Red Pike (Buttermere)
Introduction


**Red Pike** is a [fell](/wiki/Fell "Fell") in the [High Stile](/wiki/High_Stile "High Stile") range in the western English [Lake District](/wiki/Lake_District "Lake District"), which separates [Ennerdale](/wiki/Ennerdale%2C_Cumbria "Ennerdale, Cumbria") from the valley of [Buttermere](/wiki/Buttermere "Buttermere") and [Crummock Water](/wiki/Crummock_Water "Crummock Water"). It is  high. The direct ascent of Red Pike from Buttermere is very popular and the ridge walk from Red Pike to [Haystacks](/wiki/Haystacks_%28Lake_District%29 "Haystacks (Lake District)") is regarded as one of the finest in the area, with excellent views of the [Scafells](/wiki/Scafells "Scafells"), [Great Gable](/wiki/Great_Gable "Great Gable") and [Pillar](/wiki/Pillar_%28Lake_District%29 "Pillar (Lake District)").

The fell can be confused with [Red Pike (Wasdale)](/wiki/Red_Pike_%28Wasdale%29 "Red Pike (Wasdale)"), which is only  away but cannot be seen from the summit. [Alfred Wainwright](/wiki/Alfred_Wainwright "Alfred Wainwright") in his guidebook *The Western Fells* comments that the Wasdale Red Pike might be higher but is less suited to the name. Red Pike in Buttermere is given its rich red colouring by the presence of [syenite](/wiki/Syenite "Syenite") in the rock and subsoil of the fell. This is particularly marked in places where surface erosion has occurred (notably the stony track by the side of [Scale Force](/wiki/Scale_Force "Scale Force") and the path from [Bleaberry Tarn](/wiki/Bleaberry_Tarn "Bleaberry Tarn") to the summit) and the red colouring of the paths can be seen from some distance.


Which mountains can be seen from the summit of Red Pike?