Coledale Horseshoe - Sunday 2 April 2017
Route
Braithwaite - Braithwaite Lodge - Barrow - Barrow Door - High Moss - Sail - The Scar - Crag Hill - Wandope - Thirdgill Head Man - Coledale Hause - Sand Hill - Hopegill Head - Whiteside - Hopegill Head - Hobcarton Crag - Grisedale Pike - Sleet How - Kinn - Braithwaite
Parking
Plenty of roadside parking in Braithwaite - most of it is free.
Mileage
13.5 miles
Terrain
Good mountain paths throughout.
Weather
Warm & sunny with the occasional light breeze. Visibility was excellent.
Time Taken
8hrs
Total Ascent
5065ft (1544m)
Wainwrights
7
Map
OL4 - The English Lakes (North Western Area)
Walkers
Dave, Angie & Fudge with Lee & Karen James
Braithwaite - Braithwaite Lodge - Barrow - Barrow Door - High Moss - Sail - The Scar - Crag Hill - Wandope - Thirdgill Head Man - Coledale Hause - Sand Hill - Hopegill Head - Whiteside - Hopegill Head - Hobcarton Crag - Grisedale Pike - Sleet How - Kinn - Braithwaite
Parking
Plenty of roadside parking in Braithwaite - most of it is free.
Mileage
13.5 miles
Terrain
Good mountain paths throughout.
Weather
Warm & sunny with the occasional light breeze. Visibility was excellent.
Time Taken
8hrs
Total Ascent
5065ft (1544m)
Wainwrights
7
Map
OL4 - The English Lakes (North Western Area)
Walkers
Dave, Angie & Fudge with Lee & Karen James
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GPX File
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Walk Description
One of our favourite walks in Lakeland is The Coledale Horseshoe - also known as The Coledale Round. This superb route is a walk over the Wainwright Fells (and others) surrounding the glacial hanging valley of Coledale near Keswick. We played around with our route today to encompass the summits of Wandope and Thirdgill Head Man plus an out and back over to Whiteside - a wonderful ridge walk of about a mile and a half stretching out from Hopegill Head. We had our friends Lee & Karen visiting for the weekend therefore what better route to take them on than this Lakeland classic.
We started today from the village of Braithwaite, just outside Keswick - there is plenty of (free!) roadside parking here if you arrive early enough. Leaving the village, the route headed south to Braithwaite Lodge before a steady climb to reach the Wainwright summit of Barrow. From the summit there are a couple of options - both involve descending to the col of Barrow Door - either head up to Stile End and then on to Outerside, or as we did, give Outerside a miss and follow the very good path around Outerside's southern flank to reach an area of boggy ground called High Moss.
From High Moss the path turns stony and loose in parts, heading uphill steadily to reach a pass intersecting Scar Crags and Sail - we were off to the latter and ascended the steep, zig zagging path up to Sail's summit and whilst the top itself is pretty bland, the views from here are superb. Leaving Sail there is now a delightful up & down transit over The Scar to reach the domed, stony summit of Crag Hill and its forlorn & broken Trig Point (now repaired). From Crag Hill, the usual route would be to drop down into the col leading to Grasmoor however we headed firstly to Wandope and then to Thirdgill Head Man, the latter of which gives glorious views to Crummock Water, the High Stile Ridge and The Scafells.
From Thirdgill Head Man the route headed to the col between Grasmoor & Crag Hill to then take us on a gentle descent down to Coledale Hause and the climb up to Sand Hill - it looks pretty innocuous but is deceptively steep. From the summit of Sand Hill the path keeps on rising, albeit much gentler to reach the impressive summit of Hopegill Head which gives fine views to Grisedale Pike & along the ridge to Whiteside. From Hopegill Head the round would normally continue east towards Grisedale Pike but the ridge walk to Whiteside is such a fantastic amble with views to match that we could not resist walking out & back on such a beautiful day - it is so worth it for the views down to Crummock Water & Mellbreak and over to Grasmoor whose bulk accompanied us for the entire transit along the ridge.
Back at Hopegill Head we avoided the temptation to enjoy the scramble down and back up to Ladyside Pike and instead headed along the ridge to firstly Hobcarton Crag and then on to Grisedale Pike. The afternoon was still gloriously sunny as we made the steep descent from the summit down Sleet How to Kinn and then ultimately drop on to the Whinlatter Pass that returned us to Braithwaite (via a debrief in The Coledale Inn). We have done this walk a fair few times now and never tire of it - best saved for a day when you can enjoy the spectacular views on offer throughout the route.
We started today from the village of Braithwaite, just outside Keswick - there is plenty of (free!) roadside parking here if you arrive early enough. Leaving the village, the route headed south to Braithwaite Lodge before a steady climb to reach the Wainwright summit of Barrow. From the summit there are a couple of options - both involve descending to the col of Barrow Door - either head up to Stile End and then on to Outerside, or as we did, give Outerside a miss and follow the very good path around Outerside's southern flank to reach an area of boggy ground called High Moss.
From High Moss the path turns stony and loose in parts, heading uphill steadily to reach a pass intersecting Scar Crags and Sail - we were off to the latter and ascended the steep, zig zagging path up to Sail's summit and whilst the top itself is pretty bland, the views from here are superb. Leaving Sail there is now a delightful up & down transit over The Scar to reach the domed, stony summit of Crag Hill and its forlorn & broken Trig Point (now repaired). From Crag Hill, the usual route would be to drop down into the col leading to Grasmoor however we headed firstly to Wandope and then to Thirdgill Head Man, the latter of which gives glorious views to Crummock Water, the High Stile Ridge and The Scafells.
