Thursday 29 June 2017

Day 5 - Patterdale to Shap

Day 5 - Patterdale to Shap
16 miles
Start: 9am
Finish: 5:45pm

Stayed at New Ing Lodge at Shap. Ate at the excellent Shap Chippy - best fish & chips I've had in ages.


Route: Patterdale, Boredale Hause, Angle Tarn, The Knott, High Street, Kidsty Pike, Haweswater, Shop Abbey and Shap

A long and strenuous day across the eastern Lakeland ranges, then down to the shores of Haweswater, which went on and on and on...  The final stretch from Haweswater to Shap was nice, with waterfalls, meadows and undulating farmland, with Shap Abbey to finish. Shap feels positively metropolitan after the villages and hamlets of Lakeland. 4G signal, decent WiFi that works and a Costa Coffee from the Co-Op! Oh, and a great fish & chip shop (have I mentioned that?)

Just 20 miles tomorrow across to Kirkby Stephen, but at least there are no more mountains in the way!


























Wednesday 28 June 2017

Day 4 - Grasmere to Patterdale

Day 4 - Grasmere to Patterdale

8 miles
Start: 9am
Finish: 2:45pm

Stayed at Side Farm campsite. Ate at the White Lion at Patterdale (excellent food, and great value)

Route: Grasmere, Grisedale Tarn, Grisedale and Patterdale


A straightforward and relatively easy day, with a lovely climb up to Grisedale Tarn, then down the length of Grisedale. 



















Day 3 - Rosthwaite to Grasmere

Day Three - Rosthwaite to Grasmere
8 miles
Start: 9am
Finish: 3:45pm

Stayed at Glenthorne B&B, Grasmere. Ate in the evening at Tweedies Bar, Grasmere (excellent food and beer, but quite pricey!)

Route: Rosthwaite, Stonethwaite, Lining Crag, Greenup Egde, Far Easedale and Grasmere.


A challenging day on the Lakeland fells; persistent rain, streams in spate, 50 metres visibility and strong winds across Greenup Edge. At one point there were 10 additional people to the 10 people I was guiding across Greenup Edge (20 people in total!). One couple we met were lost, cold, tired, ill equipped and out of their depth; trainers, a light summer cagoule and only Wainwright's book are not sufficient to get you across the Lakeland mountains, especially in a storm. It ended up with a Mountain Rescue call out for this couple, who were in serious difficulties. Our group all got down safely to Grasmere.