West of Grasmere
Key facts
Difficulty profile
Five independent axes, not one score. “Desk” ratings come from maps and guidebooks, not yet walked — treat them as a guide, not a survey.
Conditions on this route
We score every Lakeland Wainwright each morning on cloud, wind, rain and underfoot, and this route crosses 4 of them. The worst summit governs the verdict — a route is only as kind as its roughest top.
Modelled guidance — not a substitute for the mountain forecast or your own judgement. See how every fell ranks today →
☀️ Daylight & turnaround
Daylight is short from October to February — check today’s sunrise and sunset before you set off, and carry a head-torch and spare batteries. On short days, decide your turn-back time before you start.
Why this matters: 78% of Mountain Rescue call-outs come after midday — the day runs out on the way home, not on the way up. See also walking in bad weather and today’s conditions.
1 Tarn Crag (Easedale)2 Codale Head3 Sergeant Man4 Blea Rigg5 Swinescar Pike6 Silver How
Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap (switch layers top-right).
This walk covers about 15.44 km with around 806 m of ascent, taking in 6 summits. The map above shows the line; the elevation profile and stage notes are below.
Access & barriers
Can a dog, a buggy or dodgy knees manage this route? A quick read from the gates and stiles mapped along the way.
- Dog: Gates and kissing gates only — a dog can do the whole route.
- Buggy: Stiles or rough going on the route.
- Knees: A sustained ~30% descent around the 13.7 km mark — a little jarring on tired knees.
On the line: 13 gates · 3 kissing gates
These are mapped barriers, from OpenStreetMap — coverage in the Lakes is good but not guaranteed complete. Spotted a stile or gate we’ve missed? Tell us (opens in new tab) and we’ll fix it. Barrier data as of 2026-07-20. Access data © OpenStreetMap contributors (via Overpass).
Pacing
| Summit | Cumulative | Ascent | Time (fast–steady) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tarn Crag (Easedale) | 5.1 km | 489 m | 1:50–2:26 |
| Codale Head | 6.7 km | 706 m | 2:31–3:21 |
| Sergeant Man | 7.2 km | 721 m | 2:39–3:31 |
| Blea Rigg | 9.4 km | 721 m | 3:04–4:05 |
| Swinescar Pike | 11.5 km | 763 m | 3:34–4:45 |
| Silver How | 12.9 km | 795 m | 3:54–5:11 |
| Finish | 15.4 km | 806 m | 4:26–5:54 |
Naismith-based estimate — a fast/steady range. Your pace will vary.
The walk, stage by stage
Start → Tarn Crag (Easedale) (5.1 km, 489 m)
Climb of about 489 m over 5.1 km (around 10% average).
Tarn Crag (Easedale) → Codale Head (1.6 km, 217 m)
Climb of about 217 m over 1.6 km (around 14% average).
Codale Head → Sergeant Man (0.5 km, 15 m)
Undulating section of about 0.5 km.
Sergeant Man → Blea Rigg (2.1 km, 0 m)
Descent of about 220 m over 2.1 km.
Blea Rigg → Swinescar Pike (2.1 km, 42 m)
About 2.1 km with 42 m of ascent.
Swinescar Pike → Silver How (1.4 km, 33 m)
Undulating section of about 1.4 km.
Silver How → Finish (2.6 km, 11 m)
Descent of about 314 m over 2.6 km.
Stage-by-stage field notes coming soon.
Summits bagged (6)
- Tarn Crag (Easedale) 549 m · Central · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge
- Codale Head 732 m · Central · Birkett, Synge, Nuttall
- Sergeant Man 736 m · Central · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge
- Blea Rigg 542 m · Central · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge
- Swinescar Pike 411 m · Central · Birkett, Synge
- Silver How 394 m · Central · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge
🅿️ Getting there & parking
Positions are approximate. Lakeland car parks fill before 9am on fine weekends.
💧 Water, shelter & getting away
On-route facilities © OpenStreetMap contributors — an absent marker does not mean the facility isn’t there.
🚌 Buses
Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com (opens in new tab) or Traveline before travelling.
⚠️ Safety & conditions
Check live conditions in the “From the fells” panel, on MWIS (opens in new tab) and the Met Office mountain forecast (opens in new tab) before you set off.
Make it easier or harder
Short version: turn back at about 6.7 km (drop to Start) — roughly half the distance.
📚 Maps & guidebooks for West of Grasmere
- Buy on Amazon (opens in new tab)
- Buy on Amazon (opens in new tab)
- Buy on Amazon (opens in new tab)
- Buy on Amazon (opens in new tab)
- Buy on Amazon (opens in new tab)
- Buy on Amazon (opens in new tab)
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases — at no extra cost to you. How affiliate links work →
