That is a bold claim to include as a title I know. After visiting Warnscale Head Bothy recently though, I have as much confidence in it as I do predicting that train fares will increase again in the UK next year. It’s a near on certainty.

If there was such a thing as the bothy lottery, then Warnscale Head would have much higher odds of holding the winning ticket. It’s hard not to be captivated by the place. The views on the approach and from the bothy itself are sublime, the building oozes character and the hiking opportunities surrounding it are some of the best in The Lake District. That alone is saying something.

Where Is Warnscale Head Bothy?

When it comes to locations, it is hard to top the one Warnscale Head Bothy is afforded. It would be easy to spend this entire article just celebrating the scenery surrounding the place. You are likely to experience the truly dramatic Honister Pass, be wowed by the valley Buttermere Lake sits in and gaze in awe at the towering craggy mountains of Haystacks and Fleetwith Pike.

Routes In

There are several options when hiking in, but I’ve included the two most popular options below. Conveniently, they also happen to be the most straight forward too, although don’t go thinking that they’re without challenge. The elevated position of the bothy means that plenty of climbing will be necessary which ever direction you approach from.

Route One

Distance: 3.2km

Elevation Gain: 311 metres

Estimated Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Route Two

Distance: 2.98 km

Elevation Gain: 241 metres

Estimated Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

My Experience Hiking To Warnscale Head Bothy

Always seeking the most amazing scenery and not liking pay and display car parks ( this applies to Honister Slate Mine ), I decided to leave my car in a lay-by on Honister Pass before taking route one.

I’ve driven the pass before, but it never fails to take my breath away. The expansive scree slopes and crags looming high either side of the road make this stretch of tarmac just about as dramatic as any others in the UK. If you are a keen driver or cyclist and wish to find out more about the pass, please click here.

The lay-by I used had my car sat beside one of the many large boulders littering the valley sides and floors. Evidence of past glaciation is all around you in this landscape. You can only marvel at the power the ice must have had to carry such weight and carve the land in the way it has.

Before long I was leaving the car and road behind as I headed into Warnscale Bottom. This valley must surely be one of the most stunning in all of The Lake District. The mountains of Fleetwith Pike and Haystacks are steep, craggy and truly dramatic, while Warnscale Beck makes for a great soundtrack to accompany the view. I would love to head back during a cold winter spell, when the mountains are covered in snow.

The Climb Begins

Once you reach the head of the valley, there are two possible routes up as you can fork left or right. I decided to stick to the right, which I feel is the better option. Either direction provides clear paths that do a good job in negotiating the steep slopes.

It didn’t take long for the sweat to start flowing and the breath to deepen. There is nearly a thousand feet of climbing to complete in little more than a kilometre. If you’re carrying substantial weight on your back and fuel for the fire, then be prepared for things to feel tough towards the end. The bothy is of course worth every step.

I knew before heading up that the bothy was well hidden against the surrounding mountainside and indeed this was the case. I kept trying to spot it, but with no success. In the end my first sight of it felt like I had just stumbled across it. The bothy only became visible to me in the last hundred metres or so. That’s certainly something to note if you are making the journey in the dark.

A Bothy Of Character

Exploring Warnscale Head bothy was a unique experience right from the off. Before entering the front door, I began to wonder whether the whole place had been designed and built by dwarfs. I am slightly over six foot tall and had to stoop like an NBA centre through the entrance arch and main door. It isn’t hard to believe that a fair few visitors have walloped their heads going in and out of the place, especially after a few beers or drams of whiskey.

Despite the hobbit- sized door, entering the bothy for the first time is a pleasure. It is a one room affair, but it oozes character and charm. The video clip below does a good job in showing you what you can expect:

As you saw in the video, I found myself drawn to the large noticeboard and the information about how it was reconstructed by the Mountain Bothies Association. For more information about this amazing organisation and the other bothies around the UK they maintain, please click here.

My Experience At Warnscale Head Bothy

With my visit being during late October, it didn’t long for the sun to slip behind the mountains to the west. I enjoyed watching the colours change in the sky almost by the minute, but the nagging cold wind soon had me seeking shelter inside the bothy.

