Grasmere to Patterdale
Stage 4 of the Coast to Coast (16-stage scheme), Grasmere to Patterdale, is a classic Lakeland fell crossing entirely within the Lake District National Park — a UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape. The standard valley line runs about 7.75 miles (12.5 km) with roughly 520–580 m of ascent and around 500 m of descent, taking 4–4.5 hours. From Grasmere (~62 m) the path climbs beside Tongue Gill around Great Tongue to the route's high point, the pass of Grisedale Hause (~588 m / 1,929 ft by Wainwright's reckoning), passing Grisedale Tarn (538 m) cradled beneath Dollywaggon Pike and Seat Sandal. A steady descent down the Grisedale valley, past the Brothers' Parting Stone and Ruthwaite Lodge, leads to Patterdale beside Ullswater. Walked west-to-east as is conventional; reversed, it is a stiff climb out of Grisedale to the Hause. Wainwright famously offers two high alternatives from Grisedale Tarn — St Sunday Crag (841 m), whose Ullswater view is rated among the finest on the whole walk, or the airy Helvellyn (950 m) traverse via Striding Edge — both adding serious ascent, exposure and time (the St Sunday Crag high line roughly 830 m of ascent). The Coast to Coast Path was designated a fully waymarked National Trail in 2026.

Grasmere to Patterdale