Deepdale and Seat Sandal

Monday 24th May 2021

After a wet night spent camped in Deepdale, I set off up the valley that I had previously visited at the end my holiday in 2018 when I had gone as far as Coldcove Gill before climbing the east ridge to St. Sunday Crag and I had enjoyed the views of the valley so was keen to return. A faint path through the grass that was sometimes difficult to follow led me up the valley with improving weather that included patches of sunlight but also the occasional shower. The crags at the head of the valley were impressive, and as I headed towards them, they brooded amongst the mist and grey clouds that lingered well into the morning. Below Mart Crag I thought the best route of ascent was to cross Deepdale Beck onto terrain that was less steep than the precipitous slopes that lie to the north of the stream, but a check of my Harvey Map revealed that the path climbs steeply above a deep ravine and spectacular waterfalls to reach a terrace. This is an amazing spot with the dark, brooding crags of Greenhow End looming above me, the deep ravine below, the long valley stretching behind and the high fells all around me. I reflected that you miss so much by keeping to the ridges and fail to see the awesome sights, such as I was seeing at this moment, in this rarely visited valley.

The terrain now eased into the bowl around Sleet Cove and there I lost the path as I tried to head up to Deepdale Hause. I could see a rake ahead of me that I thought was the route up, but eventually I came to my senses and realised it was far too steep, so I turned back and eventually found the annoyingly clear path that leads up to Deepdale Hause. By this time the weather had cleared and when I reached the top the sun had come out to light all the surroundings fells. Before me I eye was drawn to the dramatic Falcon Crag below Dollywagon Pike with the ridge that leads up to Helvellyn looking grand, while the top of Helvellyn itself still clung onto some cloud. Turning to my right, St. Sunday Crag was lit perfectly with blue sky behind it looking very tempting for an ascent, but I resisted that and all of these high fells since I had climbed them in 2018 and didn’t need to do them again. I wanted to concentrate on this holiday on the fells and paths that I had not been on recently, so instead I took to the path on the other side of the pass, to Grisedale Tarn, that I had taken only once before, in 2013, in poor, cloudy weather that I did not have now.

This path didn’t exist when Wainwright wrote his Pictorial Guide to the Eastern Fells, but he thought there was need of one and it wasn’t long before one was stamped out. It is rather steep and rough at first, but soon joins a clear path that doesn’t seem to have come from anywhere. I was tempted to explore it, but didn’t bother so headed along the path towards Grisedale Tarn before branching left onto a thin path that is little more than a sheep trod and keeps high above the lake until I reached Grisedale Hause. Ahead of me was Seat Sandal that I have only once climbed, in 2006, making it a perfect candidate for this holiday, so I climbed the steep, craggy path all the way up to the top. There were sensational views behind me over Grisedale Tarn with St. Sunday Crag still dominating my attention as it was continued to be lit by the sun while the rest of the fells sulked under clouds. Continuing beyond the top of Seat Sandal I passed another cairn where the views now opened out west across the Lake District before I veered south to take the wide grassy ridge down the same route that I had taken in 2006. On that occasion I was in a hurry to get down in time for my dinner at the youth hostel, but now I was able to take my time.

As I slowly descended I couldn’t imagine rushing down now, as my knees would not take kindly to a speedy descent and was forcing me to take this descent very slowly, though that gave me plenty of time to appreciate the stunning views over Grasmere. When I eventually reached the road I walked into Grasmere where I bought some food for the next few days before making my way over the ridge into Langdale. The usual route starts at Kelbarrow, but I thought I would take an alternative route that I had never taken before and ascends through Wyke Plantation on an interesting path that passes waterfalls and moss-rich woodland to reach the bracken-covered ridge below Silver How. I have spent many happy hours walking from Blea Rigg past Silver How on this ridge that is a maze of paths and part of the fun is finding your own unique way along it. The route beyond the trees, over the ridge, was not clear and not helped by the wet ground, but soon I came to the top of the path beside Spedding Crag that leads down into Langdale and had previously taken in 2012. When I reached Chapel Stile a short walk brought me to Baysbrown Farm Campsite where I would stay for the next few days.

Despite the good weather I had reached the campsite by mid-afternoon, but I appreciated the early finish to the walk as I wanted the time to settle in and dry out my tent. However, after dinner, with the good weather continuing, I took a walk through Baysbrown Wood where I found a generous covering of bluebells and after climbing to the disused Bank Quarry to get a mobile signal, I came back down the hill through Elterwater Quarry into Langdale. This was a lovely day that made up for the rain the day before that had ruined my plans for this holiday, but now I was in a fabulous location and I had good weather. I had enjoyed the walk out of Deepdale and over Seat Sandal, but it was the stroll in the evening that was the highlight of the day. Without the weight of a rucksack I felt tremendous relaxation and a release from all my problems as I walked past the delightful bluebells. I was no longer chasing unrealistic goals and targets trying to bag an arbitrary list of peaks, but had started walking for the sheer enjoyment of walking in the Lake District, and there is no better thing that you can do than that.