High Gait Crags

Tucked onto the northern shoulder of Haycock, this rugged Birkett offers a quiet, rocky vantage point above the Ennerdale valley. While often bypassed for the higher summits, its rough terrain rewards walkers with a direct, uninterrupted view across to the dramatic crags of Pillar and the sharp profile of Steeple.

• •The name likely derives from the Old Norse 'gata', meaning a road or path, suggesting these rocky outcrops marked an established high-level route or sheep-run between the Wasdale and Ennerdale valleys.
• •Although overlooked by Alfred Wainwright, the summit is a featured Birkett and Synge, serving as a significant landmark on the sprawling western slopes of the Haycock massif.
• •From the summit, walkers gain a distinctive perspective of the Ennerdale fells, specifically the plunging northern face of Steeple and the distant, dark silhouette of the High Stile range across the valley.
• •The approach from the south involves crossing the headwaters of the River Bleng, an area of remote, pathless moorland that remains one of the quietest corners of the Lake District.
• •The 'crags' themselves are modest enough that, in a thick mist, you may find yourself checking the map to ensure you haven't accidentally summitted a particularly ambitious boulder instead.