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This walk is plotted from the small car park in the quarry/lay by on the Whinlatter Pass road. When driving from Braithwaite, you will pass a bend in the road (as it curves to the right and away from the river) where there is parking for 7 or 8 well parked cars. Just after this is a small quarry / lay by with parking for another 8 to 9 well parked cars.
If these are full you will have to park in the village where the school offer parking at weekends and school holidays.
Please park sensibly. The roads are narrow and inconsiderate parking may prevent the passing of larger emergency service vehicles.
(S/E) From the quarry / lay by take the path heading north (signposted Grisedale Pike). It leads up through the woods, emerging to give good views over the Skiddaw and across Bassenthwaite Lake, the path turns to the left and ascends to a wooden gate.
(1) Pass through the gate and continue along the path. (The path may have variations to control erosion of the fell side path, please follow any diversions, you will see that the GPX trace veers away from the path shown on the OS map). The path ascends over Kinn to a flatter section and the up to the top of Sleet How.
(2) From the flatter top of Sleet How (more a ridge than a summit) the path ascends more steeply to the top of Grisedale Pike. The underlying rock is Skiddaw slate and this is exposed on its bedding planes, sometimes proving slabby rocks that you need to cross, but more often the ridge will be broken with loose stones. Take care as you ascend.
(3) From the top of Grisedale Pike, (great views) continue along the obvious path which descends to a flat section above Hobcarton Crag (again great views).
(4) From the flat section ascend the path along the rim of Hobcarton Crag to the rocky summit of Hopegill Head, where once again the views are well worthwhile.
(5) From the top of Hopegill Head, turn back but take the path on the right which veers away from the path you arrived at. This path descends to a cairn on the top of the rounded Sand Hill.
(6) From the top of Sand Hill, continue along the obvious path which now descends to some small loose scree (take care) and the continues more easily to the broad Coledale Hause.
(7) From Coledale Hause, continue towards Crag Hill and the broken rocky outcrop of Eel Crag, you will arrive at a split in the path where rightwards lead up around the side of Crag Hill and leftwards descends to Coledeale.
(8) Turn left and take the path that descends with good views of the mine workings at Force Crag Mine. The path descends to Coledale Beck.
(9) Cross Coledale Beck via some stepping stones and ascends to the unsurfaced mine road. You can turn left and walk up to the mine buildings, but these are locked and are only open on Heritage Open Days or other occasional days announced by the National trust.
(10) From the mine buildings, walk back towards Braithwaite. As you near the end of the track, just after a slight right hand bend there is a track on the right.
(11) This is worth noting if you have parked on the bend or in the village as taking this left hand track (narrow and with bracken and gorse either side) will bring you down to the bend in the road where cars can be parked.
Otherwise, continue along the mine track, pass through a gate and descend to the quarry car park.(S/E)
Walker
Difficult 
