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OS NW Area 1:25,000

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From the car park in Buttermere go up the hill towards the church. Turn through the farm on the right and follow the footpath along the lakeshore. Go through the tunnel to reach the pine trees at Hassness. The photograph was taken from here in the early morning.

Continue on to reach the road which leads to Gatesgarth. Pass the farm and cottage and head up the fell towards the white cross. It marks the scene of one of the earliest walking accidents in the Lake District. Continue up the broad ridge and pause frequently to admire the view back to Buttermere in it's U-shaped valley. On the top of Fleetwith Pike there are some fine panoramic views.

Descend now over rough ground to the old climbing hut at Dubs Quarry. I once spent a weekend here on a rock-climbing trip - I vividly remember the smoke blowing back into the room. Cross the stream and follow the path along to Blackbeck Tarn. There is a fine view of Great Gable from here and in the opposite direction there is a spectacular view down to Buttermere.

Follow the path now up a steep gully to reach a plateau having numerous knolls and tarns. The largest is curiously called Innominate Tarn! The summit again has panoramic views and the rock here is rather remarkable because it shows lava flow. You can see ripples and folds reflecting the once molten nature of this igneous rock.

Descend now to Scarth Gap Pass. The descent of the short section of crag can be tricky when ice covers the path and an ice axe is very reassuring in winter.

Follow the bridleway down to the lake and bear left. Pass the waterfalls which originate in Burtness Comb and continue through the woods to reach the fields surrounding the village.

The Bridge Inn serves welcome refreshments all year round!

Use streetmap.co.uk and click on the GB place button. Type in Buttermere. Click on SEARCH to view a location map.

To see a 1-25,000 map click in the middle of the 7 icons below it.

Scroll the map to see the walk.

Type in the following names if you prefer

• Buttermere
• Hassness
• Gatesgarth
• Fleetwith Pike
• Innominate Tarn
• Haystacks
• Buttermere lake

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Each person walks at a different speed. The rule for a fit healthy person is

'Allow one hour for every 3miles (5km). Add one hour for every 2000 ft (600m) of ascent'.

This is usually an underestimate and each walker should try to form an assessment of his performance over one or two walks. The Rule also makes no allowance for rest or food stops, for the roughness of the ground or the influence of weather conditions.

It is good practice to plan an escape route in the event of bad weather, foot blisters or an accident. This really only involves looking at the map and seeing where a path leads down into a suitable valley.

For this walk there is an escape route from the slate quarry between Fleetwith Pike and Hay Stacks. Follow the track beside the stream and descend to Warnscale Bottom and Gatesgarth Farm. In an emergency the farmer will phone for the Mountain Rescue. They have an amazingly quick call out time now.

OS grid references from your own map can be used to get a 1:25,000 OS map. eg. A Buttermere viewpoint is NY185157

Enter these into the search box at Streetmap.co.uk and click on the 'OS grid' button. Now click on the SEARCH button. The map that appears is high resolution so click on the central icon in the seven below to get a 1:25,000 OS. map.

Please follow the Country Code - close gates and take your litter home.

In mist conditions on a plateau or in crags the walker will soon become disorientated. Looking at your map will tell you whether you are trying to walk north, east, south or west and you should always rely on your compass to find north. It is wise to take a compass bearing for such hilltop situations before you set out as doing this on the tops in wind and rain and mist can be difficult.

Always carry map, compass, waterproof jacket and leggings, plastic bivvy sheet, extra food and a plastic whistle.