Home / Routes / Coledale Round

Written and walked by Lee McCoy · Walked May 2026 · Last reviewed 22 June 2026 · Route guide updated 13 October 2026: ascent and time changed · 171 of 214 Wainwrights with a Strava-matched summit

Hard distanceLoop

Coledale Round

16.13 km

Distance

~5¼–7¼ h

Typical time

~1277 m

Ascent

Summits

Photo: © Lee McCoy

One of the great north-western horseshoes, and a properly big mountain day from Braithwaite.

Start Whinlatter Pass road car park (above Braithwaite)

Getting here Parking: Kinn car park, 0.0 km from the start (straight line). Bus: the 77 and X5 stop at Braithwaite, at Croft Terrace, a 720 m walk and 87 m of ascent from this start. Getting there ↓ · Route map ↓

Hardest part Hard distance: 16.13 km — a long day out. Hard steepness: Steepest sustained climb about 32% around the 3.3 km mark. Hard navigation: Clear tracks for most of the round, but genuine care in cloud: the grassy Kinn ridge, keeping left along Sand Hill and Hobcarton Crag above the drop, and the broad Crag Hill plateau. Hard – graded by Lee on the ground Hard exposure: Some scrambling elements, and serious to navigate in rain or low cloud. Hard – graded by Lee on the ground Hands for a few steps: near the top of Grisedale Pike (km 3.1–3.6).

Direction Loop

Before you choose

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.
Grisedale Pike: The northern side of the summit and the ridge toward Hopegill Head drops in steep crags above Hobcarton. In cloud or wind keep back from the edge — the ground that looks like the continuation of the ridge ends in cliffs.

Hazard & incident notes: Grisedale Pike · Hopegill Head · Crag Hill (Eel Crag) · Sail

A route line is a suggestion, not a guarantee — conditions change. Navigate independently and carry a map & compass. How to use this guide.

Download GPX →Walked by Lee, May 2026

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.

Hardest partHands for a few steps

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 from Braithwaite, at Croft Terrace at 17:37, Tuesday to Sunday only. At a steady pace this walk finishes about 16:30. Be off Barrow by 14:27, to be down at least an hour before dusk on 1 November; that is earlier than the last bus needs. The last bus is from the operator’s timetable, checked 24 September 2026; that timetable runs to 1 November. 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.

Route map

OpenTopoMap

Elevation profile, shaded by steepness

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 62%Moderate 34%Hard 4%Severe

821 m

High point

137 m

Start height

Heights on this chart and its high point are read from the track itself (a terrain model sampled along the line, or a GPS recording), so a top can differ from its listed height, usually reading lower.

Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap, with SRTM elevation data (switch layers top-right).

The elevation profile is under the map; the stage notes follow.

The line to the summit of Hopegill Head is drawn, not recorded.

