| Name of walk | Great Borne to Red Pike from Buttermere |
| Date of walk | 2009-10-16 |
| Distance walked (miles) | 9 |
| Duration of walk | 6 hours 0 minutes |
| Weather | Sunshine and blue skies |
| Peaks on walk | Great Borne, Starling Dodd, Red Pike |
| Walked with | On own |
| Parking | Roadside above Buttermere Church |
Yesterday was forecast to be excellent so I headed for Buttermere to climb Great Borne (2019ft), Starling Dodd (2085ft) and Red Pike (2479ft). I decided to start the walk via Scale Force. So I headed in the direction of Crummock Water first crossing Scale Bridge.
Looking back to Buttermere.
Wonderful blue skies today making for a very blue Crummock Water and some great autumn colours!
The walk to Scale Force takes you to almost opposite the northern end of Rannerdale Knotts, it is further round than I thought and the same route you would take to Floutern Tarn and Mosedale.
Scale Force from the bridge. There is a good pitched path going up about 50ft to the left so I took that up beside the waterfall.
When the track leads off to Red Pike I crossed to the other side and went up steeply beside a beck to make my way across the side of Gale Fell.
Climbing up beside the beck was difficult as the heather was knee high, but when I reached the moor it was better, but boggy. I headed below Starling Dodd in the direction of Great Borne. The top soon came in to view and I aimed for where I guessed the path was. Unfortunately when I got a lot nearer I found that this bit was fenced off so I climbed over and continued and soon found the way up. On the way back down going in the other direction I saw a very small sign saying "Conservation area, keep out"....oopps!
From the far side of Great Borne looking down on Ennerdale Water and a bald Bowness Knott, and over to Crag Fell where I was on Monday
Looking up the Ennerdale valley to Great Gable and Pillar.
Looking back at my route across the moor of Gale Fell, on the right is Starling Dodd with Red Pike sticking up behind.
Summit of Starling Dodd with Pillar behind.
The final hike up to Red Pike.
View down to my starting route up where I went up the beck off left..
Looking back at starling Dodd and Great Borne.
Wow! View down Crummock Water from the summit of Red Pike. Grasmoor on the right with Rannerdale Knotts below it, Mellbreak on the left, Low Fell at the back.
View down Lingcomb edge and Mellbreak. Hen comb on the left, Loweswater at the back.
High Stile from the summit.
Looking down to Bleaberry Tarn and across to Robinson and Hindscarth.
Derwent Water, Skiddaw and Blencathra in the distance.
Now this is the way to see the mountains! He was soaring over Crummock Water and was headed down toward Fleetwith Pike.
It has been three years since I climbed Red Pike via Bleaberry Tarn, but I do remember thinking that I was glad I was going up not down! The scree section has become even more eroded in the last three years, especially this bit which is almost vertical! Getting a foothold is difficult so it is very slippery. The rest isn`t much better!
There is a pitched path for the last section which made it a bit easier. Looking back up to Red Pike from Bleaberry tarn.
After the Tarn there is a pitched path most of the way down, but it is very uncomfortable walking, playing havoc with my knee. The way down seemed endless! At least there was a good view to Fleetwith Pike!
Glad to be on even ground! Great autumn colour reflections!
Sheep that look like lions? Hmmm.....Maybe I overdid the painkillers?
I was parked on the Newlands Pass road so I went into St. James Church on the way back. A pity the sunlight was at the wrong angle as you can normally see Haystacks through the window.
