Walking Haystacks – A Wainwright Classic

Some fells in the Lake District feel bigger than their height suggests. Haystacks, at just 597m, is one of them. Surrounded by the high peaks of Fleetwith Pike, Great Gable and Pillar, it looks modest from below, but climb it and you will quickly see why it was Alfred Wainwright’s favourite mountain of them all.

This is the fell he chose above all others, the one he described as having “a rugged beauty, a fell for connoisseurs.” When he died, his ashes were scattered by Innominate Tarn near the summit, sealing Haystacks’ place in Lakeland legend.

The Route

We began at Honister Slate Mine, already high on the pass between Borrowdale and Buttermere. The path sets out clearly, gaining height gently before winding across the open fell. It is not long before the views begin, back towards the drama of Borrowdale and forward across Buttermere and Crummock Water.

The climb up Haystacks is never too steep, but the fell makes you work in other ways. It is broken, knobbly, and full of twists and turns. The ground rises and falls over rocky steps and little tarns, each corner feeling like a new world.

The Summit

The top of Haystacks is not a single peak but a wide plateau scattered with rocky outcrops and pools. It feels like a miniature world of its own. Paths cross the summit, leading to little tarns and sudden viewpoints.

The most famous spot is Innominate Tarn, Wainwright’s chosen resting place. It is small and unassuming, but standing there with the high fells of Buttermere all around, you can see why he loved it so deeply. It has a peace to it that bigger mountains cannot match.

Why Walk Haystacks?

Haystacks is not about height or difficulty. It is about character. It offers a walk that feels full of variety, rocky scrambles, hidden tarns, sweeping views, and a sense of intimacy that the bigger peaks sometimes lose.

For us, it was not just another fell to climb. Ten years ago, in this same valley, I took some of my first steps into mountain walking. Coming back with Buddy and Teddy by my side brought it all full circle.

Final Thoughts

If you only have time for one fell in the Buttermere area, make it Haystacks. You will not find the biggest climb or the hardest challenge, but you will find something better, a fell with soul. Wainwright’s ashes rest by its waters for a reason, and once you have stood on its summit, you will understand why.