A few years ago, a few days into the 200 mile Coast to Coast walk, we wanted to walk the precipitous St Sunday Crag ridge en route from Grisedale Tarn to our overnight stop in Patterdale, on the banks of Ullswater.
Sadly, the weather was so grim that neither St Sunday Crag, nor the even higher Helvellyn route, would have been wise options. So we trudged down the beautifully wild Grisedale valley between the brooding, higher peaks and ranges.
Fast forward a few years and we recently managed to complete the unfinished business from 2012. On an impossibly perfect September day, we set off from Patterdale in warm sunshine up the valley, towards Grisedale Tarn, and found the narrow, steep trail up to St Sunday Crag, before dropping steeply back down the spine of the range and completing the circuit to Patterdale.
This is a highly recommended walk for fit Silver Travellers who love mountains and enjoy a raised heart rate. The sweeping views from the top of the ridge reward the strenuous effort assuming decent weather and visibility.
Allow most of a day, with a leisurely picnic by the side of Grisedale Tarn, to really enjoy this challenging walk in a beautiful part of the country.
