Height: 770 metres / 2526 feet Grid reference: NY 18566 22165 Category: The North Western Fells
The path to Hopegill Head with Grisedale Pike beyond from the east top of Whiteside
Looking back along the Hopegill Head arête to Whiteside from the summit.
Casper peering into Hobcarton below Grisedale Pike from Hopegill Head
Whiteside and a glimpse of Crummock Water from Hopegill Head summit
Start point: Braithwaite (NY 227 237)
Braithwaite – Kinn – Grisedale Pike – Hobcarton Head – Hopegill Head – Sand Hill – Coledale Hause – Coledale – Braithwaite
Distance: 7 miles Total Ascent: 843 metres Time Taken: 3 hours 30 minutes Start Time: 10:15
Weather: Cold with a strong wind. 3°C
With a break in the weather and a bit of sunshine around, Grisedale Pike looked very tempting from Keswick today wearing its best winter coat. The predicted weather as for high winds with a wind chill of -18C and so it turned out in the end – I didn’t fancy the full Coledale round once I had been up high for a while so took the valley route from Coledale Hause. As the old saying goes “Half a Coledale is better than no Coledale at all”! Once again it was just me and young Dougal whilst Casper stayed at home in the warm – sensible boy!
Before the walk...a wintry view along Windermere from Bowness Bay.
Skiddaw from Braithwaite.
A panoramic view of Skiddaw.
Causey Pike beyond Barrow from the climb to Kinn.
Cold Coledale.
Grisedale Pike.
Dougal checks out the climb.
Sail in mono.
Sunshine and cloud.
Eel Crag and the Coledale Valley.
The climb to Grisedale Pike up Sleet How...spot the Dougal?!
Kinn, Skiddaw and the Vale of Keswick.
Climbers ahead on Sleet How.
Looking back down from Sleet How.
The summit of Grisedale Pike - with a bitter, strong wind, it really was as cold as it looks.
A winter panorama.
The view across Outerside and Causey Pike.
Grasmoor beyond Hobcarton Head.
Dougal surveys the head of Coledale.
On the descent, first heading for Hobcarton Head then Hopegill Head up to the right.
Lovely winter scenery but oh-so cold.
Walkers on Hobcarton Head give some scale to the scene.
Looking back to Grisedale Pike, Skiddaw beyond from Hobcarton Head.
Grasmoor.
Hopegill Head and Ladyside Pike.
Grisedale Pike from the climb to Hopegill Head.
Whiteside and a glimpse of Crummock Water from Hopegill Head summit.
Wandope.
The cloud is starting to cover the fells to the south and east now.
Eel Crag from Sand Hill.
Skiddaw and Blencathra along the Coledale Valley.
Force Crag mine.
Start point: Braithwaite (NY 227 237)
Braithwaite – Kinn – Grisedale Pike – Hobcarton Head – Hopegill Head – Sand Hill – Coledale Hause – Crag Hill – Sail – Scar Crags – Causey Pike – Outerside – Stile End – Barrow – Braithwaite
Distance: 9.8 miles Total Ascent: 1400 metres Time Taken: 4 hours 35 minutes Start Time: 07:00
Weather: Brightening, warm. 18°C
A heat wave was predicted for today and continuing over the weekend – well, it was indeed pretty warm but there was plenty of cloud cover around all morning with it only clearing (predictably) when I reached the end of the walk. It was a pleasant round though, not too warm and I was out early enough to miss most of the crowds that were sure to be out later.
Coledale route map.
Dullsville at the start of the walk, Skiddaw is under there somewhere.
On Kinn.
A touch of brightness beginning to show on the climb to Grisedale Pike.
The mist was swirling and rising from the valleys now, looking across to Outerside and Causey Pike.
Sunburst through the mist.
Looking back at the path just climbed.
Dougal and Casper on the rivet that marks the summit of Grisedale Pike.
Hobcarton Head with Hopegill Head beyond lost in cloud.
Hobcarton Crag and Ladyside Pike.
Looking back to Grisedale Pike.
Sunshine at Coledale Hause looking to Eel Crag on Crag Hill. That way straight up looks interesting and I have never been that way so I think a bit of a scramble is called for.
