Walking BritainLake District Walk
Crag Hill & Grasmoor from Buttermere
Maps 
| Ordnance Survey Explorer OL5 | Sheet Map | 1:25k | BUY |
| Anquet OS Explorer OL5 | Digital Map | 1:25k | BUY |
| Ordnance Survey Landranger 90 | Sheet Map | 1:50k | BUY |
| Anquet OS Landranger 90 | Digital Map | 1:50k | BUY |
Walk Route Description
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This Lake District walk description is based on the series of photographs taken by me on 16th May 2004 during a walk from Buttermere. The weather was perfect with excellent long distance visibility with the distant early morning view of Great Gable with a cloak of mist being particularly noteworthy.
The start is the car park in Buttermere (Grid ref. NY173169). From the car park walk to the main road in the centre of the village and turn left towards Lorton. Cross Mill Beck and take the path on your right that follows this stream. Continue uphill to reach the indistinct col between Low Bank and Whiteless Pike (Grid ref. NY 179177). The climb continues up Whiteless Breast to reach the summit of Whiteless Pike.
The path loses some height as you continue along a well defined ridge with a steep drop to your right before climbing to the summit of Wandhope. Continuing you skirt Addacomb Hole on your right to reach the summit of Crag Hill from where there are extensive views in all directions.
Retracing your steps for a short way, ignore the path to Wandhope, instead descending gently to the col between Crag Hill and Grasmoor. Continue uphill to the summit of the latter peak. The domed summit area is not well suited for those wishing to enjoy the view and if you want to look down towards Crummock Water then continue a short way west past the summit cairn and shelter.
With the last summit of the day in the bag locate the steep path that descends over Lad Hows to Cinderdale Common. This is not the easiest descent if, like me, you're unfit and overweight! The views are fantastic though and well worth the pain - much better than via Coledale Hause and Gasgale Gill.
Reaching the road at Cinderdale Common turn left and walk back to Buttermere to enjoy a well earned pint at the Fish Hotel.
Other walks nearby
| Walk 1142 | A circuit of Buttermere from Buttermere village | easy | 4.5 miles |
| Walk 2735 | Fleetwith Pike and Buttermere Circular | mod/hard | 8.5 miles |
| Walk 2642 | Buttermere Horseshoe | very hard | 14.0 miles |
| Walk 2539 | Rannerdale Knotts & Grasmoor | moderate | 8.0 miles |
| Walk 1732 | Buttermere, Coledale and Newlands circuit | hard | 9.0 miles |
Recommended Books & eBooks
The Cumbria Way
A guidebook to the 73 mile Cumbria Way, an easy long-distance walk though the heart of the Lake District National Park, from Ulverston in the south to Carlisle in the north, with good transport links to either end. The route is largely low-level but this guide offers alternative mountain days to climb some of the famous fells en route.
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Great Mountain Days in the Lake District
An inspirational guidebook to 50 challenging walks on the high fells of the Lake District. The graded circular routes, between 4 and 14 miles in length, cover classic Lakeland summits like Fairfield, Scafell Pike, Great Gable and Blencathra, to the lesser-known High Spy, King's How and Brund Fell.
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Map and Compass
An instructive guidebook explaining map and compass techniques, to help readers enhance their outdoor experiences. Whether you are experienced in map-reading, or have never used a compass before, this guidebook will sharpen your skills and have you exploring new areas in no time. There are also tips for GPS and digital mapping technologies.
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Further Information
Walk Location Map
Lake District Walking
The Lake District National Park is seen by many as one of the scenic gems of the British Isles. The natural beauty has attracted many artists and writers through the centuries and today the same scenery provides the perfect backdrop to a wide variety of walks. The National Park is located wholly within Cumbria with Windermere, Ambleside and Keswick the main tourist towns. For many this is the finest area in England for walking with a wide variety of scenery. Even on the busiest weekends it is possible to get away from the crowds by carefully selecting one of the less-visited fells. More Information
Walk grading - Learn how each walk is assessed and select a walk to suit your ability and experience by going to Walk Grading Details.
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