Grasmere

Just before leaving Grasmere I talked to an elderly woman who was walking her dog. She turned out to be local. I asked what she thought of the storm last night. 'Well I planted some peas yesterday and they are all washed out now', she replied. She reckoned that she'd not seen red clouds like that for a long time. 

I'm surprised that downpours of that severity don't seem to affect the wildlife. Birds were going about their business in Grasmere just like any other day. The lambs in the fields look okay too, although a few appeared to be sleeping with their mothers. It must have been a long night for them.

Waterfalls

I was right about the waterfalls though; they were cascading a lot of water. The one down Sourmilk Gill was very impressive. I made my way down to one of them to get a photo. Easdale Tarn sources most of the the water coming down Sourmilk Gill. I needed to cross the stream that exits Easdale Tarn and I wondered whether the stepping stones might be covered over. It would mean a change of route if they were submerged.

Easdale Tarn isn't revealed until its water almost touches your boots. It is always an awesome sight surrounded by all those vertical crags. I dashed over to the stepping stones and found that they were useable...just.

Tarn Crag And Sergeant Man

Tarn Crag is a pointy peak and is summited by climbing to a ridge above Easedale Tarn, and then following the ridge to its top. I found that it all looked trickier than reality. There are plenty of paths in the area and I picked one that took me to a low point on the ridge. I then made my way up to the pinnacle of Tarn Crag. The crag itself looked unclimbable as I approached, but an easy ascent can be made to the left of the crag. The summit is quite away from the crags that overlook Easedale Tarn. I made a short detour to these crags. There is a large cairn near the edge. It is certainly a good vantage point to look down the valley. Tarn Crag itself really is quite a pointy summit. There were good views over to Helm Crag and the Helvellyn and Fairfield ranges.

The path from Tarn Crag to Sergeant Man is sketchy to non-existent. In bad weather it is best to resort to map/compass and probably gps. In good weather, the view of Codale Tarn is a good navigational reference point. 

There was nobody on the summit of Sergeant Man when I arrived. It is a popular summit and I was surprised to have it to myself.

Blea Rigg

I started my descent to Blea Rigg. I always find the terrain between Sergeant Man and Silver Howe confusing in bad weather. There are lots of paths that continually shift direction. There are peaks, troughs, cliffs and small tarns. Once, I even came across a fenced-off bog. It appeared out of the mist and then was lost in the mist. In good weather there are plenty of reference points to get your position on the map. Even so, I'm not sure I'd have chosen the right summit for Blea Rigg without my gps. The summit is located by a very small cairn.

On the way down to Blea Rigg I met a solemn group of walkers making their way up to Sergeant Man. The last man in the group stopped to have a chat with me. He was a Brummie and he said they were doing a 4 day walk of the Bob Graham Round.  This route is 66 miles long and includes 42 of the highest peaks in the Lakes. They'd stopped in the Traveller's Rest at Grasmere last night and they were making their way across to Scafell Pike and Wasdale. They looked like long days to me and probably explained the glum looks in the group. This fellow seemed chirpy enough though.

Silver Howe

The route from Blea Rigg to Silver Howe is at a reduced height but is no less confusing. There are a few more tarns that may or may not be of help with navigation. In good weather, it is reasonably obvious if you are going off piste; not so obvious in bad weather.

I eventually got to the summit of Silver Howe shortly after a woman. She sat down, to claim it for herself. There are tremendous views over to Lake Grasmere and Rydal Water. The Fairfield and Helvellyn ranges provide the backdrop. 

The views seem to improve on the descent to Grasmere with trees and farm houses making an interesting foreground. It was so warm when I got to the centre of Grasmere I treated myself to an ice-cream. I nearly fainted at the price of £3 a scoop, but I have to admit, one scoop was more than enough to me.

It had been a great day. I've done most parts of this route before; a lot of times  in bad weather. It was great to do the route today in good conditions and get those wonderful views.