The walk, stage by stage

1
Whinlatter Pass road car park (above Braithwaite) → Kinn (1.3 km, 233 m)
Climb of about 233 m over 1.3 km (around 18% average).
From the small car park beside the B5292 Whinlatter Pass road, take the signed Public Footpath to Grisedale Pike at the far end of the car park. Climb the wooden steps and follow the path steeply uphill, initially above the road. After approximately 150 metres, the path swings left onto the ridge. Continue uphill through bracken, cross the fence at the stile or gate, and follow the increasingly open, grassy path towards Kinn. The climb is steep in places, with stone or earth steps, potentially muddy ground and slippery sections after rain. Watch for the sharp change of direction early in the ascent rather than continuing along the road or taking an indistinct hillside track. Beyond Kinn, the main path continues southwest towards Sleet How and Grisedale Pike, where the ridge becomes considerably steeper and rockier.
If you need to get off
If conditions deteriorate before the steeper ascent towards Sleet How and Grisedale Pike, turn back along the established ridge path towards Kinn. Descend the same grassy path, cross the fence at the stile or gate, then follow the descending path and steps back to the small car park beside the B5292. This is the simplest established retreat from the early section of the walk. The descent can be steep, muddy and slippery, particularly after heavy rain. Do not attempt to shortcut directly down the steep slopes into Coledale valley. Once beyond Kinn and climbing towards Grisedale Pike, retracing the main ridge path remains the more straightforward option, although it is not necessarily easy in severe weather.
© Lee McCoy
2
Kinn → Grisedale Pike (2.3 km, 436 m)
Climb of about 436 m over 2.3 km (around 19% average).
Decision point
Take 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 wrong
Steeper 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. Grisedale Pike's descent toward Braithwaite is steep and badly eroded, with loose stones and polished rock that are slippery and dangerous when wet.
If you need to get off
No separate way off is confirmed on this stage; turn back along the established ridge path via Kinn and retrace the ascent to the Whinlatter Pass car park near Braithwaite, taking care on the steep, rocky sections.
© Lee McCoy
3
Grisedale Pike → Hobcarton Crag (Hobcarton Head) (0.7 km, 35 m)
Descent of about 52 m over 0.7 km.
Decision point
The track stays very distinct along the ridge, dropping gently towards Hopegill Head. Coming off the rocky ground, keep left for the better line down the small scree.
Easy to get wrong
Keep left on the descent to stay off the steeper, looser ground.
If you need to get off
No confirmed way off leaves this stage directly; continue to the signed path junction beyond Hobcarton Crag and descend towards Coledale Hause, or retrace the ridge over Grisedale Pike to Braithwaite if conditions allow.
4
Hobcarton Crag (Hobcarton Head) → Hopegill Head (0.9 km, 75 m)
Climb of about 75 m over 0.9 km (around 8% average).
Decision point
Sand 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 wrong
The 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.
If you need to get off
No confirmed way off leaves this stage directly; continue to Hopegill Head, take the south-east path over Sand Hill to Coledale Hause, then descend via the established Coledale valley path past Force Crag Mine to Braithwaite, avoiding the steep drops around Hobcarton Crag.
5
Hopegill Head → Sand Hill (0.3 km, 10 m)
Undulating section of about 0.3 km.
Decision point
Turn back from Hopegill Head and keep right past the rock waymarker, dropping over Sand Hill into Coledale Hause.
Easy to get wrong
Easy to lose the line off the top in cloud — keep right past the waymarker rather than drifting back along the Hobcarton edge.
If you need to get off
Continue south from Sand Hill down the established path to Coledale Hause, then leave the main route by taking the descent east into Coledale valley, passing Force Crag Mine and following the mine track back to Braithwaite.
© Lee McCoy
6
Sand Hill → Crag Hill (Eel Crag) (2.6 km, 242 m)
Descent of about 153 m, then a climb of about 242 m, over 2.6 km.
Decision point
At 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 wrong
Broad, 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.
If you need to get off
At about 6.3 km, leave the main route at Coledale Hause before the climb to Crag Hill, descend east into Coledale valley past Force Crag Mine, and follow the established mine track back to Braithwaite. The descent includes a crossing of Coledale Beck, which may be difficult after heavy rain.
© Lee McCoy
7
Crag Hill (Eel Crag) → Sail (0.5 km, 17 m)
Descent of about 69 m over 0.5 km.
Decision point
From Crag Hill, take the slight right along the scar to reach Sail.
Easy to get wrong
Two 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. The west/south-west ground off Crag Hill is steep, badly eroded and stony, and is a common place for slips and turned ankles — worse when wet.
If you need to get off
No confirmed way off leaves the rocky ridge between Crag Hill and Sail; continue carefully to Sail, descend its established zigzag path to Sail Pass, then turn left (north) towards Coledale valley and follow the valley track back to Braithwaite, avoiding the steep, eroded slopes directly off Crag Hill.
8
Sail → Outerside (2.1 km, 66 m)
Descent of about 274 m, then a climb of about 66 m, over 2.1 km.
Decision point
Drop 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 wrong
High Moss is reliably boggy. Strong walkers sometimes extend from Sail over Scar Crags to Causey Pike before cutting back here — see the harder variant.
If you need to get off
At about 10.3 km, leave the main route at High Moss and take the established path contouring south of Outerside and Stile End towards Barrow, or descend towards Coledale valley to return to Braithwaite without climbing the remaining summits.
9
Outerside → Stile End (1.2 km, 28 m)
Descent of about 123 m over 1.2 km.
Decision point
A short, clear step across to Stile End — a Birkett top that's easy to pick off with the GPX.
Easy to get wrong
Easy to miss unawares; the GPX keeps you right.
If you need to get off
At Low Moss, the col between Outerside and Stile End, leave the main route by taking the path that skirts Stile End to the north-east, descending towards High Coledale and following the track back to Braithwaite, avoiding the remaining summits.
10
Stile End → Barrow (0.8 km, 54 m)
Descent of about 43 m, then a climb of about 54 m, over 0.8 km.
Decision point
On to Barrow, with a few rocky little climbs but nothing remotely like Grisedale Pike.
Easy to get wrong
Rocky steps in places, but straightforward.
If you need to get off
At Barrow Door, the col between Stile End and Barrow, leave the main route by descending north-east on the established path towards Braithwaite Lodge and continue into Braithwaite, avoiding the final climb over Barrow.
Barrow → Finish (3.3 km, 80 m)
Descent of about 367 m, then a climb of about 80 m, over 3.3 km.
Decision point
Off 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 wrong
Skirt the final hillock to the north rather than going over it.

