High Crag (Buttermere)
744m (2442ft)
The Western Fells, The Lake District, Cumbria, England
Not familiar with this top?
You can walk/hike to the top of High Crag (Buttermere) by using any of these 5 easy‑to‑follow route maps:
Walk c207 The High Stile Ridge from Buttermere
Unsurpassed views of Buttermere
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 7.5ml (12km) |
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| Ascent: | 3,338ft (1,017m) |
| Time: | 6.25hrs |
| Grade: |  (Moderate) |
Route Summary:
Buttermere - Sourmilk Gill - Bleaberry Tarn - Dodd (Buttermere) - The Saddle - Red Pike (Buttermere) - High Stile - High Crag (Buttermere) - Gamlin End - Seat (Buttermere) - Scarth Gap - Peggy's Bridge - Burtness Wood - Buttermere
Walk c263 The High Stile Ridge from Buttermere
Unsurpassed views of Buttermere
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 8.75ml (14km) |
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| Ascent: | 3,390ft (1,033m) |
| Time: | 6.25hrs |
| Grade: |  (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Buttermere - Scale Force - Scale Beck - Blea Crag - Lingcomb Edge - Red Pike (Buttermere) - High Stile - High Crag (Buttermere) - Gamlin End - Seat (Buttermere) - Scarth Gap - Burtness Wood - Sourmilk Gill - Buttermere
Walk c287 The High Stile Ridge and Hay Stacks from Buttermere
Unsurpassed views of Buttermere and Wainwright's favourite
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 11.25ml (18km) |
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| Ascent: | 4,132ft (1,259m) |
| Time: | 8.25hrs |
| Grade: |  (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Buttermere - Scale Force - Scale Beck - Blea Crag - Lingcomb Edge - Red Pike (Buttermere) - High Stile - High Crag (Buttermere) - Gamlin End - Seat (Buttermere) - Scarth Gap - Hay Stacks (Haystacks) - Innominate Tarn - Blackbeck Tarn - Black Beck - Green Crag (Buttermere) - Warnscale Beck - Warnscale Bottom - Gatesgarth - Buttermere
Walk c397 The Buttermere Fells from Buttermere
Very long high level route with superb views
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 16ml (25.5km) |
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| Ascent: | 6,285ft (1,915m) |
| Time: | 12.25hrs |
| Grade: |  (Very Hard) |
Route Summary:
Buttermere - Scale Force - Scale Beck - Blea Crag - Great Borne - Starling Dodd - Little Dodd (Ennerdale) - Ling Comb - Lingcomb Edge - Red Pike (Buttermere) - Dodd (Buttermere) - Red Pike (Buttermere) - High Stile - High Crag (Buttermere) - Gamlin End - Seat (Buttermere) - Scarth Gap - Hay Stacks (Haystacks) - Innominate Tarn - Blackbeck Tarn - Black Beck - Green Crag (Buttermere) - Warnscale Beck - Dubs Hut - Dubs Quarry - Fleetwith Pike - Honister Crag (Black Star) - Fleetwith Pike - Fleetwith Edge - Gatesgarth - Buttermere
Walk c120 The Ennerdale Horseshoe
Strenuous, high level route worth every step - if you have the energy!
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 18.75ml (30km) |
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| Ascent: | 7,309ft (2,408m) |
| Time: | 14.75hrs |
| Grade: | (Very Hard) |
Route Summary:
Bowness Knott Car Park Ennerdale - Low Gillerthwaite Field Centre - High Gillerthwaite Yourth Hostel - Red Pike (Buttermere) - High Stile - High Crag (Buttermere) - Seat (Buttermere) - Scarth Gap - Hay Stacks (Haystacks) - Innominate Tarn - Blackbeck Tarn - Black Beck - Green Crag (Buttermere) - Great Round How - Brandreth - Gillercomb Head - Green Gable - Windy Gap - Great Gable - Westmorland Cairn - Beck Head - Beckhead Tarn - Kirk Fell (East Top) - Kirk Fell - Black Sail Pass - Looking Stead (Pillar) - High Level Route - Robinson's Cairn - Pillar - Wind Gap - Black Crag (Pillar) - High Beck - Low Beck - Ennerdale.
