Get Lost Mountaineering

Seat Sandal from A591 to south of Travellers Rest

Start/Finish

Layby on A591 (northbound) a few hundred metres north of the last houses in Grasmere and a similar distance south of the Travellers Rest inn. If full, there are other laybys on the opposite side of the road further north.

Distance/Time

9 km   About 4 – 5 hours

Peaks

Seat Sandal, 736 m, NY 344 115.

OS 1: 50 000 , Sheet 90: Penrith & Keswick

OS 1: 25 000 Outdoor Leisure 7, English Lake District SE Area.

Introduction

This is a pleasant walk, rough in a few places, up Little Tongue to Grisedale Hause, followed by a steep ascent up onto Seat Sandal then a long descending ridge walk back to Mill Bridge. There are excellent views especially to Fairfield and St. Sunday Crag. Note that Mill Bridge is not obvious from the car but is when walking.

Route

(1) Walk to the start of the path leading up to Grisedale Hause. This starts by “1 Tongue Ghyll” house opposite a minor road. If coming from the south, go past the Travellers Rest before reaching the path. Follow the track then path up by Tongue Gill until two bridges are reached. Cross the first one, only, then take the grassy path up Little Tongue with the low ridge of Great Tongue on your right. An alternative here is to cross the second bridge then go left following a better path up Tongue Gill. The advantage of the Little Tongue path is that there are better views of Great Rigg and Fairfield. Both paths meet up again after the waterfalls higher up the valley. Continue up to reach Grisedale Hause which is the col between Seat Sandal and Fairfield with Grisedale Tarn and Dollywagon Pike ahead. From the Hause, one can see a completely ruined stone wall going up steeply; this wall goes to the summit but it can be easier to miss out this bottom section and walk a little west first before ascending steep, but easy, grassy slopes then converging with the wall higher up. The wall leads to a medium cairn which seems to be the summit of Seat Sandal, 736 m. There may be other points close by which could be fractionally higher.

(2) From the summit, follow a path roughly west to another cairn. Look for a smaller cairn ahead and slightly left as this is the path you want and it is much fainter than the path you are on (that heads west) but it becomes more distinct as you follow it. Follow the path SSW to descend the obvious south ridge. The path is straightforward with just a few slightly awkward steps. If it is clear, a stone shed will be seen much lower down. Lower down, go through a gate then a second one before reaching two gates: one straight ahead and the other going left to the stone shed. Go straight ahead here. The path is quite faint but soon becomes more distinct and is fairly straight. Eventually reach an old barn to the left of which is a gate onto the outward path which returns you to Mill Bridge.

Notes

(a) This walk took place on 11^th November, 2024.