Sun 21 Aug - High Raise via Tarn Crag

Leader: Mel
Car Parking: Several pay and display car parks in Grasmere (£8 a day maximum)
Start / Finish: Beginning of Easedale Road in Grasmere Village, opposite the Sam Read book shop. (GR:NY337076)
Meet Time: 9.15am
Start Time: 9.30am

Route: From the village, walk NW along Easdale road for about 0.5 mile. Turn left to cross a couple of small footbridges before following a clear track alongside Easedale Beck. The path then climbs beside the waterfalls of Sourmilk Gill (can be quite spectacular if there has been rain recently). Upon reaching Easedale Tarn, cross the outlet stream and follow the path descending slightly alongside Sourmilk Gill and rounding Cockly Crag. Look for a little used path on the left heading upwards through the bracken. This path ascends with some steep sections to reach Tarn Crag (highest point is on the right for the Wainwright baggers) with excellent views SE to Windemere and NE to Helvellyn. From Tarn Crag a faint trail continues roughly west with a view down to Codale Tarn on the left before entering boggy territory where the path disappears and some negotiating to cross to the bottom of the next stage of ascent. Here the route steepens following a tiny beck through the rocks before the gradient eases and the more obvious path appears following a line of fenceposts to Codale Head. Dropping down, the path skirts the edge of a boggy depression and leads straight to Sergeant Man. Following the main path the route continues up to the trig point at the summit of High Raise and the highest point on the route at 762m. Views out to Bow Fell, Esk Pike and Glaramara are rewarding as the path drops down via Low White Stones, becoming eroded and quite steep as it descends to Greenup Edge (5 miles from start). Here the route joins the Coast to Coast path all the way back to Grasmere. Upon reaching a cairn next to two redundant fence posts take the stonier of the two left hand paths which winds its way to the top of Calf Crag from which the rest of the route is reasonably clear keeping to the southern edge of the ridge. The ridge (the ground plunging away to the right into Far Easedale) undulates for 1.6miles across Gibson Knott before descending into the grassy saddle of Bracken Hause then the final significant climb up to Helm Crag. Passing the Lion and the Lamb the path bears right descending a steep loose section before a stonier path zigzags down the fell to a wall, head right for a few yards then left along a walled path turning left signposted to Grasmere.

Ascent: ~915m
Distance: ~10.5miles
Time: 7-8 hours
Grade: Strenuous (but ascents can be taken at own pace as there are no time constraints)

Please let Mel know in advance by 5.00 pm on Saturday if you are coming on this walk - text 07584303975 email meggleton9@hotmail.com.

I reserve the right to modify the route or cancel the walk dependent on weather conditions.