Download GPX

GPX track for your GPS or phone. Walked by Lee, May 2026

Escape routes

At about 1.7 km: descend to Retreat to the start car park — Last straightforward early retreat: Near Kinn, turn back along the established ascent path to the Whinlatter Pass car park. Beyond this point the route climbs progressively steeper ground towards Grisedale Pike, including rocky sections where retreat becomes more demanding. There is no recommended direct descent into Coledale from the steep upper slopes.
At about 6.3 km: descend to Coledale valley to Braithwaite — 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 10.3 km: descend to Contour to Barrow, or out via the valley — 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.

Escape lines chosen from the map by someone who has walked this route; not every descent has been walked. 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.

Summits bagged (10)

1Kinn374 mNorth Western · Birkett, Synge
2Grisedale Pike790 mNorth Western · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall, Marilyn, Hewitt
3Hobcarton Crag (Hobcarton Head)738 mNorth Western · Birkett, Synge, Nuttall, Hewitt
4Hopegill Head770 mNorth Western · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall, Hewitt
5Sand Hill756 mNorth Western · Birkett, Synge, Nuttall
6Crag Hill (Eel Crag)839 mNorth Western · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall, HuMP, Hewitt
7Sail773 mNorth Western · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall, Hewitt
8Outerside568 mNorth Western · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge
9Stile End447 mNorth Western · Birkett, Synge
10Barrow455 mNorth Western · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge

In the order you walk them — the same numbers the elevation profile, the stage notes and the pacing table use.

Keep to the built line. The notes on this route mention eroded or braided ground. Where it is mud or standing water, walk through the puddle rather than round it, stay on the pitched stone even where it is a staircase you would rather not use, take the zig-zags the long way, leave loose stones and cross-drains where they lie, and build no cairns. Deep or moving water is a different question — turn back or take the safest way past rather than wade for the sake of a path. Fix the Fells’ volunteers keep these paths: what a metre costs, and how to give a day or a few pounds.

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).