Being a Wednesday evening, I was lucky enough to have the bothy to myself and so went about unpacking and finally getting the stove started. A mixture of fire logs and other bits of wood came in handy and the room soon started to warm up. I guess that’s one big advantage to the bothy being such a small space inside. If you decide to bring coal, then I reckon it could positively balmy even on a cold winter’s night.

Despite the lack of of other human visitors, I soon learned though that I wouldn’t spend the evening alone. A few moments after dumping my pack and turning to sort the fire, I heard signs of life behind me. I span around and there was the bravest little mouse trying to get at my food. I’m not new to bothy mice, but up to this point had never met one so brazen. More about this four legged critter I called Mr Jingles a bit later.

Dinner Is Served

There really is nothing better to do on a long cold bothy night than to enjoy copious amounts of food and drink. I always enjoy a tough hike in, as it makes me feel like I’ve earned the excuse to indulge and fill myself like I do around Christmas time.

My beef stew and pilau rice all mixed together in the Jet Boil wasn’t the most visually appealing meal I’ve ever done, but I never really care about things like that on these sort of trips. If it tastes good, fills me up and is easy to cook, then that’s a massive win in my opinion.

The strong 8% beer certainly went down well too and did an even greater job in helping me relax and enjoy the peace of where I was. Lack of water consumed earlier did a wonderful job in allowing the alcohol to race straight to my head. Once more I was living up the nickname I’ve been given of being a ‘sniffer.’ Usually that’s all I need to have when it comes to booze before I feel a bit tipsy. A few drams of whiskey were enjoyed afterwards and helped warm me even more along with the fire, which was now roaring in the stove.

A Mouse & A Good Book

A strange subheading I know, but these are the two things that filled the rest of the evening. In between enjoying a good laugh and finishing off Bothy Tales ( a great read by the way ), I found myself throwing scraps of food onto the floor to then watch Mr Jingles scurry out to collect some before returning to his food store. He was always too quick and clever for me to catch him on camera though unfortunately.

By around half past ten I was exhausted- the crackling fire and alcohol no doubt working their magic. I settled down for a good night’s sleep, but it wasn’t to be in the bothy at least.

Within only a couple of minutes I heard Mr Jingles scurrying across the sleeping platform before I felt him at the end of my sleeping bag. What a nerve he had! This has never happened to me before as far as I know and I almost had to laugh at the confidence of the little fella. I like to think now that he was thanking me for the stuffed belly I’d given him.

A Slight Change Of Plans

I didn’t hang about though. It may have been pitch black, windy and drizzly outside, however I soon found myself pitching my tent with difficulty. A combination of a fading head torch and being slightly tipsy made it harder work than usual. Thankfully, I managed to get it all fixed down and was tucked up comfortably in no time. Despite the wind and rain that battered the tent all night, it stood strong and offered the usual confidence it always does. Click here to read more about the OEX Bobcat Tent.

You may now wonder why I have included the title to this article I have, when I ended up sleeping in my tent. I still consider it an amazing place to spend the evening and the issue I had wouldn’t be a problem if you visited with a dog. Even without one, you may not experience what I did. Nobody else had written about it at least in the bothy book. Instead I read story after story about what an amazing stay various adventurers had enjoyed.

For me, the views in all directions and the ambiance of the building itself still makes it one of the best bothies I have visited so far.

Nearby Dubs Hut Bothy

It might not be visible from Warnscale Head, but Dubs Hut Bothy is less than a kilometre by foot. You will need to cross the burn, which can be tricky when in spate, but paths make the rest of the journey pretty straight forward.

I decided to go and investigate before breakfast and was glad I did. It’s a brilliantly maintained refuge with two sleeping platforms, stove and amazing views just like at Warnscale. The doors and ceilings were also significantly higher. I didn’t feel it was welcoming and atmospheric as where I had stayed, however it would make a great alternative if Warnscale is full.

Please feel free to watch the short video clip below, which will hopefully show you what you can expect on a visit to Dubs Hut.

To Wrap Things Up….

Hopefully I’ve done a good job in showing you why a visit to Warnscale Head Bothy is well worth it. Even with Mr Jingles at home, it is still a cracking place to spend the evening, escape the fast pace of life and enjoy some of the finest Lake District scenery around. You might even end up sharing the fire and few drams with some like-minded folk. Enjoy your trip and don’t forget to duck your head before you enter!