Bleaberry Tarn via Scale Force and Red Pike

Start: St James church, Buttermere (CA13 9UZ) Grid ref. NY 176 170

(S/E) If you parked along the roadside walk downhill along the road into Buttermere. On the way down, walk past the left side of the church. Then keep walking downhill along the road carefully.

(1) At the junction with Bridge Hotel, turn left (do not cross the bridge). Walk left of Buttermere Court Hotel (Alternative start) to take the public bridleway through the wooden gate.

(2) At the T-junction turn left and walk South-East. At the junction with an iron gate on your right, turn right here handrailing the field and fence on your right hand towards "Scale Force". After 650m, reach the riverside and a bridge.

(3) Cross the bridge and at the T-junction turn right following the river then Crummock Water on your right-hand side for 1.3Km. On your way, you will cross two wooden footbridges carrying straight on each time.

(4) At the Y-junction you can go either way. If you keep the left-hand path, keep walking to cross a ford. After crossing the ford the path is not well defined. Stop and seek for the wooden footbridge in front of you (West). Be careful there are two footbridges, take the one on the left away from the lakeshore.

(5) Cross the footbridge over the beck then a little further on a wooden gate then a wall. Cross another wooden footbridge then turn straight away left following the footpath handrailing the beck on your left (South-West).

(6) After 295m, go down to the left to cross the beck via a footbridge. Keep walking South-West then go through an iron gate then cross the wooden bridge to reach the waterfall.

(7) After enjoying the waterfall "Scale Force" or after crossing the wooden footbridge turn left and go up to the wooden gate. Do not cross the gate but turn right uphill to handrail the wall. Carry straight on this steep uphill path along the waterfall for 330m. Be careful along the way, there are some parts where you need to put the hand on the rocks.

(8) Always keep straight ahead with the ford on your right-hand. Then 385m further along, bear left uphill (South-East) away from the ford. Keep walking uphill for 720m. At the top be careful this is a cliff edge with an amazing view.

(9) Turn right and walk South along the path handrailing the cliff edge. There is no obvious path so navigation skill is important. Look at the map and make sure that after 900m you bear North-East up. At the top of Red Pike summit, you will find a cairn and shelter. Then go North-East steeply down hill towards the tarn. Be careful this is a scrable where hiking shoes and hiking poles are higly recommended.

(10) When you reach Bleaberry Tarn, walk the gill to cross it and hanrail it on your left hand as you go downhill (North-North-East). On the way, you can see that you follow the wall on your left aswell even if you are not too close. As you go down, when you see the path splitting, go either way, they both join later. The best is to go left and keep handrailing the gill on your left hand as you go downhill.

(11) After 360m, the path bears right (East) away from the gill following a well paved path.

(12) At the bottom ich of the hill, cross the wooden gate to enter a larch wood. Walk through the woods, keep straight downhill towards the lake shore and wooden gate.

(13) Cross a wooden gate then the footbridge. Keeping the lake on your right hand cross another footbridge over the river. Keep straight ahead handrailing the edge left. On the way, do not forget to looking behind you and enjoy a view of a waterfall.

(14) At the junction turn right towards the lakeshore. Then, turn left as you reach the lakeshore turn left to cross a wooden gate then carry on walking to cross a gate and reach a path junction where you turn left then left again uphill.

(15) Keep walking to cross a kissing gate and the beck. Enjoy nice views left on the waterfall. Then bear right (North-East) uphill towards a wooden gate. Cross the wooden gate and keep straight North-East. At the junction with the signpost 'village', cross the wooden gate and turn left along the bridleway.

After 230m, you reach Wilkinsyke and Syke Farms. Cross the wooden gate to go across the farm, then another gate. Go past Syke farm tea room to reach the road. Turn right uphill to walk back to the car past the church or left to walk back to the pay and display car park. (S/E)

Start: St James church, Buttermere (CA13 9UZ) Grid ref. NY 176 170

Parking: Park along the roadside on the way down to Buttermere village. (CA13 9UZ) Grid ref. NY 176 170 Free car park along the road before St James church.
Alternative: Otherwise pay and display car park at The Buttermere Court Hotel (CA13 9XA).

Refreshments :
There is no water along the way.
The Buttermere Court Hotel or Syke farm tea room

Dog policy: Please keep dogs on a lead

Gears : Waterproof shoes needed. Hiking shoes and hiking poles are highly recommended.

⚠️Be careful along the way, there are some parts where you need to put your hand on the rock, there is no obvious path so navigation skill is important and there is a scramble.