 |
 |
 |
| Loc 1. Goody Bridge - very close to the small car park. (113Kb) |
Loc 2. Sour Milk Gill - one of the delights on this walk. (76Kb) |
Loc 3. Looking back down Sour Milk Gill. (80Kb) |
 |  |
 |
| Loc 3. Sour Milk Gill - not at the top!(77Kb) |
Loc 3. Looking down the gill. (106Kb) |
Loc 4. Easedale Tarn - a lovely spot in any weather, including the rain! (88Kb) |
 |  |
| Loc 5.The climb up towards Belles Knott. The number of stream shows how wet it was! (90Kb) |
Loc 6. Sour Milk Gill again, with Tarn Crag just bearly discernible though the mist. (61Kb) |
From the village centre, take Easedale Road, very shortly passing the entrance to the YHA and then further on the small car park. Look for a permissive path opposite the car park to save walking on the road for a few hundred metres at least. Cross the river at Goodby Bridge (location 1). Where the road swings R, take the track on the L at the sign to "Easedale Tarn" and immediately cross Easedale Beck. The route ahead is obvious and the views soon open up. My photos don't do it justice as it was raining on and off and was quite overcast.
After a fairly level stroll across the pastures, the route soon starts to climb following a well made path up the L side of Sour Milk Gill. Don't be fooled into thinking that the top of the cascade (near location 3) is the summit; the route merely levels off before a final climb to Easedale Tarn (location 4).
For an awful lot of people, this is the objective of their walk and often go no further. Some merely simply retrace their steps (not very exciting), whilst others cross over the outflow from the tarn and go back down the opposite bank before veering off and coming back down through Far Easedale. I have done this several times and it makes a very pleasant stroll. However, today it's onwards and upwards!
After pausing at the tarn, continue now heading generally W, fairly level at first and then climbing very steeply after passing the inflow to the tarn. The conical hill ahead and to the R slightly is Belles Knot and passing it is our next objective (location 5). It's a bit of a scramble in places but the route is obvious - straight up!
After a bit of a puff, the incline lessens. At a junction alongside the beck (NY 296095), take the R path to cross the beck. The L path goes on to to Sargeant Man and High Raise but that is for another day. Having crossed the beck, pass behind Belles Knot and soon Codale Tarn comes into view. This is not so popular at Easedale Tarn and on several occasions, I have had it to myself. Skirt the E edge of the tarn, now only on a vague path. Even this soon peters out. Head just E of N and make for the heights of Tarn Crag off to the R. Do not be tempted to take the apparently easier option of skirting Tarn Crag of its L as there is only a precipitous drop back down to Easedale Tarn. Nice view, though! No photographs now, I'm afraid, as it was raining too hard to get the camera out.
It can be quite boggy after leaving the tarn as you head towards Tarn Crag but this some passes and firmer ground is reached. At the summit, drop down the previously unseen side of the hill picking up quite a definite path (yes, I also go off on sheep tracks!) and you can either follow the path down the ridge or else look for a path going off to the R (heading S for short way before going SE). More boggy pits follow but soon you will pick up the path on the L of Sour Milk Gill (the alternative way back down from Easedale Tarn).
This follows Sour Milk Gill for a short way before swinging L, heading N, to enter Far Easedale, much quieter and I believe lovelier than Easedale itself. After crossing a timber bridge, the path is now a wide but very rocky bridleway. With Far Easedale Beck for company, head SE to emerge at farm buildings. Ignore the road but instead head through a gate onto a track crossing pastures with views of Sour Milk Gill again (location 6) off the R. Cross over Easdale Beck on the stone bridge and turn L to retrace your steps back to Grasmere.
A lovely re-introduction to the delights of the Lake District!
Please send any comments to alan@arolfe.co.uk. Thanks!
[Home]
| 
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=link}