Walk Summary
Shortish walk with one summit, Seat Sandal. Best view of Grisedale Tarn. Impressive waterfalls along Tongue Gill.
Date: 10/12/2021
Length: 6.05 miles
Height Gain: 668 m
Terrain: Boggy paths, grass paths, stony paths, beck crossings, stone steps, pavement along busy road
Navigation: Sketchy paths on Seat Sandal. Requires map and compass.
Start: Roadside Car Park A591, Grasmere
Route: Grasmere, Mill Bridge, Little Tongue Gill, Seat Sandal, Grisedale Tarn Tongue Gill, Mill Bridge
Map: OL5 The English Lakes North Eastern Area
Weather: Sunny, snow at high level
Walkers: Nun, Mo and Calse
Gallery
The Google Gallery may have more photos (it will be displayed in a new Tab)
Tongue Gill Sheep
Captain's Log
Head-butting
Blue skies, sun and snow glistening on the tops. It looked as though it was going to be a perfect day as we walked along the pavement from Grasmere to Mill Bridge. We stopped to watch two sheep (or were they tups) head-butting each other in a field. When they noticed our heads looking at them over a stone wall, they stopped their fight and looked at us...well...rather sheepishly. We left them to it. I did look back a few minutes later and noticed they were still having a go at each other.
Seat Sandal
We headed up Little Tongue Gill and caught the first blast of a very cold wind. It wasn't long before we had jackets, headbands and gloves on. We made our way up to the ridge path that takes you to the top of Seat Sandal. It was tempting to keep turning around to see the great views down into Grasmere, over to Coniston and the Langdales. The sun kept disappearing behind a cloud and it got colder and colder. We eventually reached the snow line. The snow was surprisingly soft given how cold it felt. It wasn't long before we were on the top of Seat Sandal admiring the Fairfield and Helvellyn ranges.
Chimney At Mill Brdge
Grisedale Tarn
Grisedale Tarn
Rather than take the steep, direct route down to Grisedale Tarn, we followed the broken stone wall that goes in a northerly direction. I diverted from the wall to get a better view of Grisedale Tarn from above. It really is a superb view with Fairfield, St Sunday Crag and Dollywagon Pike completing the panorama.
The north side of Seat Sandal had quite deep snow and we went up to our knees in places. It was still soft though and so we were able to make our way down to the tarn fairly easily. Nobody had broken the snow on the path to Grisedale Hause and so it was hard work to get there. Grisedale Tarn to our left, kept diverting our gaze.
At Grisedale Hause we stopped for our lunch. My original intention was to go up Fairfield and down by Stone Arthur, but the snowy conditions was making it hard for everybody. We agreed to go back to Grasmere taking the path down the valley by Tongue Gill.
Steel Fell
Tongue Gill Waterfalls And Sheep
The waterfalls along Tongue Gill were very impressive. The first one of note is where the path crossed the beck. I wandered over to the gorge on the right of the path. This was quite deep, had waterfalls and was equally impressive.
A good way down the valley, we noticed that some sheep were coming up the path. Interestingly they didn't divert off the path on to the fell. We stood still, they stood still, and a staring match ensued. In the end, they backed down and trotted off uphill into the bracken.
A few minutes later, it became apparent why the sheep were keen to come up the valley. Farmers had collected sheep down near the footbridges across Tongue Gill and they were driving them into a nearby field. The sheep we had seen, must have 'escaped' and were on the run.
Tongue Gill Waterfalls
Grasmere Jet
Jet And Robins
I'm usually too late to get a photo of the military jets that fly down the Thirlmere Valley. I was lucky in that I had the camera out taking a photo of something else, and caught a reasonable photo of a Royal Navy jet.
Grasmere Robin
Back near the car we found a Robin looking resplendent in the afternoon sun. We gave him some bird seed and it didn't take him long to tuck in.
Although this had been a shortish walk it had had some great views from Seat Sandal and the waterfalls had been spectacular.