It stands at the western end of the Grisedale Pike- Hopegill Head ridge overlooking Crummock Water.

The North Western Fells occupy the area between the rivers Derwent and Cocker, a broadly oval swathe of hilly country, elongated on a north-south axis.

Whiteside forms a shallow crescent, concave to the south and fringed on that face by the great wall of Gasgale Crags.

The subsidiary top of Whin Ben 1,355 feet (413 m) stands at the south west corner, overlooking the point where Gasgale Gill debouches into the fields of Lanthwaite.

[2] Whiteside has three summits: the "Wainwright" top stands at the Crummock Water end of the ridge and has a height of 707 metres (2,320 ft).

The ridge walk between Whiteside and Hopegill Head is ranked as one of the best in the district with Alfred Wainwright describing it as “an exhilarating high level traverse”; there are excellent views down into Gasgale Gill on the southern side.

[5] The main route of ascent is from Lanthwaite Green at the north end of Crummock Water ascending heathery slopes over the minor top of Whin Ben before reaching the summit.