Lake District
White Side
863M
2832FT
About White Side
Sitting on the high ridge between Raise and Helvellyn, White Side offers a much gentler, grassier experience than the rugged edges nearby. It’s a key navigation point on the traverse from Sticks Pass, providing some of the best unobstructed views across Thirlmere toward the central fells.
Key Statistics
Rank
26th Highest in Region
Parent Range
Eastern Fells
Prominence
?
43.1
Nearest Town
Legburthwaite
Geology
You’re stepping on ancient volcanic ash and hardened lava flows from the Birker Fell and Borrowdale formations, capped by layers of rhyolitic tuff from the Thirlmere Member.
Find It
Latitude
54.5409°N
Longitude
3.0251°W
Did You Know?
- •Standing at 863 metres, White Side is the tenth-highest peak in the Lake District and a prominent feature on the main spine of the Helvellyn range.
- •The eastern slopes drop steeply toward the valley of Glenridding, overlooking the site of the former Greenside Mine, which produced lead for nearly 200 years before closing in 1962.
- •The fell's name likely originates from the light-coloured quartz and scree on its eastern face, which would have appeared starkly white to observers in the valley below before mining activity moved the terrain.
- •Sticks Pass, located just north of the summit, earned its name from the wooden stakes once used to guide travellers through the high-altitude terrain during heavy winter snowfalls.
- •While it technically qualifies as a major mountain, most walkers treat the summit as little more than a slightly uphill section of the path while rushing toward the glory of Helvellyn.