~Sergeant Man to Silver How~
12th October 2019
Molly on top of Sergeant Man
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Grasmere village is a popular hot-spot for tourists and walkers in the heart of the Lake District. Get there early to enjoy free parking in one of the lay-bys on the A591 - room for about 30 neatly parked cars in this one. Otherwise it's P&D at the going rates, for most fellwalkers it's going to cost £8. The walk started at 0810hrs.
Directions
We walked into Grasmere on footpaths and a route along the river and took the tarmac towards "Easedale Tarn".
Sour Milk Gill
Easedale boasts a fine waterfall in Sour Milk Gill, but appealing though it was, today's route will be all the way up Far Easedale. The plan is to reach the summit of Sergeant Man first and then see what happens, dependant on the weather and stuff.
Helm Crag
Sunshine would be in short supply today. However it has been raining for most of the week and the forecasts offered a mainly dry day, so it was an easy decision to take a chance and head to the "Lakes". "Sergeant Man 7" in Wainwright's Central Fells is the chosen route but he is economical with his page space and readers are referred back to "Calf Crag 3" whereupon the whole route cannot be studied without turning to "Helm Crag 3". A multipage study is required or use one of those mapping devices on your GPS or 'phone. For me, it remains map, compass and guidebook.
Into Far Easedale
Further into Far Easedale
Stythwaite Steps (stepping stones) aka a footbridge
Pike of Carrs
This is great walking territory and nothing too difficult so far. We are alone here; Molly and I had a brief shemozzle resulting in her barking quite loudly. The resultant echoes were wonderful with at least three replies to every bark and Molly thought we had company! The craggy rocks are marked on the map as Carrs, part of Pike of Carrs belonging to the slopes of Calf Crag.
More of Far Easedale
Deer Bield Crag
The vertical rockface belongs to neighbouring Tarn Crag.
Waterfall
The ascent starts to get a little steeper as waterfalls and cascades replace the babbling brook of Far Easedale Gill.
Head of Far Easedale
On Wainwright's visits there was a stile here, but no fences. Now there is little left to suggest this once provided a barrier to progress and a boundary between parishes / farmlands.
Codale Head
The route now heads roughly south up an undulating path, old fenceposts keep walkers on track. The bump ahead is Codale Head and Mere Beck runs down the fellside.
Greencombe
The slopes of Ullscarf, including sunlit Greencomb, in this view back along our ascent route.
to Sergeant Man
I've donned my waterproofs as the sky looks ready to fall in. As usual nowadays, someone else has got there first! It's five and half miles to the summit from Grasmere on this route, but only two and a quarter from Dungeon Ghyll in the Langdale Valley.
Summit Territory of Sergeant Man
The colourful pair of walkers were having a short break away from the summit. One of the chaps was bemoaning the fact that this fell is not a Nuttall, not being prominent enough from its surroundings and proximity to High Raise (yawn). Worse still for Sergeant Man, research reveals that it used to be a Nuttall but was relegated to the strange status of ex-Nuttall. I wonder how it got its name; can we still have "Man" as part of the fell title? Might the fell prefer to be considered non binary?
Molly on top of Sergeant Man 2,414ft asl
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Lingmoor Fell |
to Blea Rigg |
Light rain now persists with no threat of anything more serious. I've decided to head for Blea Rigg and therefore (probably at this stage) Silver How. The last time I enjoyed this section of Central Fell walking was on my Wainwright completion walk back in June 2011. Not much for the camera on the way along Blea Rigg, but it's all part of a great walk in this fellscape.
Molly on top of Blea Rigg 1,776ft asl
Easedale Tarn
The weather conditions begin to reverse to fair and dry and the waterproof trousers are cast off.
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Views enjoyed on the steady, undulating and meandering wander towards Silver How.
Descent Route off Blea Rigg
A few greasy rocks and some boggy bits were the only challenges during this section of the walk.
The Langdale Pikes
Looking back to the easily recognisable Langdale Pikes.
Molly on top of Silver How
If you only have time to climb one fell in the Lake District this year, you should consider Silver How as the target. Every ascent route is enjoyable and we have avoided them all today! Even so, it's a very pleasant wander over from Blea Rigg.
Looking Back
Both the fine summits of the Langdale Pikes and Blea Rigg are enjoying sunlight and up to the right is the prominent bump of Sergeant Man.
Tarn Crag
Wray Gill
Wavy Walls
Our descent route was to head for Wray Gill and then cross the water and follow the track through the well-defined zone of juniper for an obvious pathway down to Allan Bank and hence Grasmere. There must be a very good reason why hard-won stone and exhaustive labour would build two walls so close together, maybe an area for gathering sheep?
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Seat Sandal
The well-painted white house contrasts well with the brooding mass of Seat Sandal. The path leads down past Allan Bank and into Grasmere.
Molly in Baldrys
Walkers: Molly and Me.
Time taken: 5hrs 30mins over a distance of about 11 miles.
Route: A591 parking at Grasmere, into the village and out on Easedale Road. Keeping to the tarmac and heading into Far Easedale under Jackdaw Crag, crossing the beck at Stythwaite Steps. All the way up to the col and left (south) for Sergeant Man. Ridge route to Blea Rigg and hence Silver How. Wray Gill for the path down to Allan Bank, Grasmere.
Weather and conditions: Mainly cloudy, a little light rain on the tops and then brightening towards the end.
Greetings: For those in search of solitude, try Far Easedale. Our first encounter of another walk was high up close to the final approach for Sergeant Man just before we met the disappointed Nuttall-baggers. Silver How was typically busy.
Refreshments: Predictably I headed straight for Baldrys in Grasmere and they found me a small table where Molly could have a nap (above). Sadly, Tiffin was out of stock, so my day...planned very carefully to a point whereby I knew I would be in Baldrys by mid-afternoon and hence enjoying my favourite crunchy traybake was almost ruined! Unwilling to wait for the next batch to be ready, I tried the Bakewell Tart instead and it wasn't as good.
All photos copyright Richard Ratcliffe 2019 ©
Take me back to the start ....