Grisedale Pike: Height, Walks and Summit Views

Grisedale Pike gives the fells above Braithwaite one of their most recognisable outlines: a pointed summit carried on long, steep ridges. At 790.3m, it is a substantial climb from the village, with open views across the Keswick country and into the North Western Fells. Walkers value it both as a summit in its own right and as part of the celebrated Coledale Horseshoe.

A pointed landmark above Braithwaite

Seen from the Keswick area, Grisedale Pike has the clear, angular profile its name suggests. Its eastern ridge, Sleet How, rises towards a compact summit, while Coledale lies beneath its southern slopes. Woodland associated with Whinlatter softens the lower ground to the north, but the upper fell is open and exposed. That contrast between wooded footholds and bare summit ridges is an important part of its character.

The summit stands at 790.3 metres, or 2,593 feet, at grid reference NY198225. Views take in the Keswick basin and Derwentwater, with Skiddaw and Blencathra prominent across the intervening valleys. The Helvellyn range forms part of the more distant eastern skyline. Close at hand, the ridges towards Hopegill Head give a much more immediate sense of the steep-sided country surrounding Coledale.

Grisedale Pike in the North Western Fells

Wainwright included Grisedale Pike in The North Western Fells, the sixth volume of his Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells. It ranks 40th by height among the 214 Wainwrights. This is the group of fells broadly enclosed by Bassenthwaite Lake and Derwentwater to the east, Borrowdale and the Buttermere valley to the south, and the Vale of Lorton to the west.

Hopegill Head is its close ridge neighbour, while Crag Hill, Sail and Outerside belong to the wider cluster around Coledale. Together these fells form a tightly connected landscape of ridges, cols and steep valley sides. Grisedale Pike occupies a particularly recognisable position on its north-eastern edge: from the lower country around Braithwaite, its summit looks distinct rather than lost among higher tops.

Walks and the Coledale Horseshoe

Grisedale Pike is especially well known as a principal summit of the Coledale Horseshoe, a classic high-level circuit above the valley. Versions of the walk vary, but the combination of Grisedale Pike, Hopegill Head and Crag Hill is central to its appeal. The circuit brings together several of the North Western Fells without losing the strong sense of a single valley beneath the ridges.

Braithwaite is a familiar starting point for walks on the fell, and Sleet How is a well-established approach. Neither the fell's proximity to the village nor its popularity removes the need for mountain preparation: the climb is sustained, and the upper ridges are exposed to wind and poor visibility. Dedicated route guides are the right place to compare distances, ascent and alternatives before choosing a walk.

Where Grisedale Pike stands

Summit at grid reference NY198225 · open full map

The real Grisedale Pike

Walking Grisedale Pike

We make artwork, not route guides — these are the guides we'd point a friend to:

• Lake District Walk: Grisedale Pike and Hopegill Head (walklakes.co.uk)
• Grisedale Pike (andrewswalks.co.uk)
• Grisedale Pike Walk: From Braithwaite to Hopegill Head ... (paulbeal.com)

Weather on Grisedale Pike

Conditions estimated at summit height (790 m) via Open-Meteo. For a walker's forecast, use the Mountain Weather Information Service.

Grisedale Pike on your wall

A painting of Grisedale Pike can bring that familiar pointed skyline into everyday view. For anyone who knows the climb from Braithwaite or the long ridges above Coledale, a print or canvas offers a quiet connection to days spent on the fell.

Own “Grisedale Pike in Vibrant Sunlight” — our painting of Grisedale Pike → or browse all Fells & Mountains artwork

Neighbouring Wainwrights in The North Western Fells

• Hopegill Head 770 m
• Sail 773 m
• Crag Hill 839 m
• Outerside 568 m

Part of our guide to all 214 Wainwrights — see the full index.