Date: 07-May-2010
Map: Landranger 90, OL6
Weather: Dry with sunshine and clouds.
From Mill Bridge around the base of Helm
Crag to Far Easdale Gill, up to Tarn Crag and onwards to
High Raise. Down to Sergeant Crag and Eagle Crag. Drop down
into the valley and up to Lining Crag and round to Ullscarf.
Drop down steeply to Middle How, then up to Steel Fell
before dropping back down to the start :
14.7 miles as measured on Satmap GPS
Today was
the night after the general election and we have a hung over
parliament in the UK - no Tory majority, but they can just
think of their expenses to cheer themselves up. But I don't
mix politics with pleasure, and the forecast is for sunny
spells in the lakes, dry but cold. I got the shorts on today
which makes it easier to get the knee supports on and they
are increasingly needed of late. We parked just north of the
Travellers Rest in a lay-by, a bit grey and gloomy, but
further north the sky looked brighter. Today's route was
configured to take in a few Wainwrights, six in all, but we
had already ticked off one each. There was a chill wind but
that's good for climbing, and for a change we had a gentle
warm up to get us going. Paul wanted to go up Easedale, but
I wondered how we would cross Sour Milk Gill. So we skirted
around the base of Helm Crag and made a gentle ascent up
towards Far Easedale Gill.
looking over towards Easedale Beck
Tarn Crag is up there somewhere
below Gibson Knott
our way up to Tarn Crag
the view back down over Grasmere
Tarn Crag ahead
The sun was shining and we could
see some high alto stratus above the low clouds - patches of
blue suggested we would be dry today. Up Far Easedale Gill
we crossed over a wooden bridge - part of the coast to coast
route - and wound our way around Stenners Crag before
cutting up the ridge that leads to Tarn Crag. We slightly
overshot the runway and had a steep little pull to get up
onto the ridge properly. When I say ridge, I actually mean
very broad ridge, but it separates Easedale Tarn on one side
and Far Easedale Gill on the other. It's a good job it was
dry, as the bracken was very slippery, whilst up ahead a
young lass was hoping along the crags - oh to be youthful
again, but for me it's huff and puff up the slope. As is
usual the reward for climbing are the views back down to
Grasmere were wonderful - no wonder that Wordsworth was so
moved in his sonnets. The higher we got the better it was,
and the walk up to Tarn Crag wasn't as harsh as many of the
steeper fells. Tarn Crag itself isn't marked with a cairn,
but the first top you come to is, so we walked on both just
to be sure. Beyond Tarn Crag there are grand views over to
the Helvellyn range, down to Grasmere and beyond the next
ridge to the Langdales. It's an area I've yet to walk, as
the last two times it's been persisting down and I've had to
cancel.
Windermere appears in the distance
The Langdale Pikes start to appear
looking over to Steel Fell and Helvellyn beyond
the big boys - Bowfell, the Scafells and Great Gable amongst
others
down to our next two Wainwrights from Raise
Beyond Tarn Crag the path wanders up a broad ridge
to Codale Head, and again it wasn't too steep and the way up
was fairly obvious. Once we crested the top Paul thought
about going over towards Sergeant Mann to pick up a path
over to High Raise and save any bog trotting. Before we got
there we could see a line across the moor so we took that -
spongy ground because it was so dry, and very easy for the
legs, like walking on springy rubber. Once exposed on higher
ground the wind picked up and it was cold enough to don
gloves, and when we got up to High Raise we sat down facing
the big boys for a spot of lunch. High Raise is one of those
peaks that you can just sit and gaze over the
surrounding hills with great views up to the Scafells,
Bowfell, Great Gable and others. Our pal Mike was up on
Scafell Pike today, so we waved, but he just mooned back -
the cheek of some people. There are great glacial features
up and around here and down in the valleys, with some very
shapely morraines on show. The skylarks are finally singing
in the sunshine as we set off again, and the next target was
Sergeant Crag and Eagle Crag - both normally approached from
Seathwaite. From High Raise there wasn't a discernable path
down towards the crags, so we crabbed across the slopes,
dropping gently down the contours towards Sergeant Crag. To
our left was Langstrath and the big boys at the head of the
valley, and below us lay gloriously springy tussocky
hillside. We spent some time looking over and up to our route to Ullscarf.
