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
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
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kinn | 1.3 km | 225 m | 0:38–0:51 |
| Grisedale Pike | 3.6 km | 651 m | 1:49–2:25 |
| Hobcarton Crag (Hobcarton Head) | 4.4 km | 655 m | 1:58–2:37 |
| Hopegill Head | 5.2 km | 715 m | 2:14–2:58 |
| Sand Hill | 5.5 km | 722 m | 2:18–3:03 |
| Crag Hill (Eel Crag) | 8.1 km | 945 m | 3:12–4:15 |
| Sail | 8.6 km | 945 m | 3:18–4:23 |
| Outerside | 10.8 km | 983 m | 3:48–5:03 |
| Stile End | 12.0 km | 987 m | 4:02–5:22 |
| Barrow | 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.
The walk, stage by stage
Whinlatter Pass road car park (above Braithwaite) → Kinn (1.3 km, 225 m)
Climb of about 225 m over 1.3 km (around 17% average).
Kinn → Grisedale Pike (2.3 km, 426 m)
Climb of about 426 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 → Hobcarton Crag (Hobcarton Head) (0.7 km, 4 m)
Descent of about 75 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 safest line down the small scree.
Easy to get wrong: Keep left on the descent to stay off the steeper, looser ground.
Hobcarton Crag (Hobcarton Head) → Hopegill Head (0.9 km, 60 m)
Climb of about 60 m over 0.9 km (around 7% 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.
Hopegill Head → Sand Hill (0.3 km, 6 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.
Sand Hill → Crag Hill (Eel Crag) (2.6 km, 223 m)
Climb of about 223 m over 2.6 km (around 9% average).
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.
Crag Hill (Eel Crag) → Sail (0.5 km, 0 m)
Descent of about 67 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.
Sail → Outerside (2.1 km, 38 m)
Descent of about 217 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.
Outerside → Stile End (1.2 km, 4 m)
Descent of about 120 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.
Stile End → Barrow (0.8 km, 41 m)
Undulating section of about 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.
Barrow → Finish (3.3 km, 80 m)
Climb of about 80 m over 3.3 km (around 2% average).
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.
Summits bagged (10)
- Kinn 374 m · North Western · Birkett, Synge
- Grisedale Pike 790 m · North Western · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall, Marilyn
- Hobcarton Crag (Hobcarton Head) 738 m · North Western · Birkett, Synge, Nuttall
- Hopegill Head 770 m · North Western · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall
- Sand Hill 756 m · North Western · Birkett, Synge, Nuttall
- Crag Hill (Eel Crag) 839 m · North Western · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall, HuMP
- Sail 773 m · North Western · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall
- Outerside 568 m · North Western · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge
- Stile End 447 m · North Western · Birkett, Synge
- Barrow 455 m · North Western · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge
🅿️ Getting there & parking
Positions are approximate. Lakeland car parks fill before 9am on fine weekends.
💧 Water, shelter & getting away
On-route facilities © OpenStreetMap contributors — an absent marker does not mean the facility isn’t there.
🚌 Buses
Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com (opens in new tab) or Traveline before travelling.
⚠️ 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.
📚 Maps & guidebooks for Coledale Round
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