Bakestall

Bakestall serves as the northern shoulder of the Skiddaw massif, offering a quieter, more rugged approach than the main tourist paths. It is best known for its steep northern face, which provides a dramatic backdrop to the spectacular Whitewater Dash waterfalls.

• •The fell is composed primarily of Skiddaw Slates, which are among the oldest rocks in the Lake District, dating back roughly 500 million years to the Ordovician period.
• •Its northern slopes overlook the Whitewater Dash, a series of impressive cataracts where Dash Beck falls away from the high fells toward the Bassenthwaite wilderness.
• •The summit is marked by a small cairn situated on a smooth, grassy plateau that offers some of the best unobstructed views over the Solway Firth to the Scottish hills.
• •Bakestall sits directly above Skiddaw House; built in 1829 as a keeper's lodge, it is famously the most remote and highest youth hostel in England.
• •While the main Skiddaw summits can feel like a motorway, Bakestall offers a peaceful alternative, provided you enjoy the character-building experience of a relentless, calf-stretching slog directly up the fence line.