no path but we found a way down to Sargeant Crag and Eagle
Crag
the Borrowdale Fells with Honister beyond
looking back up to Raise, with Pike of Stickle sticking his
pimply head up.
the view back up Langstrath to Sergeant Crag
the weird cigar shaped cloud with Blencathra way in the
distance
looking down on Stonethwaite, Langstrath directly below
Paul said straight off Eagle Crag, and I said return up the valley, but between us we eventually found the the route. Down to Sergeant Crag we were in a chill wind but lovely sunshine, a sign of the summer to come, and up high in the sky was a roll of cloud - very strange like a cigar.Views over to Steeple, Scoat Fell and up to Honister pass were clear, as well as the deep valley of Langstrath below us. It was a short hop over to Eagle Crag and a magnificent view down the valley to Borrowdale. We didn't wait long as we knew we had more work to get back down and up to Ullscarf. Paul thoughtb straight down to the valley, but it drops pretty much straight down over crags, so we cut across to a wall with a deer fence on. 'Shall we go back to the stile ?' says I. 'No this will do' says Paul, as we both became entangled in the wire mesh. We made another beeline to pick an easier gradient and lessen the descent,
but had no choice but to drop down into Greenup Gill, onto
the coast to coast path just below Lining Crag.
Before that we admired the morraines and a small
puddle reflected the fair weather clouds above - very
peaceful. Paul disappeared up ahead as I snapped away plenty
of pictures, then bumped in to a couple of coast to
coasters. I stopped for a good chat with them - they thought
that they're legs would be good for the hills by now, but
said they needed a different set of legs up here. Meanwhile
Paul had stopped up ahead at the top of the path to wait for
me, but I'd cut across the corner towards Ullscarf. I saw a
sheep sunbathing and thought it was Paul, so led by my
Satmap I just carried on. Then a text arrived asking if I
was still coming up from Lining Crag, so I sent one back
saying I was on my way up to Ullscarf. I thought he was up
there, then saw him behind me and made a charge for the top
- not often that I beat him to a summit!
the view down into Greenup Gill from Eagle Crag
the view up to Long
Crag at the head of the valley
Lining Crag ahead
our route up - steep enough
up from Lining Crag and start to cut the corner
Ulscarf next up
With 5 Wainwrights
ticked off we had Steel Fell remaining, I thought the good
path was back along Green Edge, but Paul had other ideas. He
was in Kamikaze mood today and we dropped down really
steeply off the edge and down to Middle How. To our right
and left were crags, and below us big boulders and lots of
grass. We disturbed a deer which tells you how rough it was,
and again I was glad it was dry - but it saved us us at
least a mile and a fair bit of time. It was lovely down in
the valley, and I'm sure it must be a welcome sight to many
coast to coast walkers after the haul up from Stonethwaite.
We passed an old sheepfold and crossed a stream without
getting wet - it's like a wild west gunfight whenever anyone
crosses a stream, cameras at the ready to shoot any
misfortune - laugh first, then enquire as to the
unfortunates welfare later....but we're still waiting. Once
more we traversed steadily up the hillside along pathless
terrain, with the odd sheep trod to help us out. We took a
bearing for Steel Fell before we lost too much descent in
the valley and eventually met up with the main path. The
views changed over towards Helm Crag on one side and
Helvellyn on the other, both looking good in the late
sunshine.
a zoomed in shot over to Honister
looking over to the last Wainwright today - Steel Fell
a deer wonders what the hell we are doing
very steep down off Greenup Edge - not recommended in the wet
I was glad we got down ok
about to cross over Wyth Burn
Up on the summit of Steel Fell we ticked off
another Wainwright and glared across to Seat Sandal - I
still don't like it , it looks mean. The only thing left to
us was to admire the Howitzer and the Lion and the Lamb on
Helm Crag and to start the knee crunching descent towards Ghyll foot. I got Vic Reeves legs on the way down and had to
stop for a good rub. Ahead of us a pleasant NT cottage had a
lawn cut in amongst the trees - a great cricket pitch for
youngsters. A steady walk down the lane to the cars followed
by a refreshing pint in the Travellers Rest - there were
plenty of coast to coasters but I bet many hadn't done
5000ft of ascent - brilliant but tiring.
Steel Fell in shadow
the down Greenburn Bottom to Helm Crag
getting closer to Steel Crag
a last look over to the Helvellyn range and the mean Seat
Sandal
Where now:
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