Yes Dougal, up that-a way! I enjoyed the scramble up here, it was a good way up.
Sand Hill across Coledale Hause.
Climbing Eel Crag.
Casper on the edge of Coledale.
The summit of Crag Hill.
Wandope and Sail Beck from The Scar.
The summit of Sail.
The descent towards Scar Crags and Causey Pike.
Fix the Fells? Fix the Fells!
Ruin them, more like.
Sail and Crag Hill from Scar Crags.
Causey Pike ahead.
Looking across Coledale to Hopegill Head and Grisedale Pike.
Hindscarth and Robinson.
Derwent Water from Causey Pike.
A panoramic view from Causey Pike.
Sail and Crag Hill from Outerside.
Causey Pike from Stile End.
Barrow and Barrow Door.
Suddenly it is starting to clear up on the summit of Barrow.
Catbells.
A panoramic view from the descent.
Clearing skies now on the descent from Barrow.
Cooling off in Coledale Beck. Later, at Low Wood it is a beautiful day and 22C...
Start point: Revelin Moss Car Park (NY 249 242)
Comb Bridge – Grisedale Pike – Hobcarton Head – Hopegill Head – Ladyside Pike – Swinside Plantation – Hobcarton Plantation – Comb Bridge
Distance: 6.2 miles Total Ascent: 744 metres Time Taken: 3 hours 30 minutes
Weather: Cold but overcast. 2°C.
It was a completely different day to yesterday as it was overcast and the sky was grey and flat. Things were a lot warmer as it was very still and today I was joined by Andy Lang on this circuit of Hobcarton. The ice was treacherous once again in places, notably on the climb to Hopegill Head and then the rocky descent to join the Ladyside Pike ridge.
At the foot of the steep climb to Grisedale Pike from Comb Bridge. There is even a little bit of blue sky up there.
Looking across Hospital Plantation to Skiddaw in cloud.
Still plenty of snow around and not a breath of wind today making it feel much warmer than yesterday.
Casper shows how steep the route is. Easy enough to navigate though, just follow the wall.
Heading for Grisedale Pike.
Looking across to the Sleet How ridge to Grisedale Pike.
All is icy up here.
Wind blown ice on an old fence post.
An icy close up.
Hobcarton Head from the summit of Grisedale Pike.
Crag Hill across Coledale.
Casper on Grisedale Pike.
Looking along the ridge to Hobcarton End.
Hobcarton Head, Sand Hill and Hopegill Head.
Descending the path to Hobcarton head.
Casper leads the way.
Looking back to Grisedale Pike.
Hobcarton.
Hopegill Head and Ladyside Pike, our route of descent today.
Following the invisible men?
Grisedale Pike and Hobcarton Head from the climb to Hopegill Head. It was crampons time once more for this section of the icy climb.
Hobcarton Crag looks a bit black and white today.
Casper wonders why Andy has crampons on. Get away from the edge boy (and you Casper!).
The Crag Hill - Sail - Causey Pike ridge over Sand Hill with a big snow cornice in the foreground.
Hopegill Head.
The mist swirling around Ladyside Pike.
Andy shows how to descend the tricky, steep and icy section from Hopegill Head's summit.
A view through the mist into Hopegill.
Ladyside Pike.
A cold looking Hopegill Head from Ladyside Pike.
Swinside from Ladyside Pike.
At the foot of the descent from the Swinside ridge. It was into Swinside Plantation now to head back to the car.
Back on the straight and narrow.
Start point: Hopebeck (NY 169 241)
Hopebeck – Dodd (Lorton) (523)– Gasgale Crag – East Top of Whiteside – Hopegill Head – Ladyside Pike (524) – Swinside (525) – High Swinside Farm – Hopebeck
Distance: 4.6 miles Total Ascent: 677 metres Time Taken: 2 hours 30 minutes
Weather: Gale force winds and snow. 3°C
It was really rough weather today with a strong, freezing wind making the going tough for much of the route. The calmest part was surprisingly the high level ridge to Hopegill Head between the outward leg of Dodd and the homeward leg of Ladyside Pike. Coupled with the really strong wind was treacherous ice covered which had a thin veneer of snow on top – that meant we certainly had to watch our step today.
