Words & Photos Andy Stothert

December 02 2009

Buttermere is gorgeous. Everything about the place has me coming over all weepy and romantic – and poetic too, whenever my willowy thoughts wander that way.

The mixture of scenery, from the tree-lined shores of the lake to the stunning variety of shapely fells looking down on the village and fields, just makes you feel good. Indeed I suspect the short low-level walk around the lakeshore is the most beautiful in all of Lakeland. Not the most impressive in a raw or manly sense, nor strenuous, but just wholly salubrious, and good for the soul.

But it isn’t the best walk in this little Lakeland Shangri-La, nor even the best walk around the lake, for if you cast your leery gaze upwards a couple of thousand feet, it gets to following the fells which encircle the valley. These fells actually loom, and glower, rather than just lying about prettily while trying to seduce you, and there can be few steeper more tightly enclosed valleys than beautiful little Buttermere.

The aim of this tough stroll is to bag everything from Robinson right round the head of the valley to Red Pike, or the other way round. I don’t suppose it makes any difference which way it’s done, but as ever I have an illogical preference based on impressions rather than facts. My preference, after having walked it both ways in varying seasons and conditions, lies very much with the clockwise direction, taking in Robinson first, and finishing the day on Red Pike. It could actually be a tougher day this way, with the mighty Gamlin End on High Crag destroying y’r head and legs in equal measure far too late for comfort, but I prefer to save the drama of the High Stile ridge as a last gasp replenisher. Not that any of it can ever be described as dull, except for the initial trudge up onto Robinson – though even that has astonishing views. From Robinson the miles over Littledale Edge to Hindscarth, then Hindscarth Edge to Dale Head are easy and fast before the swoop down to Honister, and a gradual climb to Fleetwith Pike. Many miss it out, and carry straight on to Haystacks, but it’s only 400 extra feet and about a mile added. The walk to Haystacks from Fleetwith is one of the loveliest on the planet, then after Seat, Gamlin End is there, staring at you. At this stage of the day it’s a monster, but what follows is a joy, and heavy legs are banished by a light head. There are options from Red Pike, but by this time the steep slither directly down to Bleaberry Tarn is too inviting to resist. Then you’re back in Buttermere, and hopefully the ice cream parlour is still open.

Distance: 11 miles/18km Ascent: 6070ft/1850m Time: 8-12 hours Start/finish: Buttermere campsite (GR: NY 173169) Maps: Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 Landranger sheet 89 (West Cumbria); Harvey 1:25,000 Superwalker, Lakeland West; OS 1:25,000 Explorer sheet OL4 (The English Lakes – North Western area) Information: Keswick, 01768 772645 Travel: Stagecoach in Cumbria service 77/A (Easter to October)

Technical Spec
From village follow Newlands pass road 200 yards then ascend W ridge of High Snockrigg, E across Buttermere Moss and NE to summit of Robinson. S then SE across Littledale Edge, N to Hindscarth, S then SE over Hindscarth Edge to Dale Head. Descend S to Honister Pass then ascend W to Fleetwith Pike. Descend E then S to main quarry track then W via Blackbeck Tarn and NW via Innominate Tarn and Haystacks. Descend NW to Scarth Gap, and ascend NW to Seat, High Crag, High Stile and Red Tarn. Descend E to Bleaberry Tarn, then path down through Burtness Wood back to Buttermere.