Hopegill Head & Grisedale Pike from Braithwaite

It's Good Friday - so best to arrive early. We grabbed a parking spot on the Winlatter Road just outside of the village of Braithwaite. Don't think it will be long before all the remaining spaces are grabbed.

We soon picked up the track to Force Crag mine and strolled along in parallel to Coledale Beck. Grasmoor is the bulk that can be seen on the horizon with Outerside to our left. The path you can see veering of to the left is the route we are taking today up to Coledale Hause.

Crossing the beck - Puzzled over this for a while, as we tried to work out what all this equipment is used for ? The best we could come up with at the time, is that it is some sort of sampling set-up for determining the water conductivity and assessing the impact of the mine on the downstream environment ? Please let me know if we are right or wrong ?

As you walk past the Force Crag mine, it is hard to believe that this beautiful area of the Lake District fells was once the backdrop to a vibrant mining industry. The abandoned mine and some entries into Force Crag behind can be easily viewed from the track as it zig zags it's way up to the col.

Now if you fancied a quick nip up Outerside then this would be your left turn. But we are headed straight on today.

A view back down Coledale and our route so far.

Stop for a breather at Coledale Hause and a view up Sand Hill which has to be climbed before reaching Hopegill Head.

The younger keener members of our group. eager to reach the tops.

A view back down to the Hause with Crag Hill and Sail in the distance.

Top of Sand Hill with the short hop to Hopegill Head ahead.

Grasmoor left, Whiteside right and with views down to Crummock Water, Mellbreak and the Loweswater Fells.

Ladyside Pike from Hopegill Head summit - This sparked the question from Robert as to "why that isn't a Wainwright" ? - Don't really have a good answer - it's just a subsidiary peak of Hopegill Head and it's 'his' choice !

View of Hobcarton Crag round to Grisedale Pike

Another Wainwright in the bag for young Robert. One more soon to follow.

Looking back towards Hopegill Head and the impressive cliff of Hobcarton Crag along its half mile curve. You can also see the start of Ladyside Pike on the right

From the 'rough slate' fragment littered summit - Derwent Water can be seen in the distance along with the metropolis of Keswick.

This time, as we begin our descent - a view of the Skiddaw range.

As we pick your way through the loose slate and follow a well worn route, we approach Sleet How and the green Hospital Plantation. Our path takes a right turn before we reach the tree line.

Looking back up the path to Grisedale Pike as our walk nears an end. C'mon Mr E, as all that youthful exuberance begins to wane.

The village of Braithwaite appears just below us as we continue to lose height.

Been a while since I visited Skiddaw - Will soon put that right.

The path from Sleet How delivers you onto the Winlatter Pass road and also to a small car park - Somewhere that I've never actually parked, after giving up trying as it seems to fill up very quickly - maybe I'm just unlucky with this one.

'Man of the Mountains' arrives with a renewed spring in his step as he realises that the next part of the day involves a pub crawl around Stockton High Street !