Height: 537 metres / 1762 feet Grid reference: NY 30162 10410 Category: The Central Fells
Calf Crag summit looking along the ridge to Grasmere
The Gibson Knott – Helm Crag ridge from Calf Crag
Calf Crag
Greenburn Round
Start point: Roadside parking near to Helmside (NY 332 096)
Helmside – Cotra Breast – Steel Fell – Brownrigg Moss – Calf Crag – Gibson Knott – Helm Crag – Thorny How – Low Mill Bridge – Helmside
Distance: 6.8 miles Total Ascent: 653 metres Time Taken: 3 hours
Weather: Overcast, showers towards the end. 22ºC.
Today was another day when I ended up doing a walk that I had not planned – I was off to the western fells but it was bucketing down with rain over that way and I could see it was brighter to the north east, so that was good enough for me. I think I was lucky to finish this walk relatively dry too as the rain came in as I reached valley level.
Greenburn with Steel Fell to the right.
Looking across to Helm Crag.
The same view from higher up the climb to Steel Fell.
Climbing Cotra Breast.
A good view of the Helm Crag to Gibson Knott ridge, the route of return.
Helvellyn from Dead Pike, the summit of Steel Fell.
Hmm, not much running water up here for Casper to have a bathe in, just boggy puddles.
Thirlmere and Blencathra from Steel Fell.
The route arcs round to the left past the un-named tarn. Beyond is the High Raise plateau.
Blencathra and Clough Head.
Ullscarf.
Helvellyn.
Calf Crag summit looking along the ridge to Grasmere.
Wrong way Casper, we are off to Gibson Knott!
Saint Sunday Crag.
Tarn Crag and Far Easedale.
The Langdale Pikes beyond Tarn Crags from Gibson Knott.
Casper strikes the mountain dog pose on the way to Helm Crag.
Easedale Tarn is now in view on the upper left with Sergeant Man beyond Tarn Crag.
The climb to Helm Crag from Bracken Hause.
Steel Fell from the top of The Howitzer, the true summit of Helm Crag.
The Lion and The Lamb on the left, Loughrigg Fell and Grasmere from The Howitzer.
The view across to Seat Sandal, Fairfield and Great Rigg from The Howitzer.
Steel Fell beyond the rocky pinnacle that is The Howitzer.
The path to The Lion and The Lamb.
Grasmere from The Lion.
Looking back to Steel Fell.
High Raise
Start point: Grasmere (NY 337 076)
Grasmere – Goody Bridge – Helmside – Steel Fell (464) – Greenup Edge – Brownrigg Moss – Low White Stones – High Raise – Sergeant Man – Codale Head – Brownrigg Moss – Calf Crag – Gibson Knott – Helm Crag – Grasmere
Distance: 11 miles Total Ascent: 1000 metres Time Taken: 5 hours
Weather: Dull and grey with the snow showers. 5°C
Today’s walk was from Grasmere with a circuit of Greenburn, also taking in High Raise and Sergeant Man. There was lots of snow about today with mini-blizzards on the higher sections of High Raise and Sergeant Man.
Looking across to Helm Crag from the steep ascent to Steel Fell.
Lots of OFC members and dogs on the way up to Steel Fell.
Looking across to the snow capped Helvellyn ridge across Dunmail Raise.
Seat Sandal.
Looking back down Steel Fell to Helm Crag with Grasmere beyond with the snow falling now.
Steel Fell summit.
Thirlmere from Steel Fell.
Helvellyn across an un-named tarn on the ridge to Gibson Knott.
Brownrigg Moss with Greenup Edge in the distance - the route to High Raise.
An icy beck on Low White Stones.
The central fells and Bassenthwaite Lake.
Steel Fell just beneath the clouds from Low White Stones.
Langstrath from High Raise.
Angus complete with snowy beard on High Raise.
A snowy High Raise summit.
Bow Fell from High Raise.
Crinkle Crags from a frozen tarn below Sergeant Man's summit.
Pavey Ark and Harrison Stickle from Sergeant Man.
On the edge of Sergeant Man, Stickle Tarn below.
A snowy Saint Sunday Crag and Fairfield contrast against Dollywagon Pike and Seat Sandal with Steel Fell in the centre.
The Lion and The Lamb from the top of the Howitzer, the summit of Helm Crag; Grasmere and Loughrigg Fell beyond.
Grasmere from The Lion and The Lamb.
Easedale.