More about this walk

From the little car park tucked behind the trees on the Whinlatter Pass road — or straight off the bus — a steady wake-up climb leads up over Kinn and Sleet How before Grisedale Pike shows its hand: a steep, craggy pull the map never quite warns you about, with hands needed on rock near the top. From its rocky summit the round opens out — the airy ridge over Hobcarton Crag to Hopegill Head's tiny, wind-blown perch, the broad sweep to Crag Hill and Sail, then a long, satisfying horseshoe back over the tops of Outerside, Stile End and Barrow. Six Wainwrights, a handful of Birkett tops, and some of the best ridge-walking in the Lakes for the effort.

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: the start is about 720 m and 87 m of climb up the road from the Croft Terrace stop.

Conditions and timing

Best season At its best in clear, settled weather — the airy sections and the broad Crag Hill plateau want good visibility, and they're exactly where care matters most. The lower path up from Braithwaite can be smothered in bracken at the height of summer; in firm winter conditions the Grisedale Pike climb and the exposed tops become a serious proposition for axe-and-crampon walkers only.

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.

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.

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.

How to read these times

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.

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.

Getting there and back

Parking

Kinn car park — 0.0 km from the start (straight line)

On the Whinlatter Pass road (B5292) above Braithwaite. The 'Coledale Round' starts here. Room for about 10 cars (Lee McCoy, walked through it, 12 August 2026).

Directions Something changed here?

If it is full: Braithwaite village (roadside/small areas) (0.7 km, 70 m up) a few spaces only; Kinn (verge, east) (1.2 km, 72 m up)

Braithwaite village (roadside/small areas) — 0.5 km from the start (straight line)

In the village centre, beside the primary school. The small car park there may be the one the Authority lists as 'Braithwaite School', open to the public at weekends and in school holidays only, with no overnight parking. The 'Scar Crags, Causey Pike', 'Stile End, Outerside, Causey Pike, Rowling End' and 'Ard Crags & Knott Rigg' routes start here; the 'Coledale Round' starts at the Whinlatter Pass road car park above the village, 0.7 km on foot.

Directions Something changed here?

If it is full: Noble Knott, Whinlatter (Forestry England, free) (1.7 km, 72 m up); Revelin Moss, Whinlatter (Forestry England, paid) (3.3 km, 117 m up); Stoneycroft Ghyll, Newlands (free) (2.3 km, 105 m up)

Outside Jasper's coffee shop (open when the shop is) (~89 m straight line) — Free Middle Ruddings Ivy House Jasper's Royal Oak Coledale Inn

Kinn (verge, north) — 0.6 km from the start (straight line)

Beside the Whinlatter Pass road (B5292) above Braithwaite. The 'Coledale Round' start, the car park lower down the same road, is 0.6 km on foot. Free (OSM-tagged). It is a verge rather than a formal layby, and the position here is Lee's own (Lee McCoy, 12 August 2026).

Directions Something changed here?

2 more places to park near the start

Noble Knott, Whinlatter (Forestry England, free) — 0.8 km from the start (straight line)

Forest car park on the Whinlatter pass road, east of the visitor centre. Approx 20 spaces. The 'Coledale Round' start, the car park lower down the same road above Braithwaite, is 1.0 km on foot. Added from the 5 August 2026 OSM candidate review. Community walk pages start here for 'Words In The Woods' and 'Whinlatter Forest - Heavy Sides Walk' (community walk listings). Free (OSM-tagged).

Directions Something changed here?

Kinn (verge, east) — 1.1 km from the start (straight line)

On the lane east of Braithwaite towards Portinscale, about 630 m from Braithwaite village. The Braithwaite route starts, 'Scar Crags, Causey Pike' among them, are about 0.6 km away in a straight line. A long stretch of roadside with room for about 20 cars; buses park here too, so space can go quickly and the usable length varies (Lee McCoy, local observation, 12 August 2026).

Directions Something changed here?

Positions are approximate.

Vehicles are left at their owner’s risk: we list places people park and cannot vouch for any of them. Take valuables with you and leave nothing on show.

