Gatesgarth - Warnscale Bottom - Haystacks - Gatesgarth

Joe Jackson

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Haystacks is an iconic mountain set within the stunning Buttermere Valley. At just under 2,000ft it's not too much of a challenge to climb but offers amazing views over Buttermere, Ennerdale and to Pillar and Great Gable. The walk starts from the bottom of Honister Pass at a pay-and-display car park opposite Gatesgarth Farm. It follows a gentle path round the bottom of Fleetwith Pike and into Warnscale. It's a moderate ascent past a bothy and onto the felltop by Blackback Tarn and to a perfect rest stop by Innominate Tarn, the final resting place of legendary fellwalker Alfred Wainwright and worth a little stop, if only to appreciate the views over the tarn to Pillar. It's only about ten minutes to the top from here and the views are superb. The summit is followed by a steep descent to Scarth Gap and a gentle diagonal path back down to Gatesgarth.

England - North England - Cumbria - Lake District - North West

Features

Birds, Great Views, Hills or Fells, Industrial Archaeology, Lake/Loch, Mountains, Public Transport, Waterfall

9/25/2012 - Stuart Edgar

Stunning corner of Cumbria, well worth the effort. One small word of caution, the path down from the summit is very steep. We felt afterwards that perhaps it would have been an easier ascent than it was descent. Anyone not so nimble or confident might find this route down somewhat daunting, we certainly did.