Red Pike
Red Pike is a 755m fell in the western Lake District, part of the Buttermere Edge ridge that separates the Buttermere Valley from Ennerdale. It is one of the few summits in the Lake District where you can see five bodies of water at once: Buttermere, Crummock Water, Ennerdale Water, Loweswater, and Derwentwater. That alone makes it worth the climb. The most popular route starts from Buttermere village and heads steeply up alongside Sourmilk Gill to Bleaberry Tarn. The tarn is a great place to pause since it makes a strong foreground subject with the crags rising behind it, and it catches reflections well in calm conditions. From the tarn, the final push to the summit is steep and loose, with red scree underfoot. That red colour comes from syenite in the rock, and it is especially vivid where erosion has exposed fresh ground. The summit itself is sheer on three sides, which gives you clean, unobstructed sight lines in nearly every direction. Looking north, Crummock Water stretches out below with Loweswater and the Solway Firth beyond it. To the south, the Scafells and Great Gable dominate the skyline. The ridge walk southeast from Red Pike toward High Stile and High Crag is one of the best in the western fells and gives you a changing perspective over Buttermere as you move along it. For photography, early morning light from the east works well here, catching the crags and valleys in side light and warming the red tones in the rock. This is a demanding hike with around 700 metres of elevation gain, so plan enough time to be on the summit for the light you want. Weather changes quickly at this altitude, and cloud can roll in fast from the west. (Buttermere, Cumbria, England)
