The Coledale Horseshoe

Overview

About The Coledale Horseshoe

This is a 9.3-mile (15.0 km) circular loop starting and finishing at Braithwaite, and that figure is the total distance for the whole loop, not one direction. Expect about 1,180 m of ascent and around 7 hours of walking for most people. Editorial difficulty: 8/10.

Why go

Five named summits in one continuous circuit
Big views from a high ridge
Quieter second half via Outerside

Heads up

Long, exposed day with steep rocky ground
Cloud makes navigation and the ridge harder
Limited water until Coledale Hause

The walk holds a continuous high ridge right around the glacial Coledale valley, so you look back into the same bowl from a new angle for hours. Views open to Keswick, Derwent Water, Skiddaw and Blencathra on one side, and to Grasmoor and the north-western fells on the other. Clear weather matters, because low cloud removes the views and makes the ridge feel like a long slog.

Parkwolf’s verdictThe payoff

Map & elevation

The route

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Full map

Elevation131–824 m

TrailheadBraithwaite village bridge54.60173, -3.19479

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Plan your hike

Before you go

Parking

Use Braithwaite village as the access, starting at the bridge by the road toward Newlands Pass. Parking is scattered around the village, with school parking during the summer holidays and a small informal car park near the foot of Whinlatter Pass. Do not block gates or road access.

Best time to go

Start early. A 7-hour day plus the drive means first light starts are sensible outside midsummer.
Summer: long daylight, but thick bracken lines the lower paths and the return can feel hot and enclosed.
Winter: short days, and snow or ice on the steep steps and the scrambly sections makes this a walk for those with winter skills.
Water is limited until Liza Beck near Coledale Hause, so carry what you need.
For photography, early light favours the Grisedale Pike ridge and the view back to Skiddaw, while late afternoon sun sits better on the Coledale valley walls seen from Sail and Outerside.

Safety

This is a high, exposed fell walk with steep ascents, loose rocky steps, short scrambles, boggy ground, steep drops near crags, and difficult route-finding in cloud. Carry navigation, clothing, food, and water. Winter snow and ice can turn it into a mountaineering day.

8 active Lake District alerts

ClosureChapel Stile footpath closed for retaining-wall riskPart of Footpath 543030 between Chapel Stile and Baysbrown campsite is closed because a retaining wall beside the path could collapse and material it supports could fall across the footpath.Official details
ClosureStanley Ghyll Lower Falls footpath closed for rockfallThe section of Footpath 408037 leading towards Stanley Ghyll Lower Falls is closed because severe rockfall damage has made the path unstable and further rockfall remains a danger.Official details

See all 8 alerts

A park ranger sits on a dash-mounted phone, talking, as Parkwolf’s Tour Guide plays “Army Cutworm Moths: A Grizzly Bear Buffet” on Grand Loop Road below Dunraven Pass in Yellowstone — Parkwolf Tour GuideThe highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.

Lake District Tour Guide

Your drive to The Coledale Horseshoe, narrated.

Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Lake District National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.

Recorded for this trailhead

Braithwaite: Coledale Ridge or Mine Walk

0:00 / 1:22

“You're approaching Braithwaite, the starting village for the Coledale Horseshoe and a gentler walk into the valley beneath it.”

Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Lake District Tour Guide.

Hiking The Coledale Horseshoe

The sequenceFrom Braithwaite the path climbs steeply to Kinn, then rises along Sleet How to Grisedale Pike,…

From Braithwaite the path climbs steeply to Kinn, then rises along Sleet How to Grisedale Pike, the first big summit. The ridge swings west past Hobcarton Crag to Hopegill Head, then over Sand Hill and down to Coledale Hause. A pull up Crag Hill leads over The Scar to Sail, then along the traverse below Scar Crags to Outerside. The return drops below Stile End through bracken and past Barrow Gill back into the village.

Difficulty, footing and exposureThis is a strenuous high-level mountain walk.

This is a strenuous high-level mountain walk. Paths are rough fell tracks with loose rocky steps, short simple scrambling, patches of boggy ground and steep drops near the crags. Narrow ridge sections and loose scree call for steady footing and boots. Route-finding becomes hard in cloud, especially around Coledale Hause and the linking ground between Crag Hill and Sail, so carry map and compass and know how to use them.

Crowds and quietGrisedale Pike is popular and the ascent from Braithwaite sees steady traffic on fine weekends.

Grisedale Pike is popular and the ascent from Braithwaite sees steady traffic on fine weekends. Outerside and the lower return are noticeably quieter, and the second half of the round often feels like your own.

Access and parkingStart at the Braithwaite village bridge, on the road toward Newlands Pass, near NY231236.

Start at the Braithwaite village bridge, on the road toward Newlands Pass, near NY231236. It is a public fell walking route with no permit needed. Parking is scattered: street spaces, school parking during the summer holidays, and a small informal car park near the foot of Whinlatter Pass. Do not block gates or road access.

Dogs and a shorter optionDogs are allowed.

Dogs are allowed. Keep them in sight and under control, on a lead around livestock, and take waste home. There is a dog gate beside the stile near Kinn, but the steep drops, exposed ground and short scrambles make the round unsuitable for some dogs. If you want a lower-commitment Coledale day, the nearby Shorter Coledale Round stays on the south-eastern side of the valley and skips the long north ridge.

Wildlife

Wildlife in Lake District

All Lake District wildlife maps

81 sightingsRed DeerMost seen around 7 PMSighting map

13 sightingsEurasian OtterMost seen around 6 AMSighting map

76 sightingsOspreyMost seen around 8 AMSighting map

51 sightingsEuropean BadgerMost seen around 8 PMSighting map

233 sightingsMute SwanMost seen around 6 PMSighting map

176 sightingsGrey HeronMost seen around 7 AMSighting map

Sighting maps show where each species has been reported across Lake District. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.