Walkweb

“A high mountain ridge leaps like a rainbow from the woods and fields of Brackenthwaite and arcs through the sky for five miles to the east, where the descending curve comes down to the village of Braithwaite. This ridge has three main summits, of which the central one (and the finest, but not the highest) is known locally as Hobcarton Pike and to mapmakers as Hopegill Head”

The Northwestern Fells (Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells)

I started this walk from Braithwaite, parking in the village and then walking up the road (the B5292) to where a well worn vehicular track leaves on the left to begin the journey south-west alongside Coledale Beck. After passing Force Crag Mine on the right, the track ascends steeply to the east to Coledale Hause before turning north for the final pull up to the summit of Hopegill Head (via Sand Hill). Wainwright’s original guide (North Western Fells) describes there being no path on this final section, but thousands of boots since means there is certainly one now. From Hopegill Head I took the path eastwards that skirts the edge of Hobcarton Crag and then proceeds to Grisedale Pike. From here there is a well trodden path along the ridge back to Braithwaite.

The previous day I had climbed Glaramara, and it had rained all day, almost without respite – when I returned to my car at Seathwaite I had to literally pour the water out of my (Goretex lined) boots. Suffice to say that when it started to rain on the morning of this walk to Hopegill Head, I started to get rather grumpy and occupied myself on the haul up to Coledale Hause muttering to myself about the ****** English weather. Indeed I almost gave up on the final ascent when the clouds drew in and an icy wind started to blow, but in the end decided to persevere – and a good job I did. Just as I reached the summit, the rain stopped, and in the space of five minutes I went from a “view” of about 40 metres to a magnificent vista out to the coast, as the cloud dispersed as fast as it had appeared.

My rating: A.
Map: OL4 – The English Lakes: North Western area (1:25,000)
Wainwright’s guides: Book six, The North Western Fells

Did the Melbourne half-marathon this morning. Beautiful weather, and the new course which finished with a lap of the MCG was great, but I’m now too tired to do anything other than to slump in front of the telly and put a DVD on. More updates to this site later in the week.

This route provides a bit more variety, especially for walkers who have already been up and down the Bungalow Spur, while still remaining a circuit walk and thus avoiding a car shuffle.

The route could be done in either direction – we did the walk up Champion Spur and down Bungalow Spur. Either way, the route starts and ends in Harrietville. The track up Champion Spur starts in the same place as the Bon Accord Spur, before splitting and heading south-east while the Bon Accord Spur track continues south. Following an initially well formed fire track, the track slowly deteriorates before disappearing completely about 1km or so shy of the Razorback ridge. The 2003 bushfires swept through this whole area, and their effects are still apparent; the scrub had started to grow back strongly when we did this walk however, so that last km or so before the ridge was rather hard going. Then, as we reached the Razorback, we experienced a brief summer snow shower – a reminder that the weather in this region can change fast.

Once the Razorback ridge is joined, a distinct track continues north, passing the track down Diamantina Spur to the right, and then about 1.5km further on, the Bungalow Spur track to the left. This marks the start of the descent, but the summit is still another 1.5km north-east along the razorback (passing the north-west spur to the left on its way to the summit).

This walk can be done as either a hard one-day walk (at around 25km it’s a tough day) or as a moderate overnight walk, with camp at the (excellent) Federation Hut site on the Bungalow Spur just down from the junction with the Razorback. If you’re doing this as an overnight walk then note that the first day is still pretty tough if you ascend via Champion Spur (easier if you go clockwise – ie. up Bungalow and down Champion). If you’re not sure about walking in untracked bush, then an easier option is up and down the Bungalow Spur, or if you can organise a car shuffle, along the Razorback from Mt Hotham, and then down the Bungalow Spur (a superb walk).

Walk date: Champion Spur section Dec 27, 2004, Bungalow Spur and Summit section, numerous times, the last on April 7, 2007
Time/level: 1 day hard (allow 7-9 hours), about 25km, 2 days moderate
Map: Bogong Alpine Area, Outdoor Leisure Map (1:50,000)
My rating: A, a lesser used but worthwhile route