Heading for Dodd - the Lorton one.
Hope Gill and Hopegill Head.
Crossing Hope Beck.
The Hopegill Head - Whiteside ridge at the head of the valley
On the summit of Dodd the wind started to get stronger.
As we climbed above the snowline it became much stronger making walking quite difficult. Two steps forward, one step back.
Looking back down the route just ascended to Dodd.
Ladyside Pike and Hopegill Head with Grisedale Pike beyond.
Whiteside from Gasgale Crags with Crummock Water and Mellbreak visible.
Casper on Gasgale Crags, Grasmoor beyond.
Grisedale Pike beyond Hopegill Head with the magnificent arête yet to climb.
Sail and Crag Hill over Coledale Hause.
Looking back to Whiteside.
It almost looks like a drawing this photo, climbing to Hopegill Head.
Again from further along the ridge. It was a toss up as to whether I would get blown off by the gale force wind or slip and fall on the ice along here.
Climbing the icy ridge.
Looking back to Whiteside.
Nearly there Casper! (He is not superimposed on there either!).
Dark and brooding Grasmoor from Hopegill Head.
Grisedale Pike across Hobcarton.
Skiddaw from Hopegill Head. The descent from here to the Ladyside Pike ridge was unbelievably treacherous as it was all ice for the initial section, meaning there was lots of zig-zagging and shuffling around.
Looking back to the descent from Hopegill Head. Phew! Finally made it.
Ladyside Pike ahead.
Hopegill Head from the summit of Ladyside Pike.
If anything the wind picked up even more during the descent as Casper ably demonstrates here.
The top of Swinside was a vague one, somewhere around here. The route of descent from Ladyside Pike to here was along the line of the wall.
Lorton Vale and Loweswater get some sunshine with Blake Fell directly ahead and Loweswater Fell to the right.
Looking north to Cockermouth from the steep descent.
Start point: Rannerdale Bridge (NY 163 192)
Rannerdale Bridge – Whin Ben – Whiteside – Gasgale Crags – East Top of Whiteside – Hopegill Head – Sand Hill – Grasmoor – Wandope –Thirdgill Head Man – Whiteless Pike – Whiteless Breast – Low Bank – Rannerdale Knotts – Rannerdale Bridge
Distance: 9.7 miles Total Ascent: 1190 metres Time Taken: 4 hours 15 minutes
Weather: Fine and sunny with a cool breeze on the top again. 21oC.
Today’s conditions were almost perfect. Not a cloud in the sky, which was a beautiful azure, and the sun was shining and warm – warm enough for shorts and t-shirt for the full round. It was just me and Casper today, Angus stayed home and had a lie in whilst Casper gave his new haircut a run out.
Grasmoor from Rannerdale Bridge at the start of the walk.
The Loweswater Fells across Crummock Water.
Whiteside and Whin Benn - that's a steep way up!
Liza Beck and Loweswater.
Mellbreak.
Who is that skinny young thing looking towards Hopegill Head?
The Whiteside ridge.
The path to Hopegill Head with Grisedale Pike beyond from the east top of Whiteside.
Looking back along the Hopegill Head arête to Whiteside.
Grasmoor from Sand Hill.
Skiddaw, Blencathra and the Coledale Valley from the climb to Grasmoor.
Rannerdale Knotts from Grasmoor, the swathes of Bluebells can be seen below it even from here.
Crag Hill and Sail from Wandope.
Grasmoor from Wandope.
Casper was all skin and bone beneath all that hair!
'Who, me?'
Heading for Whiteless Pike.
Looking back to Thirdgill Head and Wandope.
Crummock Water with Loweswater beyond.
Heading down for Rannerdale Knotts.
Buttermere.
The view from Rannerdale Knotts summit.
Mellbreak across Crummock Water - straight in for Casper!
The famous Rannerdale Bluebells are in full force, here looking to Grasmoor.
Whiteless Pike from Rannerdale.