Helm Crag from Easedale.
Jack’s Rake
Grasmere – Easedale – Easedale Tarn – Belles Knott – Stickle Tarn – Pavey Ark – Thunacar Knott – Sergeant Man – High Raise – Low White Stones – Greenup Edge – Brownrigg Moss – Calf Crag – Gibson Knott – Helm Crag – Grasmere
Distance: 12.5 miles Total Ascent: 1256 metres Time Taken: 4 hours 45 minutes
Weather: Turning sunny and warm. 23°C.
Today was a choice of walk for 14 year old James; as he’s wanted to climb Jack’s Rake (sorry Angus, not a walk for dogs!) and Helm Crag (commonly known as ‘The Lion and the Lamb’) for a while, we killed two birds with one stone today and did a long round from Grasmere. The weather started somewhat dull but by the time we reached Easedale Tarn, the sun shone and it turned into a glorious day with memorable, superb views from our lunch stop on High Raise.
Jack's Rake
Easedale Tarn.
Belles Knott - the 'Matterhorn' of Easedale.
James on the summit of Belles Knott, looking across Easedale to Blea Rigg.
Codale Tarn, Tarn Crag, Belles Knott and Easedale Tarn.
Stickle Tarn, Harrison Stickle and Pavey Ark.
Approaching Jack's Rake which can be seen as a diagonal groove centre right - left.
Looking up the steep Jack's Rake.
Climbing the Rake.
Stickle Tarn from Jack's Rake.
Harrison Stickle from Pavey Ark.
Another view of Harrison Stickle from one of the tarns on Pavey Ark.
The view from High Raise.
Bow Fell from High Raise.
Skiddaw in the distance from the summit of High Raise.
The Gibson Knott - Helm Crag ridge from Calf Crag.
Approaching Helm Crag, Grasmere in view to the right.
James admiring the view from the true summit of Helm Crag, on top of the rocks known as 'The Howitzer'. Wainwright never reached this highest position on Helm Crag!
The Howitzer on Helm Crag.
Grasmere from Helm Crag.
The Lion & The Lamb
Start point: Grasmere (NY 337 076)
Grasmere – Easedale – Easedale Tarn – Tarn Crag (140) – Codale Head (141) – Sergeant Man (142) – High Raise (143) – Calf Crag (144) – Gibson Knott (145) – Helm Crag (146) – Grasmere
Weather: Sunny at first, rain later.
Today’s walk is a circuit of Grasmere Common, taking in the ever popular Easedale Tarn and the high point of High Raise.
Car parking for this walk is in the village of Grasmere, the popular car park for walks in this area on the Easedale Road has now been transformed into a mini housing estate!
Setting off in bright sunshine (surprising as it was pouring down earlier), I followed the Easedale Road up to Easedale, over the bridge and through an iron gate onto the well defined rocky path.
Helm Crag from Easedale. The path follows the stream with Sourmilk Gill waterfalls visible ahead and ascends adjacent to them. The falls were in full spate due to the amount of rain over the past few days.
Sourmilk Gill waterfalls. Continuing upwards, the still well defined path leads to the lovely and popular Easedale Tarn.
Helm Crag from Easedale Tarn. Visible up to the right is Tarn Crag; I crossed Sourmilk Gill where it exits the tarn and followed the path around the tarn and then a diagonal ascent through the bracken to Tarn Crag.
Tarn Crag from Easedale Tarn. The summit of Tarn Crags is not easy to determine at the best of times as there are many rocky knolls, it was made harder as the mist descended over the top as I arrived. The highest point is up to the right as you arrive on the summit plateau.
Tarn Crag summitCodale Tarn, right. Carrying on westerly along the plateau, Codale Head can be seen ahead with Codale Tarn down to the left. There is an easy ascent to the large cairn; the remains of an old fence leads the way to the summit from half way up.
Codale Tarn, right. Carrying on westerly along the plateau, Codale Head can be seen ahead with Codale Tarn down to the left. There is an easy ascent to the large cairn; the remains of an old fence leads the way to the summit from half way up.
High Raise from Codale Head. To the south-west lies the attractive pyramid of Sergeant Man and it is an easy traverse to reach it.
Sergeant Man from Codale Head
Codale Head and Sergeant Man from the walk to High Raise.
