FurrychalkbagOutdoors You are welcome.

[@eddiealexander5276]

Fantastic footage of someone actually climbing through the gully at the top of Red Pike. I came down it and it is indeed steep...Don't know how you were standing up there at the end, not recommended. I had to shuffle down on my bottom on the slippery parts maintaining as much contact with the sides as possible. can't underestimate how tricky it can be if you're inexperienced

[@FurrychalkbagOutdoors]

Thanks Eddie.!! Haha yea it was a steep one for sure. As you can see I was puffing a bit at the top😰😂 You do get a fantastic view at the top don’t you.!! So glad you were able to enjoy it. Thanks for giving the video a watch and your kind words they are so appreciated🙏 Happy hiking🙂 Mike

[@deannacollinson4584]

Fantastic, wow what amazing views.I was a kid when my Mum and took me up there, I must return with my much older legs, and appreciate it more. Thanks so much for capturing the beauty of the Lakes😍

[@FurrychalkbagOutdoors]

Thank you Deanna, I’m so glad it brought back memories of such a special time with your Mum❤️ Yes get yourself back up there again when you can. I can only try to capture the beauty of the area but as you and I know.. You have to be there to really appreciate it❤️ Thank you again for watching my video and for dropping me such a lovely comment🙂 All the very best Mike

[@shaunharrison5209]

Brill video Mike hopefully doing this next week with the missus and pooch, can I ask what drone you use please? feel like i definitely need to invest to get some of these great shots 😃

[@FurrychalkbagOutdoors]

Hey Shaun, Awww thanks for your kind words fella🙏 I’m glad you enjoyed it. You’ll have a fantastic time. Plenty of water on the way up for your pooch but not much on the way down so remember to fill an extra bottle for him/her at the Tarn/Gill🙂 The drone I used was a Mavic Air 2. Think there is a Mavic Air 2S now so I’d probably get that if I was you. However the standard Air 2 will be a bit cheaper. Thanks for giving the video a watcharoo and for letting me know you enjoyed it, it’s very much appreciated🙏 Happy hiking Mike🙂

[@emilyparrish1242]

Loving this route. We bumped into you while you were filming for Hay Stacks and it’s great to see you in that part of the lies again! I’ll be back there in a couple of weeks too, with my kayak this time. How do you do your drone shots by the way? Does your drone do an automatic circle around you?

[@FurrychalkbagOutdoors]

Hey Emily.!! Yes I remember bumping into you🙂 We were extremely lucky with the weather that weekend weren’t we.!! Sorry for the late response, I have been off grid for the past few days in the lakes. Yea definitely get out in your kayak if you can. I took mine on crummock. Had a fantastic time.!! It’s only a fiver for the day🙂 The drone... If I just want a standard circle of the summit I set it to auto after setting the height and distance away from me. Otherwise I fly it manually. The auto setting obviously leaves you free to walk around without tripping up over a rock😬 You could get it to circle you when you’re in your kayak maybe🤔 Hope you have a fantastic time in the lakes and I hope the weather is kind to you. Thank you for watching my video and for dropping me a comment🙂 All the best🙂 Mike

[@anthonyknowles220]

Would i be able to do this walk with the dog

[@FurrychalkbagOutdoors]

Hey Anthony, now that really depends on your dog. If your dog is a Chihuahua I’d say definitely no.!! But if your dog is a cocker spaniel or a very active and agile pooch then I would say yea. However remember there is no water sources after Bleaberry Tarn so obviously that is something you would have to take into consideration before you venture up. Also the scree slopes up the final part of Red Tarn and the start of the drop down off High Crag involves loose sharp stones underfoot. There might be a possibility of your dog cutting one of its pads. I’m sure you could find a safe way through that section though for him/her. I hope you and your dog have a great time on it if you decide to give it a go. Thank you for giving the video a watch it’s very much appreciated🙏 Keep safe Mike🙂

[@MrDickydribble]

Just stumbled across your channel and this walk. Im planning on visiting the lake District next year and doing some of these amazing walks, possibly with a wild camp on top of Red Pike. Can you tell me how long the whole route took? Many thanks. Subscribed!

[@FurrychalkbagOutdoors]

Hey thanks for taking the time out to give my video a watch. I hope it was of some help to help plan your trip. The whole route would probably take around 5.5 hours to complete. However it took me a wee bit longer due to having to stop all the time to film. A wild camp on top of Red Pike sounds fantastic. Just pick your day as it’s pretty exposed up there in the wind. Thanks for the sub it’s very much appreciated. I’ll be getting some more content up soon hopefully once I’ve recovered from an injury I acquired last year. Thanks again for the watch and the comment and I wish you a wonderful time on the route. All the very best Mike