Day of the Tarns.

Looking down Easedale towards Grasmere.  

Well there isn't a Grasmere Horseshoe, or an Easedale Horseshoe.  But maybe there should be.

Peter was running one of his two day workshops in Grasmere, and I tagged along, so that he could work and I could play and enjoy a walk in the Fells.  Almost a tradition is for Peter to walk to the summit of Helm Crag on the Saturday evening of this workshop, and I wanted to join him.  Or as per today, meet him.

So the walk was worked out to end on Helm Crag at about 6.30pm.  I had all day, could take it as easy as I liked, and go where I pleased.  So I did.

I've put the map on first this time, cos that way it's probably easier to see what the photographs are about.  Start at Grasmere, clockwise round to High Raise, and meet Peter at Helm Crag.  I didn't work it out until I wrote this blog post, but for the Wainwright baggers amongst you, there are six on this route: Blea Rigg, High Raise, Sgt Man, Calf Crag, Gibson Knott and Helm Crag.  But you could easily have made it seven with a little diversion onto Silver Howe at the start.

An it really was the day of the Tarns, they were everywhere, some of them quite beautiful.  Here are the pictures.

This is a little after the start of the walk.  That's Helm Crag on the left, then over on the opposite side of the valley you have Seat Sandal, Fairfield and Great Rigg.  Great Rigg isn't really higher than Fairfield, it's just closer. 

This little unnamed tarn just south under Lang Howe was so lovely I couldn't stop taking pictures.

They were so pretty.  They're called Bogbean, it doesn't seem right does it?

I wanted to find out what these flowers were called. 

From Lang Howe, there are a couple of castles: Little Castle How and Great Castle How.  And some fantastic views.

Looking down Langdale from Little Castle How.

This little tarn is one of two just southwest under Great Castle How

Meadow Pipit on Blea Rigg

Easedale Tarn from Blea Rigg

First sight of Stickle Tarn on my left as I'm walking. You can see Harrison Stickle dead centre and Pavey Ark to the right.

And on my right....  Codale Tarn and Easedale Tarn.

Sergeant Man.  I've always thought it an odd name.  I wonder how it got it?

Stickle Tarn sort of centre, and Thunacar Knott on the right.  Thunacar Knot is a brilliant name. 

High Raise next. This is the Trig Point and the highest point of the walk.

And this is why we like being up here.  You can see forever.  That's Skiddaw and chums in the distancei

From High Raise, down to Low White Stones and Greenup Edge is fairly uneventful. Then a right turn to follow the C2C for a little while past Birks.  Nice and boggy around there, I can tell you. Then I turned north and headed for Brownrigg Moss (another little tarn and the last one of the walk), and Calf Crag.

The path from Brownrigg Moss to Helm Crag just goes up and down, up and down. It was getting towards the end of the day and my legs were getting tired, but Helm Crag just never seemed to get any closer! 

Still a little way yet.  I've been taking my time, and now I'm wondering if Peter will get there before me?

Nearly there. When the sun's out, the green is greener, and the blue, bluer.  Just wonderful. 

Finally here.  This is The Howitzer, the summit of Helm Crag. 

I needn't have worried about Peter.  I arrived at six, and then had a wonderful half hour enjoying the views, the weather and chocolate until he got there.  Brilliant eh?

And now it's time to find our way down.  A wonderful day and a fantastic walk.  

So that worked out at about 12 miles (cos of me meandering) and about 3100ft of up and down.  A good walk because there are no really long steep climbs, it's more of a continuous and relatively gentle up as you make your way towards High Raise.  Just right for me. 

Finally, we enjoyed a lovely steak dinner at the Lamb Inn to end the day.  Nice. 

Peter has his second workshop day tomorrow and I'm just going to wander off for a little mooch around.  It's going to be lovely.