(S) From YHA Coniston Holly How go down to the road (A 593) and cross over to take the side road along Yewdale Beck. At Shepherd Bridge, join the Cumbria Way heading north-east up to High Guards. At the end of the forest (on your right) go past a spring, straight on to pick up the track that goes left to Low Yewdale. Keep on the Cumbria Way along the beck then veer off to the right to go into Tarn Hows Wood. Still, on the Cumbia Way go through Tarn Hows Cottage farm but turn left and go behind the farm to head north to the A 593 road. Turn right through a wooden kissing-gate and then turn left at Yew Tree Farm to go through a wooden gate and up a gravel track. When the track leaves the wood, turn off to the right to head north to Harry Guards Wood. Yew Tree Tarn should be visible on the right hand side before you enter the wood. At a fork in the path, bear left then left again to go up Uskdale Gap and finally reach the cairn at Holme Fell (Wainwright at 317m).
(1) From the cairn, head back roughly north then northwest to Holme Ground. Go over the road and through the farm to pick up a track heading northwest past a disused quarry up to the road at High Tilberthwaite. Turn right and follow the track bearing left, ignoring the path going down to Pierce How Beck to the right. Follow the track alongside a drystone wall heading north, then across open moorland to Atkinson Coppice. Here the track bends left to head north west down to Bridge End that crosses Greenburn Beck. The track now heads straight across fields to Fell Foot Bridge.
(2) At the road, turn right and head towards a junction. Before reaching the junction cut the corner by heading up left to the Blea Tarn road. After about 50m, take the wide path off to the right, closed to traffic by a low barrier. This grassy path goes around the base of the fell, above Busk House, The Bield and High Bield to climb up to Bield Crag. From here the path climbs steadily up to a cairn and bears left past disused quarries to reach the summit of Lingmoor Fell (Wainwright at 470m).
(3) Bear left at the summit and follow the path beside the fence.This path follows the fence, and wall, all the way to the col below Side Pike. It can be a bit of a scramble when you reach the corner in the wall, where the path drops down alongside in a short loose gully. Go over the step stile, bear left to cross, and then bear right to follow the wall now on your right hand side. Follow the dry stone wall round to the right at the base of Side Pike to approach the Blea Tarn road but stay on the path around to Bield, then head down to the National Trust's Great Langdale campsite. At the road, turn right and head straight across the bridge in front of Middle Fell Farm, crossing Great Langdale Beck. Bear right to reach the Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel.
(4) Drag yourself away from the bar to go round the back of the Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel to cross the Cumbria Way trail and head straight up the fell by the side of a wood. At the base of Raven Crag bear right to continue climbing up to Mark Gate where the route joins the main path coming up from the Langdale car park and Sticklebarn Tavern.Bear left and follow the path upwards through Mark Gate and right up to Loft Crag (Wainwright at 680m). Head north west along the ridge to reach the summit of the next Langdale fell Pike of Stickle (Wainwright at 709m).
(5) From here, head east across Harrison Combe to climb up to Harrison Stickle (Wainwright at 736m). Now head north along the ridge and round to the right, with care, to reach the next Langdale fell Pavey Ark (Wainwright at 700m). All the while, if the day is decent, Stickle Tarn is in the view down below. Turn back to head west to climb up to Thunacar Knott (Wainwright at 723m). Having had our fill of The Langdales (unless the weather is uncomfortable, give at least 5 mins at each summit to appreciate the landscape and catch your breath) it's time to continue the route. From the shelter on the top, head north past a small unnamed tarn, bearing right to go around the rim om the depression at the head of Bright Beck to reach the cairn at Sergeant Man (Wainwright at 736m).
(6) Follow the rim east to a pile of stones and then south east to another pile of stones. At a fork in the path, take the left hand path heading down to Belles Knott, passing above Codale Tarn and steadily dropping to reach Easedale Tarn. The path levels out as it passes the tarn and now gently goes down by the side of Sourmilk Gill. At the waterfalls bear right to head down into the Easedale Valley. Follow the path over New Bridge and the footbridge up to the road. Now it is an easy stroll along Easedale Road, making use of the permissive path behind the dry stone wall on the right. Go around the Glenthorne B&B, turn sharp left to come out onto the road through a metal gate. Turn right along the road, under the trees to a wide entrance on the left to arrive at YHA Grasmere Butharlyp Howe.(E)