Bright Beck from Sergeant Man. The clouds were lifting now giving fabulous glimpses of Bright Beck and the Langdale Pikes. From Sergeant Man, High Raise was an easy, if somewhat boggy, stroll - there is a trig column on the bouldery summit. From High Raise summit the views were clear - it looked as though it was raining elsewhere, especially over Keswick.
Pike O' Stickle from the summit of High Raise.
Looking across the Langstrath Valley to Glaramara with the High Stile ridge beyond. From High Raise I headed towards Codale Head again; I missed the path here and ended up descending a bit too far to Ferngill Crag. Once I realised my mistake, I contoured across to Broadstone Head and across the Greenup Edge/Far Easedale pass and an easy ascent to the summit of Calf Crag. Here the heavens opened as I arrived and from here on it was a monsoon all the way.
Looking along Far Easedale to Helm Crag from the walk to Calf Crag. Heron Pike is in the distance.
Loughrigg in the centre distance from the summit of Calf Crag. From Calf Crag, it is a pleasant walk along an undulating ridge to reach Gibson Knott, the summit being marked by a large cairn.
Helm Crag from the summit of Gibson Knott. Helm Crag can now be seen in the distance and it is another undulating walk to reach it followed by a sharp climb at the end. Once on Helm Crag ridge, the first large piece of rock is known as 'The Howitzer' due to its appearance from Dunmail Raise. The top of these rocks is the true summit of Helm Crag.
Steel Fell and Dunmail Raise from The Howitzer. Further along the ridge there are two lumps of rock, one large and one small. These are referred to as 'The Lion and The Lamb' due to their appearance from below.
The Howitzer
The Lion and The Lamb on the summit of Helm Crag. Carrying on along the ridge, the obvious path descends toward Grasmere. Taking the path at the gap in the wall, down past the houses, across the road to another path which takes you to Easedale and the original path at the start of the walk. From here it is an easy walk back to Grasmere.
Grasmere Epic
Grasmere – Steel Fell (186) – Calf Crag – Greenup Edge – Ullscarf (187) – Long Crag – Sergeant’s Crag (188) – Eagle Crag (189) – Sergeant’s Crag – Low White Stones – High Raise – Thunacar Knott (190) – Sergeant Man – Blea Rigg (191) – Silver How (192) – Grasmere
A raw and bitterly cold day, icy wind on the tops with lots of snow.
Helm Crag from the ascent of Steel Fell. Loughrigg is to the distant left.
Steel Fell summit cairn.
Two un-named tarns on the walk to Calf Crag, Greenup Edge behind.
Calf Crag summit.
A frozen Ullscarf summit cairn.
Greenup Valley.
Ullscarf.
Sergeant's Crag summit.
Borrowdale from Eagle Crag.
Icicle formation on Low White Stones.
High Raise Trig. column.
High Raise from Thunacar Knott.
Sergeant Man summit looking towards Stickle Tarn and Pavey Ark.
Stickle Tarn, Harrison Stickle and Pavey Ark across Bright Beck.
Two Tarns - Codale Tarn.....
and Easedale Tarn.
Pike O'Stickle from Blea Rigg summit.
Grasmere and Rydal Water from Silver How.
The Langdale Pikes
This is it – the first walk ever published on the original StridingEdge – back in those days I could a) only fit 6 or 7 images on the memory card I had so it was used sparingly and b) the internet was still on dial up so these photos took forever to load up anyway!
Although these pictures were taken in 2003, the site didn’t get up and running until 31st January 2004 when there was the proverbial one man and his dog with no one bothering to look at the photos until eventually the site gained in popularity. Looking back on these photos whilst updating is funny as I can remember the walks as if they were yesterday…
Dungeon Ghyll – Stickle Tarn – Jacks Rake – Pavey Ark (1) – Harrison Stickle (2) – Loft Crag (3) – Pike O’ Stickle (4) – Stake Pass – Mickelden – Dungeon Ghyll
Pike O'Stickle summit looking towards Bowfell and Rossett Pike.
L-R:Great End, Allen Crags, Great Gable, Green Gable, Seathwaite Fell and Base Brown from Pike O'Stickle summit.
View from Pike O'Stickle looking towards Skiddaw.
Harrison Stickle from Loft Crag.
The next walk (I had begun counting the Wainwright’s at the same time) was as follows. There are no photos so either the weather was bad or I wasn’t into the habit yet.
Grasmere – Easedale Tarn – Sergeant Man (5) – High Raise (6) – Gibson Knott (7) – Calf Crag (8) – Helm Crag (9) – Grasmere