High Crag Buttress from Buttermere village. Sheepbone Rake can be seen rising right to left across the face of the buttress. The route passes the Fish Hotel onto the gated lane to the lake and the popular lakeshore track. Take the higher track through Burtness Wood. Watch out for the climbers path to Burtness Comb which starts a 120 yards or so beyond a ruined wall shortly after the track begins to descend back to the lake shore.
The climbers path emerges from Burtness Wood over a stile and continues as a green trod across the north-eastern slopes of High Stile. The bracken makes it difficult to follow in high summer. You can follow the fence and wall above the wood instead which acts as sure guide towards Burtness Comb, but it's not recommended.
The Grasmoor group of fells from the climbers path.
Higher up the path crosses a scree slope and passes below a crag. There is a good supply of water available there from a small waterfall which spills over the crag
High Crag Buttress and Comb Crags come into view as the path rounds the base of High Stile's north-east ridge.
Fleetwith Pike from the climbers path.
High Crag Buttress from the lip of Burtness Comb.
Looking back towards Robinson and Hindscarth.
Initially it's best to keep to the right side of the comb to avoid most of the boulders which litter the bed of the comb.
Crossing the bed of Burtness Comb. The head of the comb is flanked by the awesome Eagle Crag on the left and Grey Crag on the right.
Some prefer to climb directly to the rock gateway below the rake. It's easier to climb the slope to the right of the rock outcrop in the centre of the photo to a point where the full length of Sheepbone Rake comes into view, then make a rising traverse of a grass ramp across to the gateway.
Traversing across the slope towards the rock gateway and Sheepbone Rake.
There is a cairn set on a boulder on the approach to the rock gateway and the start of the rake.
Looking over to Grasmoor and co. from the rock gateway.
Sheepbone Rake from the rock gateway. The rake is much steeper than it appears from the photo. It's generally easier to keep to the right, below Sheepbone Buttress, to avoid climbing through the ankle-trapping boulders, although some of them are unavoidable.
Looking back along the length of Comb Crags
Grasmoor from Sheepbone Rake
Higher on the rake there is a faint path to follow once the boulders have been left behind.
Sunshine at last strikes Burtness Comb!
Looking across to Robinson and Hindscarth from Sheepbone Rake.
Crummock Water and Buttermere from Sheepbone Rake.
Fleetwith Pike from Sheepbone Rake.
Blue Buttermere.
The summit of Glaramara appears over the col between Grey Knotts and Brandreth.
Nearly at the top of the rake and, as Sheepbone Buttress tapers away, it's time to look for a suitable exit route from the rake.
Looking down on Gatesgarth from the top of the rake.
Ignore the first obvious breach in the buttress, it's much too steep. This one is easier . . . a shallow grass gully, it veers slightly back right to reach the top of the buttress and the open slopes below High Crag's north top.
Crummock Water from the exit route off the rake.
Looking over to Great Gable at the head of Ennerdale.
Fleetwith Pike from the slope above Sheepbone Buttress.
The north top of High Crag, the true summit lies a short distance beyond it.
Crummock Water and Grasmoor from the north top of High Crag.