Every option near this start, on the parking map →

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) — joins the loop at about km 15.1 of 16.1: a 280 m walk to the line, and you walk the round from there
Kinn (verge, north) — a 620 m walk to the start
Barrow (layby) — joins the loop at about km 13.6 of 16.1: a 900 m walk to the line, climbing about 210 m, and you walk the round from there
By bus: buses stop at Braithwaite, at Croft Terrace, a 720 m walk from the start. A bus is not affected by a full car park. Its return times are under Buses.

We never say whether anywhere has spaces today. Walks to the line are measured along mapped paths (OpenStreetMap), not in a straight line. How we choose these places.

No signal when you get there? RoutePark keeps this list on your phone: choose this walk’s GPX at home, keep it, and it opens offline.

Buses

The 77 and X5 stop at Braithwaite, at Croft Terrace, a 720 m walk and 87 m of ascent from this start. As timetabled from 27 October to 1 November. Towards Keswick (77): Tuesday to Sunday 17:37 to Keswick, 16:37 to Cockermouth. Towards Workington (X5): Tuesday to Thursday 22:27; Friday and Saturday 00:22 (after midnight); Sunday 20:17. Checked against the operator’s timetable, 24 September 2026. Times here are a guide, not a promise — leave yourself more than the minute.

The 77 passes this route at 14.9 km (Braithwaite, at Croft Terrace, 150 m off the line). Seasonal: the 77 does not run from 2 November 2026 to 21 March 2027.

Stagecoach 77 / 77A “Honister Rambler”

Keswick – Portinscale – Hawes End (Catbells) – Grange – Seatoller – Honister Pass – Buttermere – Lorton – Whinlatter – Keswick (circular)

Catch it from: Keswick (connect via 555 from Windermere/Ambleside or X4/X5 from Penrith)

Seasonal (Summer 2026 timetable: 23 March to 1 November 2026). Brilliant for the North Western fells: Catbells, Dale Head from Honister, the Buttermere fells and Whinlatter.

Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com (opens in new tab) or Traveline before travelling.

Toilets and refreshments

The essentials

Arrival Kinn car park on the Whinlatter Pass road, beside the start: room for about 10 cars. Its fee is not verified: check the signs on arrival. 32 m in a straight line, not a walking distance. (Lee, who has walked through it, checked 12 August 2026)
Toilets No toilets are mapped within 250 m of the start. (OpenStreetMap, as mapped on 13 September 2026, checked 13 September 2026)
Refreshments No café or pub is mapped within 250 m of the start: bring what you need. (OpenStreetMap, as mapped on 13 September 2026, checked 13 September 2026)
Limitation Grisedale Pike’s upper climb is steep and craggy, with hands on rock near the top: no place to be rushed, or to be in poor conditions. (our route notes (this route's own warnings), checked 28 September 2026)

Everything mapped near the start

Mapped as nearby on OpenStreetMap, as of 13 September 2026, within 250 m of where this route starts (information boards within 150 m; benches and shelter within 50 m):

Also mapped within reach: 3 information boards.

Distances are straight lines from where this route starts, not walking routes. Opening hours are as mapped and change; none of this is checked daily.

Water, shelter & getting away

shelter (weather shelter, mapped, not checked; 25 m off the line) Hope Memorial Camp (64 m from the start, straight line)

Getting there across the Lake District: Buses · Parking map · By train · By boat

Planning detail

How each grade on this page is set, and the timings stage by stage.

Difficulty profile

Hard overall — hardest: Length, steepness, navigation (graded by Lee on the ground) and exposure (graded by Lee on the ground)

LengthHard16.13 km — a long day out.

SteepnessHardSteepest sustained climb about 32% around the 3.3 km mark.

TerrainModerateMostly clear, well-marked tracks, but boggy around High Moss and with rocky steps off Outerside and Barrow. Moderate – graded by Lee on the ground

NavigationHardClear tracks for most of the round, but genuine care in cloud: the grassy Kinn ridge, keeping left along Sand Hill and Hobcarton Crag above the drop, and the broad Crag Hill plateau. Hard – graded by Lee on the ground

ExposureHardSome scrambling elements, and serious to navigate in rain or low cloud. Hard – graded by Lee on the ground

HandsHands for a few stepsNear the top of Grisedale Pike (km 3.1–3.6).

