Walk Description

We had arranged to meet up with Simon and Keith at Grasmere and then walk to Tarn Crag via Sergeant Man. It was a walk with mixed views. At times we had no view at all because of the low cloud, at other times there were wonderful views of the nearby tarns and mountains.

We left Barrow about 7:45am and stopped off on the way at Hammerbank and Waterhead to take in the views.  We then drove to Grasmere and parked in the layby on the A591 and walked into Grasmere itself.  It wasn't long before Keith and Simon joined us and then we were off up the lane that leads towards Easedale Tarn.  It was a quiet morning and wisps of cloud hung over Grasmere.  As we climbed higher the views back over Grasmere towards Rydal opened up. When we reached the first of the cascades, Steve left the main path and went exploring.  Simon, Keith and I were content to visit the main falls and then to continue up to Easedale Tarn. 

Easdale Tarn was quiet this morning and full of wonderful reflections.  While I spent a little while here soaking up the serenity and peacefulness, Steve went to check out the stepping stones.  He of course crossed them with relative ease, but because they were semi submerged he decided that we would end the walk via Far Easedale rather than all of us try to cross the stones.  As we walked towards the end of the tarn the views of Tarn Crag and Belles Knott just got better and better.  It was a stiff pull up the path at the side of Belles Knott but the views more than made up for the effort.  We decided not to visit Coledale Tarn but to continue following the path to the crossroads at the end of Blea Rigg.

By the time we reached the crossroads, I needed to get my breath back.  It was 9 years since I had been here.  That was when I was on my first walking holiday in the Lakes.  On that day, I then walked down to Stickle Tarn and climbed Pavey Ark and the other Langdale Pikes.  Today was going to be easier, we were going to head up to Sergeant Man.  We picked our way along the small grassy paths and visited the 50 foot slab of rock mentioned by Wainwright.  By the time we reached Sergeant Man the weather had started to close in, the high peaks were all shrouded with cloud.  We sheltered just below the summit and had lunch.  Gradually the cloud thinned and we managed to get a glimpse of Bowfell.  However, we were now in the mist and we wanted to make sure that we took the correct path to Coledale Head.  We took advantage of the mist clearing for a few minutes and set off.  At Coledale Head we checked our position with the map and gps and then continued down to Tarn Crag.

By the time we reached Tarn Crag we were out of the cloud and back with stunning views.  Seat Sandal was glowing in the afternoon sun and we could see white clouds streaming over Fairfield.  The views down to Easedale Tarn were expectional.  The reflections has lost none of their clarity since we had been there this morning.  We could clearly see our path down over Greatcrag Head, the green path was a stark contrast to the russet coloured bracken.  We however still has a steep descent to tackle before we reached that path.  We carefully climbed down and then enjoyed the easy walking along our green path.  When we reached the path that links Easedale and Far Easedale we turned left and headed down to Easedale Gill and the bridge near Stythwaite Steps.  Although it was now late afternoon there were still a fair number of people heading up the valley away from Grasmere, many of which were in jeans and trainers.  The path back towards Grasmere was muddy and very slippery in places and we were glad when we got back to the the road. 

It was getting late when we got back to Grasmere and the tea shops were closing, so we had to go to the pub for an after walk drink.  (Well that was our excuse!)  This had been an excellent day's walk, which had taken approx 6 3/4 hours.  Thanks to Simon, Keith and Steve for their company.

 

Route & Planning

Details and Route Map

Photo Opportunities

Walk Profile

The route map shown here should not be used as a replacement for the appropriate map(s). Before attempting the walk you should check the suitability of this route in relation to your capabilities and experience.