Coledale Round
Photo: © Lee McCoy
Key facts
✎️ The Whinlatter Pass road car park is small and tucked behind the trees — and the bus to Braithwaite makes this an easy car-free round, adding only a couple of hundred metres of road to reach the start.
Difficulty profile
Five independent axes, not one score — all field-checked on the ground here, with nothing left as a desk estimate.
Conditions on this route
We score every Lakeland Wainwright each morning on cloud, wind, rain and underfoot, and this route crosses 6 of them. The worst summit governs the verdict — a route is only as kind as its roughest top.
Modelled guidance — not a substitute for the mountain forecast or your own judgement. See how every fell ranks today →
Daylight & turnaround
By bus: the Honister Rambler (77/77A) (opens in new tab) reaches Braithwaite at 09:47 and the last one back leaves at 18:04. At a steady pace this walk finishes about 16:30. Be off Barrow by 16:16. Runs daily, including public holidays. From the summer 2026 timetable, read on 21 Aug 2026. Check the timetable before you rely on it.
Daylight is short from October to February — check today’s sunrise and sunset before you set off, and carry a head-torch and spare batteries. On short days, decide your turn-back time before you start.
Why this matters: 78% of Mountain Rescue call-outs come after midday — the day runs out on the way home, not on the way up. See also walking in bad weather and today’s conditions.
The path beneath your boots
This round crosses two Fix the Fells projects: the rebuilt paths at Coledale Hause and Crag Hill (site of the worst historic scar in the Lakes, up to 30 m × 4 m) and the celebrated zig-zags from Sail to Scar Crags.
Fix the Fells built and maintains this path. How a fell path is made → · Give back (opens in new tab)
Path-repair data © Fix the Fells (National Trust / Lake District National Park). Source (opens in new tab).
1 Kinn2 Grisedale Pike3 Hobcarton Crag (Hobcarton Head)4 Hopegill Head5 Sand Hill6 Crag Hill (Eel Crag)7 Sail8 Outerside9 Stile End10 Barrow
⚑ escape route
Easy 56%Moderate 35%Hard 9%Severe <1%
Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap (switch layers top-right).
This walk covers about 16.02 km with around 1108 m of ascent, taking in 10 summits. The map above shows the line; the elevation profile and stage notes are below.
Access & barriers
Can a dog, a buggy or dodgy knees manage this route? A quick read from the gates and stiles mapped along the way.
- Dog: Gates and kissing gates only — a dog can do the whole route.
- Buggy: Stiles or rough going on the route.
- Knees: A long, steep ~33% drop around the 11.0 km mark — hard on the knees.
On the line: 7 gates
These are mapped barriers, from OpenStreetMap — coverage in the Lakes is good but not guaranteed complete. Spotted a stile or gate we’ve missed? Tell us (opens in new tab) and we’ll fix it. Barrier data as of 2026-07-09. Access data © OpenStreetMap contributors (via Overpass).
Pacing
| Summit | Cumulative | Ascent | Time (fast–steady) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Kinn | 1.3 km | 225 m | 0:38–0:51 |
| 2Grisedale Pike | 3.6 km | 651 m | 1:49–2:25 |
| 3Hobcarton Crag (Hobcarton Head) | 4.4 km | 655 m | 1:58–2:37 |
| 4Hopegill Head | 5.2 km | 715 m | 2:14–2:58 |
| 5Sand Hill | 5.5 km | 722 m | 2:18–3:03 |
| 6Crag Hill (Eel Crag) | 8.1 km | 945 m | 3:12–4:15 |
| 7Sail | 8.6 km | 945 m | 3:18–4:23 |
| 8Outerside | 10.8 km | 983 m | 3:48–5:03 |
| 9Stile End | 12.0 km | 987 m | 4:02–5:22 |
| 10Barrow | 12.8 km | 1028 m | 4:16–5:40 |
| Finish | 16.0 km | 1108 m | 5:03–6:43 |
Naismith-based estimate — a fast/steady range. Your pace will vary. These use Naismith’s textbook constants (5 km/h, 600 m of ascent an hour). Measured against a pace fitted to 41 recorded Lakeland walks they run about 8% slow, and we have left them that way deliberately: a slow estimate strands nobody.
The walk, stage by stage
- 1
Whinlatter Pass road car park (above Braithwaite) → Kinn (1.3 km, 225 m)
© Lee McCoy - 2
Kinn → Grisedale Pike (2.3 km, 426 m)
Decision pointTake a breather before the climb — there are plenty of spots just off the track. The OS map doesn't convey how steep and craggy Grisedale Pike is: the pull to the summit needs you good on both feet and hands, bobbing and weaving across the rock to find the line of least resistance. The top is a rocky knoll with a metal marker, and Hopegill Head sits invitingly ahead.
