Grasmere to High Raise circuit
My first experience of Sergeant Man was camping just below the summit early in the 2018 heatwave, and I was treated to an amazing sunset with views over Langdale and beyond to the Coniston Fells.
When continuing over to High Raise it became immediately obvious why Wainwright wrote that it “occupies a magnificent position geographically” as 9 of the 10 tallest peaks in Lakeland are visible from this viewpoint; only Catstycam is hidden from view by Helvellyn.
The descent back to Grasmere from Greenup follows the bubbling plunge pools and rocky waterfalls of Far Easedale Gill for several miles into the valley, passing many beautiful spots to stop for a paddle on a sunny day!
Click the image to open the Outdoor Active Route Card
Key Details:
Wainwrights: 4 - Silver How, Blea Rigg, Sergeant Man, High Raise. Tarn crag an optional extra.
Distance: 10.4 miles/17km.
Elevation gain: 2400ft/730m.
Terrain: A mix of grassy sheep tracks, boggy upland (passable in all but the wettest of weeks) and maintained fell paths. Classic Lakeland terrain!
Start/Finish: Grasmere bus stop, opposite the Heaton Cooper Studio.
Public Transport:
555 service: Lancaster to Keswick, calling at Kendal, Windermere, Ambleside and Grasmere as principle stops.
599 service: Windermere to Grasmere - runs as an additional service to the 555 to provide increased frequency between the tourist hotspots.
Early morning, late evening and Sunday services are available all year round.
Route notes:
1. Start: With your back to the Heaton Cooper Studio, turn right and walk to the bend in the road where you will see a National Trust sign for Allen Banks. Follow this sign along the minor road, over a cattle grid, until it splits into two. Take the right-hand lane, and continue until reaching a gate at Low Scorecrag. Pass through the gate and follow the stony track onto the open fell.
2. 0.5 miles: Continue up this track for 350m until the drystone walls on either side of the track open up. At this point several smaller sheep tracks splinter off the main path. Stay on the main path for half a mile keeping the drystone wall to your left, until you cross Wray Gill. After crossing Wray Gill, it is a case of picking the least boggy sheep-trod or path up to the obvious prominence ahead of Silver How: marked by a pile of stones.
3. 1.5 miles: The walk from Silver How to Sergeant Man follows grassy sheep tracks over hummocky grass. First pass around the base of Lang How, keeping Lang How Tarn to the left. Continue until you reach the saddle of Swinescar. It is a further mile of gradual ascent until reaching the summit of Blea Rigg.
4. 3.5 miles: From Blea Rigg continue ascending on grassy paths for 1.5 miles to Sergeant Man. Ignore the paths branching off to the left as they descend towards Stickle Tarn. After roughly 15 minutes the path coming up from Easedale Tarn will join from the right. Continue straight up to Sergeant Man.
5. 4.8 miles: After skirting the initial boggy ponds directly north of Sergeant Man, a path emerges, heading north-west. Follow the path for half a mile until reaching High Raise.
6. 5.3 miles: From High Raise a more clearly defined path emerges. Follow the path for half a mile until reaching the outcrop of Low White Stones, and then descending for a further half mile to the crossing point of Greenup Edge.
7. 6.2 miles: Turn right, and descend the stony path to Brownrigg Moss, keeping right when starting the descent, as smaller paths branch off to the left. Once in the basin follow the path over a stream, and a short climb leads to views down into Far Easedale.
8. 6.9 miles: Follow the stony path descending by the side of Far Easedale Gill for 1.5 miles before crossing the bridge marked Stythwaite Steps on the map.
9. 8.7 miles: Continue downhill in the stony path for a further mile until passing between a handful of cottages as the path becomes a tarmac road.
10. 9.8 miles: Stay on the tarmac road for the final half mile, passing the Youth Hostel on the left and returning back to the bus station at Heaton Cooper Studio in Grasmere.
Sunset from Sergeant Man
Fleetwith Pike and Dale Head from High Raise