Seat Sandal

About Seat Sandal

Seat Sandal is located east of Dunmail Raise, a significant ancient cairn which marks the Dunmail Raise Pass, the only low-level route through the mountains to the north and southern side of the Lake District. Legend states that Dunmail, an ancient king of Cumberland, is buried beneath the cairn at the foot of Seat Sandal. Seat Sandal itself stands at an elevation of 736 m (2,415 ft) with a prominence of around 150 m (~492 ft). Its parent peak is Fairfield to which it is linked by Grisedale Hause, and it is listed as a Hewitt, a Marilyn, a Nuttall and, of course, a Wainwright. However, despite its prominence, it is largely overshadowed by the more famous mountains in the area in the Helvellyn and Fairfield ranges.

The summit is topped with a cairn near a right-angle in the wall that ascends from Grisedale Hause. Views from the summit are restricted by the higher peaks of Dollywaggon Pike and Fairfield, but another cairn to the west gives very good views of the Central and Western Fells.

Climbing Seat Sandal

The fell is often ascended either from Grasmere or Patterdale using the old packhorse route, which is noted by Wainwright on his Coast to Coast Walk. This is followed to Grisedale Hause, where the broken wall can be used as a guide up the steep climb to the summit. There is also a direct ascent up the fell’s western slopes which begins at Mill Bridge.

Grisedale Tarn at the foot of Seat Sandal to the east is often used as a campsite by people walking the ridge from Fairfield across Helvellyn and the Dodds.