More Bluebells.
All was sweet smelling here with the gorse and flowers.
One more shot of them.
Start point: Braithwaite (NY 227 237)
Braithwaite – Kinn – Grisedale Pike – Hobcarton Head – Hopegill Head – Sand Hill – Coledale Hause – Crag Hill – Sail – Scar Crags – Causey Pike – Outerside – Stile End – Barrow – Braithwaite
Distance: 11 miles Total Ascent: 1430 metres Time Taken: 4 hours 35 minutes
Weather: Initially dull and cool turning to blue skies and sunshine. 12oC.
It was certainly a day of two halves today – the ascent to Grisedale Pike was done under dull skies with an increasingly cold wind that lasted until the descent of Sail when the skies ahead suddenly started clearing to reveal blue skies and sunshine. It wasn’t quite what we had last week, but I wasn’t complaining – it could have been much worse.
Skiddaw from the climb up to Kinn.
Looking across Coledale to Barrow and Causey Pike.
The steep ascent to Grisedale Pike.
...and from further up.
Sail and Crag Hill at the head of Coledale, Force Crag mine workings below.
Looking back along the eastern ridge used to climb Grisedale Pike.
Sand Hill and Hopegill Head.
Crag Hill.
Looking back to Grisedale Pike from Hobcarton Head.
Whiteside from Hopegill Head, Crummock Water and Mellbreak in view to the left.
Casper on Hopegill Head.
Looking across Coledale Hause to Crag Hill, the path used in ascent leads off to the right.
Outerside and Causey Pike.
'She'll carry on through it all, she's a waterfall...'
Sunrays over High Snockrigg and Wandope.
The sun lights up Outerside from a misty Crag Hill summit.
Angus shows how windy it was on Crag Hill. It was a cold blast too.
More sunrays on Knott Rigg.
As if by magic...blue sky and sun appear descending from Sail towards Scar Crags. Outerside, Stile End and Barrow are the three peaks in the centre with the bulk of Skiddaw and Blencathra beyond.
Causey Pike from Scar Crags. Blencathra is to the left then Great Mell Fell, Clough Head and Great Dodd.
Looking back along the ridge just descended to Crag Hill, the summit still in cloud.
Skiddaw over Barrow.
'Here's to you (Mrs) Robinson.'!
Clough Head and Great Dodd across Derwent Water from the summit of Outerside.
Clough Head.
Blencathra.
Stile End and Barrow.
Angus and Casper have a drink in the tarn on the way to Stile End.
Barrow from Stile End.
Cat Bells from Barrow.
Looking across Derwent Water to Bleaberry Fell with The Dodds and the Helvellyn ridge beyond, the skies still improving.
Sunburst over Causey Pike.
Bassenthwaite Lake and Braithwaite from the descent of Barrow.
A final view of Skiddaw.
Start point: Lanthwaite Green (NY 159 208)
Lanthwaite Green – Whin Ben – Whiteside (349) – Gasgale Crags (350) – East Top of Whiteside (351) – Hopegill Head – Sand Hill – Grasmoor (352) – Wandope (353) – Thirdgill Head Man (354) – Whiteless Pike (355) – Whiteless Breast – Low Bank – Rannerdale Knotts (356) – Rannerdale – Lanthwaite Green
Distance: 10.1 miles Total Ascent: 1943 metres Time Taken: 3 hours 55 minutes
Weather: Dull and overcast, rain later. 10oC.
The cloud was lying heavily on the higher tops today, so I knew there wouldn’t be any views from my round of Grasmoor. The wind was howling and quite cold, there was a great moment descending to Whiteless Pike when the mist cleared all of a sudden and I was rewarded with great views; five minutes later the mist and drizzle closed back in. I descended Rannerdale Knotts into Rannerdale to see the famous Bluebells, now in bloom and well worth a visit.
Grasmoor route map.
Whin Ben with Whiteside lost in the mist behind.
Mellbreak across Crummock Water.
Loweswater.
The arête to Hopegill Head is a mini-Striding Edge, totally lost in the clag today.
A bit of a breeze on Thirdgill Head Man!
