Date: Friday, 10 July 2026
Day: 4
From: Grasmere To: Patterdale
Start Walking: 842am End Walking: 219pm
Distance (Planned): 13.5km Distance (Garmin): 14.4km
Progress: 69.1/306km
Ascent: 485m Descent: 451m
Weather: Rinse and repeat of yesterday. Up to 29C and melting.
Stayed At: Oldwater View B&B
General Comments:
• Today was the shortest day we have walked to date, but what it lacked in distance it made up for with a combo of heat and elevation.
• A later start meant that the temperatures were already starting to climb and again, it was a day of no shade. We were told that when the Vikings came, they chopped all the trees down on the mountains. How inconsiderate of them!? Apparently, they also brought the bracken that now covers almost every square inch of the mountainsides.
• We said goodbye to our Aussie walking friend this morning as she is having a rest day in Grasmere. I think this is going to be a bit like a Camino with people overlapping on the trail and meeting new friends, and old.
• Last night at the pub we had a lovely dinner (roast beef – yummo) chatting to a Dutch couple we had met on and off yesterday and also a fascinating English couple. She is a long distance swimmer and was here in Patterdale to compete in a swim the length of Ullswater – about 13km!!!! What an effort?!
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• Our goal today was to climb up to Grisedale Tarn and then descend down the other side to Patterdale. While it was a stiff climb, it wasn’t quite as hard as yesterday as we gained elevation slowly before one last very steep section.
• Well, I thought it was one last steep section until I saw it was yet another mongrel false summit and there was more almost-vertical track to knock over. Ah, the joys of hiking.😁
• Grisedale Tarn was a sight for sore eyes and a beautiful sight at that. A couple of other hikers were making the most of the refreshing water and enjoying a swim. They definitely had the right idea.
• The last part of the walk was very straightforward as we made our way down from the Tarn and through the valley towards Patterdale. We seemed to be walking through quite prosperous looking farms and under the glorious shade of ancient oak trees. Ah, that’s more like it.
Top Tips:
• The High Route: Don’t take it! 😁 There is an alternate route you can take from Grisedale Tarn down to Patterdale, which is up to around 780m. We were not tempted today!😁
• Provisions: There is nothing on the trail today so make sure you have plenty of snacks and water. Yes, it’s only a short stage, but it’s still demanding.
Stay cool and hydrated, people!
Life...one big adventure 
Makes me proud to be English, how beautiful it is xx (well, half English)
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😁 you can take as much credit as you like. I won’t argue. It is a magnificent spot.⛰⛰
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What would the Vikings have done with all the trees they chopped down? Hehe, the joys of hiking – while you’re sweating, we’re enjoying your walk (sitting under blankets on our couches) 😁.
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I guess they used it for building or burning and the bracken was for bedding. When they put their minds to a task, they did a very good job!😉
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Another favourite area! I’m enjoying seeing it through someone else’s eyes and realising I’m not biased, it IS amazingly beautiful. Last autumn we set off up Grisedale from Patterdale but turned back before the tarn. There’s rain and there’s a Noah’s Ark situation – I have never been so wet!
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We keep saying that even though the heat has been torrid, we would much prefer to walk as we are instead of in bucketing rain. It would make the trail so difficult and unpleasant.
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Your photos remind me how beautiful this landscape is. Weren’t you tempted to dip your feet in that water?
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Yes, Jude we were tempted, but then you have to drag back on socks and boots onto wet feet, AND get the body moving again! That is no mean feat! 🤣
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Beautiful vistas keep the focus off the sore body, most of the time. Are the descends as vertical as the ascents? The UK countryside is a lovely place to walk.
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Yes, some descents are real knee-breakers and often include loose rock underfoot, but sometimes you can find a sneaky diversion to make it all doable. 😄
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Signal is patchy in the Lakes so public buildings often have WiFi, I used to park up at Saint Patrick’s when I was working my way through the Eastern Fells to check in with home. Patterdale and Ullswater are possibly my favourite part of Lakeland 😁
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We have been surprised (and pleased) with the availability of WIFI. It makes staying in touch with home and planning ahead, so much easier. And Yes, Patterdale pretty special and our B&B host did try and convince us to take the boat to Pooley Bridge and walk from there. We were a little tempted, but then we would have missed out on Angle Tarn…and we can’t have that! 😁
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Another beautiful section of the walk – I promise it gets a lot flatter.
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🤣🤣 I will hold you to that, Han!🤣
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It looks so beautiful, though dong know how you did it in those temps. Well done!
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We took it pretty slowly, drank lots of water and put one foot in front of the other…trying not to completely melt!😆
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Looks like much of the same weather going onwards.
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We have everything crossed for that!🌞🌞
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