Coledale Horseshoe

It was a perfect day for walking the high fells, with sun, a cooling breeze, good company and the best views in the world (unbiased, of course).

We took the route from Braithwaite starting from the side of the Force Mine carpark and walked the ridge up to the top of Grisedale Pyke – a lot of ‘up’! Then around Hobcarton Crag to Hopegill Head and a stop for snacks. The Isle of Man was floating on the hazy horizon in one direction and the rest of the Lake District stretched in a tumbled blanket of ridges and folds in the other.
Down the slippery slope of Sand hill into Coledale Hause and then another fair bit of ‘up to the highest point, Crag Hill 839m. Gasgale gill’s water had dried up in the upper reaches and the grasses were bleached with the drought. We saw a couple of Herdwick lambs there, born into this bright arid world, and thought what a shock it would be to them when the weather returns to its usual inclemency.


The summit was the signal for lunch and then the seriously knee bending rocky descent of The Scar and sharp up again to Sail. After an extremely short discussion Causey Pike was given a miss and we started the long downhill via High Moss and Stile end. There was another rest by the sheepfold to give hope to our quivering knees. All around the meadow pipits were displaying, rising up from the grass with a twitter and parachuting with a run of pwues back to earth. Amongst all this another call echoed out of the crags behind that we hadn’t heard before. A quick check on Merlin verified it was a Ring Ousel. I knew they were up there but had never seen or heard any sign before.


The last long slope was on turf and then we were back on the lane with the Coledale Inn fortuitously right in our path, selling cold beers in the evening sunshine.
This gave us the energy to pick up fish and chips for all at the Kingfisher in Keswick. Fruit Salad for afters and a game of Timeline, with a lot of cheating and swopping of cards going on finished off the most fantastic day anyone could wish for!