Descending through the mist to Whiteless Pike.
Mellbreak and Crummock Water.
Looking back to Thirdgill Head Man, left, and Wandope to the right.
Crummock Water and Loweswater.
Rannerdale Knotts.
Loweswater, Crummock Water and the Loweswater Fells from Rannerdale Knotts.
Whiteless Pike from Rannerdale Knotts.
The Bluebells are out at Rannerdale...
...lots of them.
Rannerdale.
Start point: Braithwaite (NY 227 237)
Braithwaite – Kinn (209) – Grisedale Pike (210) – Hobcarton Head (211) – Hopegill Head (212)– Sand Hill (213) – Coledale Hause – Crag Hill (214) – Sail (215) – Scar Crags (216) – Causey Pike(217) – Outerside (218) – Stile End (219) – Barrow (220) – Braithwaite
Weather: Snow from the ascent of Grisedale Pike.
Today’s walk takes in a circuit of the Coledale Fells. The weather conditions didn’t look too promising from the valley, but it wasn’t so bad considering. The snowy, wintery conditions made a pleasant change from the recent downpours.
Looking towards Keswick and Derwent Water from the top of Kinn. Latrigg and Great Mell Fell are visible in the centre
Causey Pike and Scar Crags behind Outerside from the ascent of Grisedale Pike.
Snow clouds forming on the steep path to Grisedale Pike.
Roses marking the summit of Grisedale Pike...
the summit cairn of Hobcarton End.
The clouds clear momentarily on Sand Hill to allow a glimpse of Crummock Water and Mellbreak, Grasmoor is to the left.
The Coledale valley from Coledale Hause.
A snowy Scar Crags on the descent from Sail.
Looking back along the Causey Pike - Scar Crags ridge from the summit of Causey Pike.
Barrow and Derwent Water from a blizzardy Outerside summit.
Barrow from Stile End summit.
Bassenthwaite Lake behind Braithwaite How and Braithwaite.
Lanthwaite Green – Whin Ben – Whiteside (116) – Hopegill Head – Sand Hill – Grasmoor (117) – Wandope (118) – Thirdgill Head Man – Whiteless Pike (119) – Whiteless Breast – Low Bank – Rannerdale Knotts (120) – Rannerdale – Lanthwaite Green
Whiteside and Whin Ben at the start of the walk.
Carling Knott and Burnbank Fell to the left of Loweswater, Low Fell to the right.
The Hopegill Head Ridge from Whiteside's summit.
Mellbreak across Crummock Water from Whiteside's East summit cairn.
Shelter on Grasmoor summit.
The Scafell Pikes across Buttermere from Grasmoor.
The Helvellyn ridge in the distance from Wandope's summit.
Knott Rigg from Wandope.
Mellbreak across Crummock Water from Thirdgill Head Man.
Thirdgill Head and Wandope from Whiteless Pike's summit.
Rannerdale Knotts, Mellbreak, Crummock Water and Loweswater.
Crummock Water and Loweswater from Rannerdale Knotts summit.
Buttermere from Rannerdale Knotts summit.
Mellbreak.
Whiteless Pike from Lanthwaite Green.
Braithwaite – Kinn – Grisedale Pike (85) – Hopegill Head (86) – Sand Hill – Coledale Hause – Eel Crag (Crag Hill) (87) – Sail (88) – Scar Crags (89) – Causey Pike (90) – Outerside (91) – Stile End – Barrow (92) – Braithwaite
Looking over Braithwaite from the ascent of Kinn.
Grisedale Pike from Kinn.
Grisedale Pike summit overlooking Keswick.
Hopegill Head from Grisedale Pike.
Eel Crag from Grisedale Pike.
Grisedale Pike from Hopegill Head summit.
Causey Pike from Sand Hill.
Eel Crag from Coledale Hause.
Eel Crag summit, Grisedale Pike behind.
Sail summit looking back along the path to Eel Crag.
Skiddaw and Bassenthwaite Lake from Scar Crags summit.
Derwent Water from Causey Pike summit.
Outerside summit.
Derwent Water from Barrow summit.
Skiddaw from Barrow summit.