Easy to get wrongSteeper and rockier than it looks on the map; don't rush it, and think twice in wet or wild weather. There's no sensible bail off the climb itself once you've started.
© Lee McCoy - 3
Grisedale Pike → Hobcarton Crag (Hobcarton Head) (0.7 km, 4 m)
Decision pointThe track stays very distinct along the ridge, dropping gently towards Hopegill Head. Coming off the rocky ground, keep left for the safest line down the small scree.
Easy to get wrongKeep left on the descent to stay off the steeper, looser ground.
- 4
Hobcarton Crag (Hobcarton Head) → Hopegill Head (0.9 km, 60 m)
Decision pointSand Hill and Hobcarton Crag lie ahead — keep left in cloud, because it's a sharp, rocky drop close on the right. A short pull gains Hopegill Head's small summit; in foul weather you may have to crouch or crawl to touch the top and claim it.
Easy to get wrongThe drop on the right along Hobcarton Crag is the real hazard in poor visibility — keep left. The summit itself is tiny and exposed to the wind.
- 5
Hopegill Head → Sand Hill (0.3 km, 6 m)
Decision pointTurn back from Hopegill Head and keep right past the rock waymarker, dropping over Sand Hill into Coledale Hause.
Easy to get wrongEasy to lose the line off the top in cloud — keep right past the waymarker rather than drifting back along the Hobcarton edge.
© Lee McCoy - 6
Sand Hill → Crag Hill (Eel Crag) (2.6 km, 223 m)
Decision pointAt the base of Eel Crag there are several options; the gentler left-most line is the kindest (left here is also your bail — see below). Keep to the clear track on the west side of Eel Crag, then turn right for the slightly steep pull to Crag Hill, with its trig marker on top.
Easy to get wrongBroad, featureless ground up here — take care with the line in cloud. You can add Wandope by carrying straight on at the junction instead of turning left; it loops round and rejoins the Crag Hill climb.
© Lee McCoy - 7
Crag Hill (Eel Crag) → Sail (0.5 km, 0 m)
Decision pointFrom Crag Hill, take the slight right along the scar to reach Sail.
Easy to get wrongTwo descents leave Sail: take the picturesque switchbacks down to the col. The alternative Long Comb line dropping away to the right looked treacherous — avoid it.
- 8
Sail → Outerside (2.1 km, 38 m)
Decision pointDrop down the switchbacks from Sail to the col, then the path swings round to High Moss — a boggy little col, a natural rest and a bail point (you can contour south of Outerside and Stile End to Barrow or out). A short pull then gains Outerside.
Easy to get wrongHigh Moss is reliably boggy. Strong walkers sometimes extend from Sail over Scar Crags to Causey Pike before cutting back here — see the harder variant.
- 9
Outerside → Stile End (1.2 km, 4 m)
Decision pointA short, clear step across to Stile End — a Birkett top that's easy to pick off with the GPX.
Easy to get wrongEasy to miss unawares; the GPX keeps you right.
- 10
Stile End → Barrow (0.8 km, 41 m)
Decision pointOn to Barrow, with a few rocky little climbs but nothing remotely like Grisedale Pike.
Easy to get wrongRocky steps in places, but straightforward.
Barrow → Finish (3.3 km, 80 m)
Decision pointOff Barrow the track stays clear; the last little hillock can be skirted to the north, then it's a case of following your nose back down to the start.
Easy to get wrongSkirt the final hillock to the north rather than going over it.
Summits bagged (10)
- 1Kinn374 m
- 2Grisedale Pike790 m
- 3Hobcarton Crag (Hobcarton Head)738 m
- 4Hopegill Head770 m
- 5Sand Hill756 m
- 6Crag Hill (Eel Crag)839 m
- 7Sail773 m
- 8Outerside568 m
- 9Stile End447 m
- 10Barrow455 m
In the order you walk them — the same numbers the elevation profile, the stage notes and the pacing table use.
Getting there & parking
Positions are approximate. Lakeland car parks fill before 9am on fine weekends.
Vehicles are left entirely at their owner’s risk. We list places people park; we cannot vouch for any of them. Judge it on the day: take valuables with you, leave nothing on show, and if a spot feels wrong when you get there, park somewhere else.
Every option near this start, on the parking map →
Water, shelter & getting away
On-route facilities © OpenStreetMap contributors — an absent marker does not mean the facility isn’t there.
