For those of you that are thinking of going onto the hills I would strongly recommend that you read the advice given by the Mountain Rescue organisation of England and Wales. To read this advice, which will open in a new page please click HERE. If you would like to make a donation to the Mountain Rescue organisation which is purely voluntary please click HERE. Please make the time to read the advice page.

The weatherman was promising a nice day for today, mainly blue skies, some high light cloud and maybe the outside chance of a shower so we were away around 7:45am to park up in the school playground. A walk up Easedale road and onto the fellsides to follow the tourist path up to Sourmilk Gill and on to Easedale Tarn. After a walk to the end of the tarn we returned to its foot to cross by the stepping stones and then descend into the valley of Far Easedale from where we returned to Grasmere.

Route Map

Grasmere was still quiet, just how I like it, as we walked through the village having parked the car at the school.

A look towards Stone Arthur as we start the walk up Easedale Road.

A glimpse of Seat Sandal through the trees with a rather grey sky behind. Hope that weatherman hasn't messed up!!

This is where we leave the road.

Helm Crag across Easedale Beck.

The white waters of Sourmilk Gill cascade down from Easedale Tarn with Tarn Crag behind

How many pairs of boots, shoes, trainers, sandals even flip-flops have trodden this path?.....no idea but we've seen all that footwear and more on it over the years.

No sign of blue skies yet this way....

.....although there is a little over Helm Crag.

Onwards!

Getting a little nearer with Brinhowe Crag to the left of the falls.

Looking over to Far Easedale and the Gibson Knott ridge.

A rather sorrowful-looking local.

There wasn't as much water coming down the falls as I had thought there might have been.

A closer look from the base. Dorothy Wordsworth referred to Easedale as the 'Black Quarter', describing the sombre and melancholy appearance it adopts when heavy storm clouds gather. In those days, the cascades were known as Churn Milk Force, and she likened them 'to a broad stream of snow'.

A look back

Above the falls the climbing gets easier as the gradient eases a little but there's still some way to the tarn.....

......and at last there's some blue overhead.

Not far now. You can just see the tarn exit towards the left of picture with Cockly Crag to the right.

Looking over Bracken Hause to Seat Sandal and Fairfield.

Now, unless somebodys moved it, it should be just over that bump.

But first a look back down the gill towards Helm Crag.

Yup!!....it's still here, and not looking at all too bad.

The rather aptly named Tarn Crag.

One of the larger Lake District tarns and a popular spot in the summer, Easedale Tarn was referred to by the poet Thomas de Quincey as a 'Chapel within a Cathedral'. The tarn was a very popular spot with the Victorians and at one time there was actually a refreshment hut located nearby. For those interested in the history of the hut I would recommend you read the link shown. It gives an history of the hut plus 3 old pictures. If you haven't seen this before I am sure you will find it totally fascinating.....but don't forget to come back here!!!!

Easedale Tarn Refreshment Hut Information.......opens in new window.

We had intended to walk around the tarn but on reaching its head found it to be very wet underfoot so we decided to walk to the foot again....

.....where we crossed the gill using the stepping stones.

The path down and round into Far Easedale can be a bit wet at times, in fact make that very wet most of the time but the worst parts now have stepping stones across which weren't there when we first started walking.

....you see!....easy now

The wet bit over the path descends into Far Easedale.

Far Easedale Gill was crossed on the footbridge at Stythwaite Steps where some of the stepping stones are still in place.

There are still lots of folk walking up our outward path towards the falls.

This is where we left the path up Far Easedale. From here it was back to Grasmere along the road.

And just the one stop in Grasmere for some Gingerbread.

Next Walk:    26th August 2010 - Arnside & Silverdale - Arnside Knott from Arnside

Last Walk:      24th August 2010 - Lake District - School Knott & Grandsire

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