Route: Lanthwaite to Braithwaite via Coledale Hause
Area: North Western Lake District
Date of walk: 10th May 2014
Walkers: Andrew
Distance: 6.2 miles
Weather: mostly drizzle and rain, a few dry spells
The Mountain Weather Information Service predicted a 10% chance of cloud free summits today – not good odds – so I hedged my bets and decided to walk up to Coledale Hause, a good launch pad for the higher fells but if they were in cloud I could give them a miss and simply walk down the other side of the Hause. Either way, I would be walking across a mountain range from one valley to another, an exciting prospect
Gilly dropped me off at Lanthwaite Green in order to make this linear walk possible. I climbed up Gasgale Gill and found a couple of the early sections quite tricky, where the path had been washed away and hands were needed at times to make progress
Once I reached Coledale Hause it was decision time – should I climb up to Grisedale Pike and down from there, or simply descend along Coledale Beck? A glance at the surrounding murk made me decide on the latter, so I made the easy but long descent down Coledale and back into Braithwaite, where Gilly’s Taxis were waiting for me. What excellent service
The photos that follow reflect the rather gloomy weather, sorry to say
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From the car park at Lanthwaite Green, this is looking across to Mellbreak
My route lies ahead - along Gasgale Gill, between Whiteside and Grasmoor
Crossing the bridge over Liza Beck, as the path goes up the left hand side of the gill
Looking up towards Grasmoor, summit out of sight
Further up Gasgale Gill
Bonnie
Looking back down towards Whiteside
Nearly at the Hause - it doesn’t look too promising
The crossroads that is Coledale Hause and here I decide it’s pointless to go any higher and that I’ll descend into Coledale
A momentary break in the clouds gives a view along Coledale Beck and the descent path
Zooming in on Coledale Beck and the old mining track which I’ll be joining shortly
Force Crag Mine, now a Scheduled Monument and a Site of Special Scientific Interest, owned by the National Trust
The mine was closed in 1990, the last mineral mine in the Lake District
I don’t have time for a look round the mine as my taxi will be waiting, so I carry on down the easy mining track
Braithwaite comes into view
I leave the old mine track to join a narrow path down into the village
Closer to Braithwaite
Looking back to Causey Pike in the distance
Nearly there
All of a sudden Gilly appears from nowhere, dragged round the corner by our older retriever Meg
We cross Coledale Beck
Braithwaite Methodist Chapel, where Gilly had parked the taxi
