Easter Monday was supposed to be a big one: the Coledale Round. But first it started raining, and the clouds were well below the tops, so we decided to postpone the start.  It then brightened up, so off we went - and we certainly couldn't complain about the visibility.  However, one of the party aggravated an already tender Achilles tendon, which is not good news early on in a 10-miler with plenty of ups and downs.  So eventually we curtailed the exercise after climbing Grisedale, coming down the path from Coledale Hause.

As this is a walk we have done on numerous occasions, you can see lots of pictures here but below are some which are  related to this week's effort (click on any picture for a larger version).

	The view eastwards from Kinn as you climb out of Braithwaite.
Up higher...
	The view from the top of the climb.  You can see the top part of the climb (out of sight below the couple) from miles away, and the path is so badly eroded you wonder when those fixing the fells are going to get round to it.  Mind you, it is now a Herculean task, with the erosion spreading over a length of about 150 yards and a width of 50 yards, not to mention a formidable gradient.  Yes, I'll help if asked...
The magnificent view eastwards from the top of Grisedale.
	Looking across the top of Grisedale towards Grasmoor.  This was one of the best pictures I have ever taken, mainly because of the howling wind which at this time was throwing horizontal shards of ice at us.  The squall soon passed, but the wind stayed until we dropped right down into the valley
Looking back up towards Grisedale.  You can see the squall cloud above.
	Where we should have gone: Coledale Hause, then Eel Crags and Sail, on the left.
Looking south-west, towards Hopegill Head.  This was about the first time we had felt like looking south-west, which was where the squall had come from. Nice blue sky now...
	Eel Crags and Sail
The view down Coledale from the Hause
	The crags of Eel Crags.
The path down from the Hause which, as you can see, has been graded to avoid all the erosion which had previously made it a track to avoid.  Much better now - but there's still quite a way to go.  We always descend via the grass way down the left side.
	Eyes left for the dogs.  Above them are the top entrances to Force Crag Mine, above the crag which is down to the right.  You can traverse down to the entrances from the path down from Grisedale, then carry on down to the right...
...past the right-hand end of Force Crag itself.  This is a 5-pointer scramble (legs, arms and bottom), and then you need to...
	...negotiate the scree above the main mine workings.  Not a route to be particularly recommended, but it certainly makes quite a change from the Hause path. The mine was finally abandoned in 1991, and is now a National Trust property.  The Trust renovated much of the machinery in the mill, and now they run guided tours around the mill buildings
The best little hill in the Lakes?  Outerside, from the Coledale Hause path.