Whiteside (west top)

Whiteside's summit ridge is a shallow crescent above the valley of Gasgale Gill, and its south face is the wall of Gasgale Crags, which drops about 150m straight into the valley. The top Wainwright chose, 707m, is at the Crummock Water end. He knew it was not the highest point. The true summit, Whiteside East Top at 719m, is about 400m further along the ridge towards Hopegill Head.

Walkers mostly start at Lanthwaite Green, near the north end of Crummock Water. The largest parking area is just over the cattle grid from Lanthwaite Green Farm. Cross the common to a footbridge over Liza Beck and zigzag up the nose of Whin Ben through heather, with the odd easy rock step. Beyond Whin Ben the climb gets rockier, with a few terraces to clamber up, Gasgale Gill deep on your right and the sea to the west on a clear day. You can also come up from the north by the ridges of Dodd or Penn.

Wainwright thought the ridge walk on to Hopegill Head was exhilarating. Crags fall on one side and grass on the other, and now and then the path dips just left of the crest to avoid a rocky step. Walk Lakes' Grasmoor Six round starts this way, then crosses Hopegill Head, Coledale Hause, Grasmoor, Crag Hill, Wandope and Whiteless Pike, 17km with 1,225m of ascent.

From the western top you look out over West Cumberland to the Solway Firth and the Scottish hills. Grasmoor and Crag Hill block the south. Walk a little way west and Crummock Water and Loweswater come into view.

There are two small mining trials on the western slopes. One, a short level north of Gasgale Gill, may have been driven to find the Force Crag vein from Coledale.