Grisedale Pike Walk

7 miles (11.5 km)

Climb to this striking fell on this challenging walk near Keswick. The circular walk climbs to the summit of Grisedale Pike before visiting Hopegill Head and Sand Hill. It's a challenging walk but the path is mostly well defined.
Start your walk from the car park on Whinlatter Pass just to the west of the village of Braithwaite. From here you can directly pick up the Grisedale Pike Path heading south west. The popular path climbs to the summit which stands at 791�m (2593�feet). From here there are wonderful views to the Cumbrian coast, the Vale of Keswick, the�Pennines and the head of Derwentwater. On a very clear day you can even see the Belfast Hills and the�Southern Uplands�of Scotland.
The route then continues south west to Hopegill Head which stands at a height of 770�m (2,530�ft). The head includes the 130 metre (417ft) high cliff of Hobcarton Crag, which drops precipitously to Hobcarton Gill on the fell's north east side.�From the summit the The�Isle of Man�is seen on clear days, as are the�Scottish Border�hills. To the east you can clearly see the Helvellyn range.
From Hopegill Head the walk descends to Sand Hill and Coledale Hause, before turning east towards the Force Crag Mines. The National Trust now own the area which was an important part of the Cumbrian mining industry. For over 200 years men worked the isolated spot digging for lead in the early years and then later barites and zinc.
The final section follows the Coledale Beck back to Braithwaite.
The village is located near to several other walking atttractions so there is great scope for extending your walk. Just to the north is the splendid Whinlatter Forest Park where there are miles of great walking paths and mountain bike trails. Just to the east you can pick up the Cumbria Way long distance trail and enjoy a walk along Derwent Water and a climb to Catbells.

Postcode

CA12 5TL - Please note: Postcode may be approximate for some rural locations

Grisedale Pike Ordnance Survey Map - view and print off detailed OS map

Grisedale Pike Open Street Map - view and print off detailed map

Grisedale Pike OS Map - Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking

Grisedale Pike Open Street Map - Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking

Further Information and Other Local Ideas

The pike is on the Coledale Horseshoe, a popular circular walk exploring the spectacular hanging valley. The longer route also starts from Braithwaite village and visits several of the other significant peaks in the area.
Just to the south of the Pike there's the old Force Crag Mine to explore. The�Scheduled ancient monument�dates back to the 1800s and is now run by the National Trust. It's an interesting place to visit with information boards detailing the mine's history and some pleasant walks along the Coledale Beck.