See High Crag (Buttermere) and the surrounding tops on our free-to-access 'Google Style' Peak Bagging Maps:
The Western Fells of The Lake District National Park
Less data - quicker to download
The Whole of The Lake District National Park
More data - might take a little longer to download
See High Crag (Buttermere) and the surrounding tops on our unique, downloadable, PDF Peak Bagging Maps:
NB: Whether you print off a copy or download it to your phone, these PDF Peak Baggers' Maps might prove incredibly useful when your are up there on the tops and you cannot get a phone signal.
*This version is marked with the walk routes you need to follow to Walk all 214 Wainwrights in just 59 walks.
You can find High Crag (Buttermere) & all the walks that climb it on these unique free-to-access Interactive Walk Planning Maps:
1:25,000 scale OS Explorer Map (orange/yellow covers):
1:50,000 scale OS Landranger Maps (pink/magenta covers):
Fellow go4awalkers who have already walked, climbed, scaled, summited, hiked & bagged High Crag (Buttermere)
Christine Shepherd walked up High Crag (Buttermere) during May, 2004 [from/via/route] Climbed from Buttermere [with] On my own [weather] Bright & sunny - Enjoyed this walk so much I led a group to the summit an July of the same year. Climbed the Buttermere fells again on 29.8.2017.Climbed for a fourth time on 13.8.25 on a very hot day. Drank all of my three litres of water on this walk.
Paul Roddam climbed it on July 19th, 2025 [with] Barb, Bri [weather] Muggy
Richard Fulcher bagged it on March 25th, 2025 [from/via/route] Buttermere [with] Jen [weather] Started off with cloud over the tops but cleared around lunchtime. Not much wind but cold gusts every now & then .. generally cold with sunshine. - This was part of a ridge walk taking in Red Pike, High Stile & High Crag. Tough ascents & descents due to steepness & scree.
James Hughes hiked High Crag (Buttermere) on June 3rd, 2024 [from/via/route] c207 The High Stile from Buttermere [with] Sara [weather] Misty & wet at times. Poor visibility on tops. - Amazing walk - met three men on Red Pike struggling to navigate. Bounded across tops & added Haystacks at end. Slip on way down from Haystacks. Pint at Bridge Hotel.
Sarah Moore summited on April 9th, 2023 [from/via/route] My own invention! Wanting not to drive from YHA Ennerdale & to make the most of the High Stile ridge [with] On my own [weather] Not so sunny - good... very windy at times - tough (lots of people coming off the tops / turning back, but glad I didn't) - Loved this - an 8 hour walk really started to test me lengthwise & absolutely adored the lack of people on what I thought would be a crazy busy Easter Sunday. One to remember...
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More Photographs & Pictures of views from, on, or of, High Crag (Buttermere)
Fleetwith Pike (left), Hay Stacks (Haystacks) and the shoulder of High Crag (Buttermere) (right) across Buttermere
Seat (Buttermere), Gamlin End, High Crag (Buttermere), Mellbreak, Crummock Water, Buttermere Village, Rannerdale Knotts and the shoulder of Grasmoor from the summit of Hay Stacks (Haystacks)
Seat (Buttermere) & High Crag (Buttermere) (left) and Grasmoor (right) from the small pool on Hay Stacks (Haystacks)
Scarth Gap (left), Seat (Buttermere), High Crag (Buttermere) and High Stile from Fleetwith Pike
Honister Pass (left), Fleetwith Pike, Hay Stacks (Haystacks) and High Crag (Buttermere) across Buttermere
Seat (Buttermere), Gamlin End and High Crag (Buttermere) from Hay Stacks (Haystacks)
Looking stead (Pillar) & Pillar behind Green Crag (Buttermere) & Hay Stacks (Haystacks) with High Crag (Buttermere) (right) from near Dubs Quarry
. . . see just 10 walk photographs & pictures of views from, on, or of, High Crag (Buttermere)
Send us your photographs and pictures on, of, or from High Crag (Buttermere)
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