From Thirdgill Head Man the route headed to the col between Grasmoor & Crag Hill to then take us on a gentle descent down to Coledale Hause and the climb up to Sand Hill - it looks pretty innocuous but is deceptively steep. From the summit of Sand Hill the path keeps on rising, albeit much gentler to reach the impressive summit of Hopegill Head which gives fine views to Grisedale Pike & along the ridge to Whiteside. From Hopegill Head the round would normally continue east towards Grisedale Pike but the ridge walk to Whiteside is such a fantastic amble with views to match that we could not resist walking out & back on such a beautiful day - it is so worth it for the views down to Crummock Water & Mellbreak and over to Grasmoor whose bulk accompanied us for the entire transit along the ridge.
Back at Hopegill Head we avoided the temptation to enjoy the scramble down and back up to Ladyside Pike and instead headed along the ridge to firstly Hobcarton Crag and then on to Grisedale Pike. The afternoon was still gloriously sunny as we made the steep descent from the summit down Sleet How to Kinn and then ultimately drop on to the Whinlatter Pass that returned us to Braithwaite (via a debrief in The Coledale Inn). We have done this walk a fair few times now and never tire of it - best saved for a day when you can enjoy the spectacular views on offer throughout the route.
Karen, myself & Lee at the start in Braithwaite - as you can see Fudge is raring to go!
Ascending Barrow with Braithwaite to the left and the Skiddaw range behind
Braithwaite with Bassenthwaite Lake to the rear - Binsey is directly behind the lake with Ullock Pike to the right
L-R Barrow, Causey Pike, Sail, Outerside & Eel Crag - Coledale Hause is the dip to the right
Fudge near the summit of Barrow
A Barrow summit panoramic
Meanwhile the two old stagers were making their way up to Barrow's summit
Approaching the summit of Barrow
Causey Pike
Barrow's summit plateau
Descending to Barrow Door - our path to Sail can be seen weaving its way to the left of Outerside which is in the centre of shot
Outerside is a Wainwright in its own right and can be approached from either Stile End to the right or from High Moss - we gave it a miss today
Outerside is a Wainwright in its own right and can be approached from either Stile End to the right or from High Moss - we gave it a miss today
Grisedale Pike above Force Crag Mine
Eel Crag & Sand Hill to the left & right of Coledale Hause
The stony ascent to Sail from High Moss
Ascending Sail via the hideous zig zag path - a less hideous path can be seen making its way up to Scar Crags
Doesn't get much better than this!
The summit of Sail with Crag Hill to the rear and Wandope to the left
A Sail panoramic
Fudge was so enamoured with Sail he didn't want to follow us all to Crag Hill
Fells everywhere today - looking to the High Stile ridge with the Scafells to the left
Wandope & Addacombe Hole
Looking back to Sail from The Scar
Hobcarton Crag & Grisedale Pike
The four of us & Fudge on the summit of Crag Hill
The stony plateau summit of Crag Hill
Heading to Wandope
Crag Hill & Sail from Wandope
One dope on Wandope
A Wandope panoramic looking to Crummock Water with Mellbreak ahead & the huge bulk of Grasmoor to the right
From Thirdgill Head Man looking down to Rannerdale Knotts, Crummock Water & Mellbreak
The summit of Thirdgill Head Man with Grasmoor behind
Mellbreak above Crummock Water
Michael Phelps eat your heart out
Looking back to Coledale Hause from the ascent of Sand Hill
Sail, Crag Hill & Eel Crag are to the left and centre with the lower slopes of Grasmoor to the right
Sail, Crag Hill & Eel Crag are to the left and centre with the lower slopes of Grasmoor to the right
The deceptively steep ascent to Sand Hill - Lee is ahead as he heard there was an ice cream van at the top
There's always one! The summit of Sand Hill. The ridge to Whiteside is to the right
Whiteside
Don't normally like doing out and backs but the ridge walk over to Whiteside is an absolute cracker
Looking back to Hopegill Head from the route over to Whiteside
Ridge walking at its finest as we head to Whiteside
Nearing Whiteside's summit
Looking back along the ridge from Whiteside's summit into Gasgale Gill
Panning further around to the right - Coledale Hause & Gasgale Gill
Looking back to Hopegill Head from the summit of Whiteside
Grasmoor
Heading back along the ridge to Hopegill Head
The short scramble back up to Hopegill Head
Ladyside Pike
The summit of Hopegill Head
Next stop Hobcarton Crag
One of my favourite photos with Fudge
Another view of Ladyside Pike - this time looking over the crags of Hobcarton
A Hobcarton Crag panoramic
Grisedale Pike & Hobcarton Crag
The last stiff pull of the day up to Hobcarton Crag's summit
The summit of Hobcarton Crag
Just a great day to be out
On the summit of Grisedale Pike
Rather you than me mate - that is some push up Sleet How!
Looking down on Keswick
Descending Sleet How to Kinn
Karen was a shadow of her former self
Debrief in the Coledale Inn - Lee was feeling pleased with himself because he left his wallet in the car