Grasmere's Knotty Problem

Having got our first Wainwright (Helm Crag) under our belt, we set off along the ridge for the second one, Gibson Knott. The path along the ridge undulates and meanders and it isn't really obvious which is the highest point. On one of these summits we found a large cairn and that did indeed look higher than the surrounding peaks. It wasn't at the grid reference usually quoted for Gibson Knott though. At the quoted grid reference, the peak seems lower to me. At the end of day, it doesn't really matter, just enjoy the views along the ridge rather than quibble over grid references.

We proceeded along the ridge to Calf Crag where we had a break before the ascent to Sergeant Man.

Sergeant Man

We took the path upwards alongside Mere Beck. It is quite a nice secluded valley. I guess most people approach Sergeant Man from the Easdale Tarn path. It didn't take long before we reached the High Raise plateau and we could see the familiar triangular crag of Sergeant Man. There was a great view from the top down into the valley towards Pavey Ark with Stickle Tarn at its feet.

Wire Haired Patterdale

It doesn't take long to cross the High Raise plateau to its trig point. A woman was sat near the trig with a small terrier. She had covered it in a blanket. I asked her what type of dog she had. We then played a game of verbal tennis as I misheard what she was saying. I thought she said 'Wild Eyed', 'Weird Eared', 'Wide Hide'...until we settled on a 'Wire Haired Patterdale'.  Looking on the internet this was definitely her dog. It was really cute with floppy ears and a beard.

Steel Fell

The path from High Raise to Steel Fell is hard work. Some of it is stone steps, some of it is grass paths, but most of it is bog. It is almost certain that you'll get wet feet at some point. A lot of it is trackless, or very sketchy. The terrain does get a bit drier the nearer you get to Steel Fell.  By the time we got to the summit we were tired and decided to have 5 minutes rest. As soon as I sat down an Osprey Heli-plane started approaching us from Grasmere. I grabbed my camera and ran towards the edge of Steel Fell so that I could get a photo as it flew down the valley. For some reason, it banked away and headed away towards Coniston. It must have seen me running to get a picture.

The descent from Steel Fell is tough on tired knees. Some compensations is to be had by the great views over to Seat Sandal and Helm Crag.

The Long Road Home

There is still a lot of walking to be done once you've reached the road at the bottom of Steel Fell.  It passes a few farms and cottages. At Underhelm we saw an old couple chopping logs for their fire. The woman provided the logs and the man swung the axe to chop them. He did it with such ease and efficiency, he looked as though he'd been doing it for years or even decades. Grasmere was reasonably busy with tourists pottering about the roads and shops. It was with some relief when we got back to the car. It had been a great walk with super views, but it made our knees sing.