Red Screes - Ascents

Ascents

The southern ridge provides a popular route to the summit, climbing from the bottom of the Kirkstone road. Other ascents from Ambleside can be made via Scandale or Stock Ghyll, gaining the ridge to the north of Snarker Pike. A number of routes are also possible from the summit of Kirkstone Pass. The direct ascent is steep and badly eroded, whilst those from Red Pit or lower down the pass to the north are slightly more appealing. From the north the walker has the choice of the Middle Dodd ridge but beware as this approach is very steep or a gentler approach up Caiston Glen to Scandale Pass.

Alfred Wainwright's thoughts on the fell were as follows:

Red Screes has more claims to distinction than any other high fell east of the Keswick-Windermere road—

1. It has the biggest cairn.
2. It has the greatest mileage of dry stone walls.
3. It has one of the highest sheets of permanent standing water, and, in springtime, the highest resident population of tadpoles.
4. It has the purest mountain form.
5. It has the reddest screes and the greenest stone.
6. It has ... the finest view of the High Street range.
7. It has the easiest way down.
8. It offers alcoholic beverages at 1480'
9. It gives birth to the stream with the most beautiful waterfalls.

— Wainwright, The Eastern Fells