Buses
The 77 stops at Braithwaite, at Croft Terrace, 720 m and 87 m of ascent from this start. Last bus: Monday to Friday 22:27 towards Workington (X5) and 17:37 towards Keswick (77) and 16:37 towards Cockermouth (77); Saturday 00:22 (+1) (after midnight) towards Workington (X5) and 17:37 towards Keswick (77) and 16:37 towards Cockermouth (77); Sunday 20:17 towards Workington (X5) and 17:37 towards Keswick (77) and 16:37 towards Cockermouth (77). Checked against the operator’s timetable, 7 September 2026. Times here are a guide, not a promise — leave yourself more than the minute.
The 77 passes this route at 14.8 km (Braithwaite, at Croft Terrace, 150 m off the line).
Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com (opens in new tab) or Traveline before travelling.
If the parking is full
There is a fallback here, but it is a weak one. Some of the 3 below tend to fill for the same reasons at the same time. Treat the list as one-and-a-bit options rather than 3.
- Braithwaite village (roadside/small areas)
- Kinn (verge, north)
- Barrow (layby)
Worked out from the parking we hold within walking reach of this route and the other walks each place serves — two places that serve the same walks fill for the same reasons. We are not saying whether anywhere has spaces today, and we never will: this is what exists, not what is free.
When the sun reaches the tops
Not sunrise — the moment the sun clears the skyline from that summit, which on a fell with high ground to its east can be a good deal later. The two equinoxes are shown because they fall in the walking season, and late December too wherever a top keeps you waiting then; the clock gap between the equinoxes is British Summer Time, not the hill. Rounded to the nearest quarter hour and meant as a general idea, not a schedule.
- Grisedale Pike — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.
- Hopegill Head — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.
- Crag Hill (Eel Crag) — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.
- Sail — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.
- Outerside — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00. It waits longest in late December — about half an hour after sunrise.
- Barrow — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:30, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00. It waits longest in midsummer — about a quarter of an hour after sunrise.
Modelled from a 30 m elevation model against each summit’s own skyline — the same figures the fell pages carry, never observed. Cloud is not in it.
Safety & conditions
- Grisedale Pike's upper climb is steep and craggy — you'll want hands on rock near the top. It's no place to be rushed, or to be in poor conditions.
- Along Sand Hill and Hobcarton Crag, keep left in cloud: there's a sharp, rocky drop close on the right that's easy to drift towards.
- Hopegill Head's summit is tiny and exposed — in a strong wind you may have to crouch to claim it.
- Watch the short grassy ridge at Kinn; a careless step could slide you down the bank. Worth marking on the GPS.
- Off Sail, take the switchback path down to the col — the alternative Long Comb line dropping to the right looked treacherous; avoid it.
- High Moss is reliably boggy underfoot.
Hazard & incident notes: Grisedale Pike · Hopegill Head · Crag Hill (Eel Crag) · Sail
Check live conditions in the “From the fells” panel, on MWIS (opens in new tab) and the Met Office mountain forecast (opens in new tab) before you set off.
Escape routes
- At about 1.7 km: descend to Retreat to the start car park (cuts ~14.3 km) — The last easy escape before Coledale Hause. Above Kinn it's commit to Grisedale Pike's steep, craggy pull or turn back here — there's no sensible bail off the climb itself.
- At about 6.2 km: descend to Coledale valley to Braithwaite (cuts ~9.8 km) — At the base of Eel Crag, the left-hand track drops down the Coledale valley straight back to Braithwaite — the sheltered escape if the weather turns, and the natural way to cut the round in half.
- At about 10.2 km: descend to Contour to Barrow, or out via the valley (cuts ~5.8 km) — From the boggy rest at High Moss you can contour south of Outerside and Stile End straight to Barrow, or drop out altogether — handy if legs or light are running short.
Bail-out lines verified on the ground. In poor visibility a marked descent can be safer than retracing a ridge.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: For a shorter day, drop down the Coledale valley from the base of Eel Crag (Coledale Hause) back to Braithwaite once you've had Grisedale Pike and Hopegill Head — the more sheltered way off in poor weather. From High Moss, later on, you can also contour south of Outerside and Stile End straight to Barrow to trim the back half.
Harder: Strong walkers can extend the round. Add Wandope by carrying straight on at the junction below Crag Hill (it loops round and rejoins the climb); and from Sail continue over Scar Crags to Causey Pike before cutting back to High Moss — airy, rewarding ground, and Causey Pike is a fine Wainwright in its own right. Both add distance, ascent and exposure.
Why this direction: Walked clockwise, Grisedale Pike first: you get the steep, craggy pull behind you while fresh, take the airy Hopegill Head ridge mid-walk, and finish over the gentler tops of Outerside, Stile End and Barrow with a long, easy track back to Braithwaite.
Short version: turn back at about 8.6 km (drop to Whinlatter Pass road car park (above Braithwaite)) — roughly half the distance.
Places to stay near this start
From Whinlatter: 12 places in Keswick
