What is this life if, so full of care,
we have no time to stand and stare
View
over Grasmere from Calf Crag
Route No 107a - Wednesday 16 June 2004
Rosthwaite to Grasmere - 12km . . .
Ordnance Survey route map on
the Landranger series map base
Bill, a friend of mine who lives in Alabama USA, is walking Wainwright's
Coast to Coast route with his friend Dave who lives in Texas, so Jim and I
arranged to meet them in Rosthwaite, Borrowdale at 10am on Wednesday 17 June
2004 for three days walking to Pooley Bridge at the northern end of Ullswater.
Everything went according to plan and my wife drove me and Jim to Rosthwaite
for our rendevous. We set off in the warm sunshine up the valley alongside
Stonethwaite Beck and then up Greenup Gill passing Eagle Crag over to our
right. As we approached Lining Crag the path became steeper and steeper until
we came out on top of the crag where we stopped for a drink and a sandwich
and a look at the view. We continued up a much more gentle slope for a few
hundred metres to Greenup Edge at map ref. NY 285105. From here the path crosses
a wonderful bowl of rocky open country about a kilometer wide to a lower ridge
overlooking Far Easedale Gill.
At map ref. NY 295102 we took the path to the left over Calf Crag and we followed
the lovely craggy ridge over Gibson Knott to Helm Crag and then down a very
steep descent into Easedale. We followed the road for about two kilometers
into Grasmere where we had a very welcome pint in a pub garden before making
our way to our B&B. The route today has been about 12 km. with about 800m
of climbing all together. It took us almost 6 hours to complete the walk.
(it was a long slow climb up past Lining Crag)
 Eagle Crag from Stonethwaite Beck |
 Mountain stream running into Greenup Gill |
 Taking our coats off before the climb up to Lining Crag |
 The path up to Lining Crag |
 Made it! - Greenup Edge |
 Grasmere from Calf Crag |
Ordnance Survey route
map on the Landranger series map base
Grisedale Tarn looking
towards Dollywaggon Pike
 Cloud sitting on Seat Sandal from the road near Mill Bridge |
This morning we left Grasmere at 10am and took the path from Mill Bridge up Tongue Gill to Grisedale Hause, map ref. NY 349117. It is a pleasant even path with a steady gradient. Once we reached the tarn we had our lunch sitting on the rocks at the far end. Then we made our way down Grisedale into Patterdale for a cup of tea in a pub garden before making our way to tonight's B&B.The weather today has been fine and dry but cooler than yesterday so it was better for hill climbing. The route was about 13 km. with about 700m of climbing in total. It took us about 5 hours to reach Patterdale. This was only our second day following the coast to coast route but we had already got to know several groups of coast to coast walkers as we passed and repassed each other along the way. |
 The climb up Tongue Gill |
 Looking up Tongue Gill to Grisedale Hause |
|
|
|
Ordnance Survey route map on
the Landranger series map base
This morning was cold and wet with low cloud covering the hills. We had planned to meet my wife at Bampton for a lift home but we decided to stay low today and walk round Ullswater to Pooley Bridge and get a ride home from there. Our American friends would make their way over Barton Fell to Bampton. At about 10am we set off in the drizzle around the lake. The steam ferry from Glenridding passed us on its way to Howtown and about 20 minutes later we reached the ferry jetty at Howtown where we sat on the shingle under some trees by the lakeside to shelter from the rain and have some lunch
 Starting out in the drizzle on the path from Patterdale around Ullswater |
As we were eating a young American couple from New Hampshire passed us - they are walking the coast to coast route too and stayed last night in the pub where we had our evening meal. After lunch the weather had cleared up a bit and we set off on a bridleway that gradually climbed up the hillside until we were at Swarthbeck. Here we said goodbye to our American friends who continued up the slope to cross Barton Fell enroute for Bampton. Jim and I followed the path down Swarthbeck to the road and along the road for about 2km. to Waterside House campsite. Here we took the path by the lakeside into Pooley Bridge. We had time for a cup of tea and a bacon sandwich before my wife arrived with our transport home. Todays route had been about 15 km. with a total of about 500m of climbing up and down around the lakeside and took us about 5 hours. It has been a great three days and a very pleasant reunion with our American friends. |
 Wild roses in the woods by the side of Ullswater |
 Lakeside path through the woods in the rain |
 Looking back towards Patterdale |
 Admiring the view over Ullswater |
 Steam Ferry arriving at Howtown |
 Ullswater from the shingle beach at Howtown jetty |
 Steam Ferry heading for Howtow |
 Swaledale tups at Pooley Bridge, waiting for the autumn. |
 Ullswater from the path near Pooley Bridge |
 Pooley Bridge |
© 2008 Frank M Firth
Original
design by Andreas
Viklund
