When viewed from the south around High Sweden bridge near Ambleside, High Pike has the look of a remote peak standing alone with cliffs falling away from the summit on its eastern side. However, in reality it is just a slight rise on the long southern ridge of Dove Crag with only about five metres of prominence which prevents it even qualifying as a Nuttall; nevertheless both Alfred Wainwright and Bill Birkett mention the fell in their books on the Lakeland Fells.