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High Stile is a mountain in the western part of the Lake District in North West England. It is the eleventh-highest English Marilyn, standing high, and has a relative height of .
It is the highest in the range of fells extending north-west from Great Gable towards Loweswater, and together with its satellites, Red Pike and High Crag, forms a trio of fells overlooking the lake and village of Buttermere. On this side are high crags, wild combe and a small tarn, Bleaberry Tarn. High Stile is most easily ascended as part of a traverse of the three fells.
The Buttermere Fells, also known as Buttermere Edge,Bill Birkett: Complete Lakeland Fells: Collins Willow (1994): form the watershed between Buttermere and Upper Ennerdale Water. The Ennerdale flanks are steep and rough with areas of crag, the lower slopes being planted with a ribbon of conifers. Across the narrow ridge-top to the north are deep Cirque and dark walls of crag, glowering down over the lake. The ridge continues south east to Haystacks and the Great Gable group. Beyond Red Pike to the west are Starling Dodd, Great Borne and the Loweswater Fells.
All three Buttermere Fells throw out a short spur towards the lake with deep combs hollowed out between them. North west of High Stile is Bleaberry Comb, backed by the wall of Chapel Crags. Nestled deep within is Bleaberry Tarn, a pool which is on continual shadow from November to March. Despite the steep contours of the rock walls above, the tarn is only about deep, and is well stocked with trout.Blair, Don: Exploring Lakeland Tarns: Lakeland Manor Press (2003): Bleaberry Tarn is drained into Buttermere by Sourmilk Gill, reaching the lake mere yards from its outlet. A belt of trees has been planted along the shoreline. Birkness Comb, also called Burtness Comb on Ordnance Survey maps, lies between the truncated and unnamed northern ridges of High Crag and High Stile. The lack of a retaining moraine means that this hollow has no tarn, Comb Beck running uninterrupted to the Lake. Grey Crag and Eagle Crag are the main faces on High Stile. These corries being scooped out of the northern face result in the connecting ridges between the three Buttermere Fells being fine and narrow.
The Ennerdale flanks have a tier of crag at around , The Knors and Raven Crag being the principal features. At the foot of the slopes are the massed conifers of the Ennerdale Forest, all contributing to the difficulty of access. There are no paths on the southern flank of High Stile.
In Burtness Comb, a prominent bank of debris runs along the outer flank of the upper cirque, then turns down into the lower cirque, ending in a block strew at the intake wall. It marks the course of a rock avalanche which fell from Grey Crag on the summit rim of High Stile, and was channeled along the foot of the glacier some 11,000 years ago.Wilson, P. and Jarman, D. 2013. The Burtness Comb rock avalanche. Proceedings Geological Association 124, 477-483 It is unique in the Lake District.
There are the remains of a small copper-mine near the shore of Buttermere. This was worked from 1569 to 1570 and again in the 1820s.Adams, John: Mines of the Lake District Fells: Dalesman (1995)
The view is extensive, the highlight perhaps being the North Western Fells across the Buttermere valley. Ennerdale Water and Crummock Water are in view and careful steps toward the brink can also add Bleaberry Tarn to the picture. Fine views of the crags of the surrounding combs complete the foreground.
Direct ascents can be made if desired via either of the northern combs. From the shore of Buttermere a path runs up into Birkness Comb from where the northern spur can be gained. From Buttermere village the path to Bleaberry Tarn can be used, branching off to find a line around the eastern end of Chapel Crags. If climbing from Ennerdale the route up Red Pike may be used.
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