A high ridge walk along the Coledale Horseshoe

Summary

Grisedale Pike and Hopegill Head are one of the Lake Districts many mountains in the national park that stand over the small village of Braithwaite near Keswick. This is a challenging high ridge hike and can become very steep in parts. However the views of the distant fells and small villages do not disappoint as you scramble to the top of the peak. Parking is available at the bottom of Whinlatter on the side of the road, or in the town of Braithwaite. There is also parking in the small main car park where the hike starts, however finding a spot can become difficult if you aren’t early due to the size, so it is probably best to park on the side of the road like we did.

The Hike

We began the hike up a steep wooden staircase, through the woodlands and up onto a narrow path that opened up to a wide section of grassy plantation filled with bracken, shrubs, the occasional wild mushroom and panoramic views of nearby fells that powered over small villages below.

Emerging from the woodland was our first view of Grisedale Pike and we could see that the terrain was relentless, as the path snaked its way up to the summit. With views from all angles it was hard to not keep on stopping and taking in our surroundings as fellow hikers passed us by. On the last section towards the summit, the ridge narrows and becomes quite a tough scramble on the shaley loose stones and rocky steps; good job the weather was dry as this might have been a different ball game if it was wet! The higher we were, the steeper the valleys became, and the forest of Whinlatter and Braithwaite below seemed to be like a mere dot. Reaching the summit of Grisedale Pike the views really open out to the Western Fells and swooping valleys, with the onward journey to the top of Hopegill Head that was clearly laid out ahead of us.

The biting cold wind was certainly un-noticed on the peaks, and so were our hungry stomachs so we found a spot to shelter for lunch and refuel whilst admiring the views. Having coffee and food always feels very special on top of a mountain or in the middle of nowhere, it’s a hard feeling to explain unless you have experienced it yourself. I will never tire of it though. Feeling a little more energised,  we proceeded to Hopegill Head, this is the easier section of the hike as it isn’t as steep and quite short. On the summit there is a grand viewpoint for fells such as Skiddaw and Grasmoor and in the valley lays Buttermere and Loweswater to name a few. 

Time was against us as we descended down from Hopegill. It was soon approaching 3pm and we had to make a quick decision if we wanted to go up to Crag Hill or meander through the valley of Coledale “If we head up there it will be another 3 hours I think?” 

The descent was gentle throughout Coledale valley, which gave us the opportunity to admire the high peaks towering over us with remains of the Force Crag Mine in the nearby distance. Instead of using the access road from the mine, we decided on taking a path less travelled a bit higher up in the valley which was a narrow single track. It was a lovely way to end the hike, gradually descending back to the village of Braithwaite; feeling weather beaten and exhausted.

GPX | Lake District