![]() |
Tarn Crag above Easedale Tarn |
Monday, 30 June 202
Ascent: 560 metres
Distance: 12 kilometres
Time: 4 hours 20 minutes
Tarn Crag 549m 1 hr 56mins
I had survived yesterday's 10-kilometre walk, including 400 metres of ascent, on a walk to Little Langdale and back, including a climb over Yew Tree Crag to the quarry. It was my longest walk since February, and apart from a strained groin caused by a foolish attempt to run last week, I felt ok, tired, yes, but that produced a good night's sleep.
It was time to climb a hill, Gregor and Emily gave me a lift to Goody Bridge in Grasmere, from where I followed the Far Easedale path on a clear day with grey skies and high humidity. My objective was Tarn Crag, the only Wainwright Hill that I have still to climb on this round of Wainwrights. The path is part of the Coast to Coast route, and there was a fair number of walkers heading eastwards. I stopped to talk to a woman who was on her fourth day and intended to finish phase 1 of her walk at Grasmere. She had just spent a night in Barrow House Youth Hostel, her first such visit, and was full of praise for the 'youth' hostel and the like-minded people she had met there. I wished her well and continued up to the new wooden bridge over the Ghyll at Stythwaite Steps. A steep path forks off to the left and eventually leads to a narrow path that climbs steeply as it winds through the bracken towards Tarn Crag. After climbing for about 15 minutes and emerging from the bracken, I stopped for a drink and a late lunch, perched on a large rock overlooking Easedale Tarn. I needed the break; my legs were fine, but my groin injury was not helped by the big vertical stretches.
There was another half hour of climbing required as I edged upwards at a more sedate pace, laced with occasional stops for chats with walkers descending. I had made it in less than 2 hours, which, in the circumstances, was fine. I took a rest before deciding to take a longer route back via Coledale Tarn, Eagle Crag and Easedale Tarn. Two older men were wild swimming in Coledale Tarn and drying themselves as I passed. They were cousins and had recently taken to wild swimming. When I asked them if they were trying to collect all the Lakeland Tarns, they were a bit flummoxed and said they hadn't thought of that, but it could make a good book. I told them it had already been done and could be found in a Lakeland bookshop. When they heard where I was from, they revealed that their grandparents came from Plean, and they had a cousin living there. It was time to move on; I headed to Eagle Crag and found the path to Easedale Tarn. There is a steep rock section that was wet, slippery and slow going before the final kilometre to Easedale Tarn. I had not been here since we had dragged the children up on an equally grey day, and despite its popularity, I have yet to discover its undoubted charms.
I crossed the Sourmilk Gill on leaving the Tarn to begin the path down, not discovering until well down that it was the path back to Far Easedale Ghyll. It would add an extra kilometre or so, but I would still be down 30 minutes before my pick-up time. My limp was getting worse, but once on the better-graded path, I discovered that walking faster helped. I made it back to Grasmere by 5:45pm, my lift was waiting, so back for a shower, Wimbledon and a lazy evening. I was delighted to have managed 12 kilometres, my legs felt good, but my groin strain was not happy. A rest day tomorrow.
![]() |
Ascent by Far Easedale Ghyll |
![]() |
Easedale Tarn from the ascent of Tarn Crag |
![]() |
Coledale Tarn and Langdale Pikes from Tarn Crag |
![]() |
Descent down Eagle Crag to Easedale Tarn |