Eagle Crag, Sergeant's Crag and Ullscarf

Head into Stonethwaite and at the far end of the first cottage on the left, between it and the telephone box, turn left into the lane between fields.

Cross Stonethwaite Bridge and reaching the bridleway turn right. Go through a series of gates keeping to the edge of the enclosures and next to the wall just to your right for approx 1.5km (0.9 miles) to the footbridge over Greenup Gill the other side of the wall. Here Langstrath Beck and Greenup Gill join forces on their way to Stonethwaite.

Eagle Crag looks impossibly steep, but look to the upper crags and trace the route through for yourself!

Go through the gate and cross the footbridge, bear left around the fenced enclosure on your left to the step stile over a field fence. This is one of the keys to the route - we have seen people miss this and get lost going down Langstrath. Cross the step stile, keep left across or round a wet marshy patch, and follow round the field edge above the enclosed woodland. Continue through one gate, along the edge of another field to the next wall.

Keep to the path going through a hole in the wall and then immediately turn right up the steep grass. Follow the faint path through bracken up alongside the wall heading for the knoll of Bleak How. Despite the apparent gradient this is the easy bit.

Nearing Bleak How a clearer path materialises and swings left, and then right to the saddle behind Bleak How. Climb the step-stile across the fence. The lower step has long since rotted out so it is a high step up for those with short legs. Dogs can get under the fence.

Above the stile continue ahead over rocky ground. Keep an eye on the path for it swinging left to climb the short gully. We found this wet, but had plenty of hand and footholds for human and dog alike. At the top of the gully bear left to the grass and heather knoll for the view. Return to the top of the gully and bearing left continue on the path through heather.

Round the shoulder to above Heron Crag. A series of rock terraces is now above, some can be surmounted by traversing right and left, but beware of going too far right where the terrace narrows critically. Where an opportunity to take a short rocky step presents itself, do so. In this way climb up the terraces above which a clear path to the summit 'cairn' perched on a sloping rock materialises. Is that it, such a fine climb celebrated with a couple of stones atop a rock?! Afraid so, it would seem. Not even a trig point to reward you for such an accomplishment. The views will have to do.

From the summit of Eagle Crag, the next destination of Sergeant's Crag is initially south and visible across the saddle. Drop down, southwards, to the wall corner where an awkward step on the very corner allows you to keep to the right, west side, of the wall. Ignore the ladder stile, and follow the path alongside the wall, now on your left, across patches of damp ground.

After some 300m (330 yards) the path bears gradually away from the wall heading for the small cairn which comes into view on the rocky summit top of Sergeant's Crag.

Continue over the summit of Sergeant's Crag, bearing slightly left to drop down to a ladder stile over the wall. Cross the stile, it's quite steep the other side. Looking ahead of you is the boggy head of Greenup Gill. South east the long slopes climb to High Raise with Long Crag an obvious feature barring the way. Left is Greenup Edge, and is the way to Grasmere. Below and further left is the prominent Lining Crag which is a waypoint on the Coast-to-Coast walk. Above it are the slopes of Ullscarf.

So having set the scene, follow a faint path skirting the peaty ground at the head of Greenup Gill and swing left below the dark form of Long Crag where only a vague pretence at a path exists.Continue ahead climbing only gently to join Greenup Edge. Along the line of the Edge a fence is marked on the OS 25K map, this no longer exists. Even the metal posts are succumbing to the forces of nature and disappearing into rust.

Try to spot the line of the old fence as you bear left along the Edge, a faint but followable path soon appears and meanders around the numerous boggy patches.

Ahead a clear path climbs above the plateau on drier grass slopes. Just after leaving the boggy plateau behind keep a careful look out for the path splitting. Take the left fork to short-cut a fence corner, and in doing so miss out on further boggy ground. Above, our good path rejoins the main path following along the line of decaying fence posts. Note this point for the return to Greenup Edge.

After further boggy patches and a short rise to the summit plateau of Ullscarf the summit cairn appears on the path. A few rocky outcrops and small tarns dot the landscape of this otherwise anonymous plateau.

Return to Greenup Edge, taking the dry short-cut path back to the boggy plateau. Cross the plateau, and keep an eye out for a cairn well over to your right, or a line of cairns going sharp right. Reaching a large rocky knoll with distinctive summit fence post bear right in front of it, keeping right around a boggy patch, at least one cairn on the Greenup Gill path should appear. Continue ahead to join the wide Greenup Gill Path where you bear right to continue descending.

The path is quite rough here, occasional cairns confirm the route only in the initial descent. Sergeant's Crag and Eagle Crag are across the valley.

Soon the path reaches Lining Crag with little hint at the dramatic face below. Take care if you venture onto the top of the crag as the face the other side is near vertical.

On the top of Lining Crag turn sharp right onto a stone pitched path descending steeply into the gully on its eastern side. Watch for the path turning left and continuing its steep descent, getting rougher and more broken as it does so. At the bottom look back up at the face!

The path now meanders clearly through the moraines and joins alongside the gill. Pleasant waterfalls and cascades in the gill serenade you on the descent, eventually reaching the footbridge where you turned off earlier. Continue ahead, through the succession of gates, and turn left across Stonethwaite Bridge back to the hamlet and road.