There is a classic route in the Lake District involving some great mountains, brilliant views, nicely undulating ridge lines and a pleasant ascent and descent. It's called the Coledale Horseshoe. This isn't it. It's not that I got lost exactly, but when I knew we were on a different path to the intended climb up Sleet How towards Grisdale Pike, I decided that we should carry on and adapt the route. The fact that we were both feeling pretty sluggish was a major contributing factor to this decision as the route we took was flat (at least initially).
So, after parking under the scree slopes of Barrow, we ran through Braithwaite and up the start of the Whinlatter Pass until the point where the intended and non-intended paths start. The non-intended path (the one we took) joined up with the track that leads to Force Crag mine and is a pretty level dirt track all the way along the bottom of the valley.
Looking down the track towards Force Crag mine, Outerside on the left with Sail and Crag Hill/Eel Crag behind. Slopes of Grisdale Pike on the right of the picture.
The track continues over Coledale Beck and on over Coledale Hause. We branched off to the left after crossing the beck and took the steep and direct route up to Outerside.
Force Crag Mine
steep
Sun over Grisedale Pike & Hopegill Head
top of Outerside looking down on Barrow in front and on to Derwent Water
looking down on the track we took on the other side of the valley
Jonathan after suffering severe cramp on the way up Outerside
chief navigator
we came along the side, rather than over the top of Barrow (bad move). The scree slopes are in front
Jonathan's car at the bottom of the scree. Hmm, how can we get down there fast...
me
Jonathan
profile shows steep ascent of Outerside and then at the end the steep descent down the scree of Barrow
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