Five independent axes, not one score. Three of the five were set on the ground; the rest are computed from the recorded track and the map, which measures the line rather than surveying the ground.

How we grade: each axis is Easy, Moderate, Hard or Severe, and a route between two bands takes the higher one. Length: under 8 km, 8–14 km, 14–20 km, over 20 km. Steepness, the steepest 500 m of the track: under 15%, 15–25%, 25–35%, over 35%. Terrain, navigation and exposure are judged rather than measured, and each note says why. How we grade.

Pacing

Summit	Cumulative	Ascent	Time (fast–steady)
1Kinn	1.3 km	233 m	0:39–0:52
2Grisedale Pike	3.6 km	670 m	1:51–2:27
3Hobcarton Crag (Hobcarton Head)	4.4 km	705 m	2:03–2:43
4Hopegill Head	5.3 km	780 m	2:21–3:08
5Sand Hill	5.6 km	790 m	2:26–3:14
6Crag Hill (Eel Crag)	8.2 km	1032 m	3:22–4:28
7Sail	8.7 km	1049 m	3:30–4:39
8Outerside	10.9 km	1115 m	4:02–5:22
9Stile End	12.1 km	1143 m	4:19–5:45
10Barrow	12.9 km	1197 m	4:34–6:05
Finish	16.1 km	1277 m	5:21–7:07

A fast–steady range from Naismith’s rule, deliberately on the slow side. Breaks, weather, rough ground and the slowest person in your party all add to it. How we time walks.

Access & barriers

Can a dog, a buggy or dodgy knees manage this route?

Dog

Gates only

Buggy

Not buggy-able

Knees

Tough descent

Buggy: No mapped stiles; terrain Moderate – graded by Lee on the ground, but the going for wheels is not recorded; not a buggy line on what we know.
Knees: A long, steep ~33% drop over 250 m around the 11.1 km mark — hard on the knees.

With a dog

Hardest for a dog here: drops and exposed ground. The steepest stretch is a sustained climb of about 32% around the 3.3 km mark.

Drops and exposed ground: Hard – graded by Lee on the ground. Some scrambling elements, and serious to navigate in rain or low cloud.
Rock and scrambling: Hands for a few steps: near the top of Grisedale Pike (km 3.1–3.6). Ground underfoot: Moderate – graded by Lee on the ground. Mostly clear, well-marked tracks, but boggy around High Moss and with rocky steps off Outerside and Barrow.
Stiles and gates: Only gates and kissing gates are mapped: no stile a dog can’t get through. That is the barriers alone; check the route’s steep or rocky ground before you bring a dog. (OpenStreetMap, mapped as of 9 July 2026)
Ways off early: Marked on this route at about 1.7 km: Retreat to the start car park; at about 6.3 km: Coledale valley to Braithwaite; at about 10.3 km: Contour to Barrow, or out via the valley. The escape routes section below has the detail.
Livestock, shade and water: Not recorded for this route yet. We never call a stream safe for a dog to drink, so carry enough for both of you. The lead rules, and what to do around cattle, are on dogs on the fells.

On the line: 6 gates

Barriers as mapped on OpenStreetMap, which can miss some. Spotted one? Tell us (opens in new tab). Barrier data as of 9 July 2026. Access data © OpenStreetMap contributors (via Overpass).

Places to stay near this start

From Whinlatter: 12 places in Keswick

Walks from places nearby

Walks from Braithwaite — 0.5 km from this start
Walks from Whinlatter Forest — 2.1 km from this start

Straight-line distance from this walk’s start. Those lists hold the routes we have mapped and every Wainwright and Outlying fell within about 5 km of the town, ranked nearest first.

Appears in these collections

Lake District walks by difficulty

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