Lake District Walking Week Saturday 12th – Saturday 18th September
Our group of 19 set off on Saturday morning to travel to Coniston in two hired minibuses plus Mike’s Discovery. We were staying in Shepherds Villas, a four storey Lakeland stone house with nine bedrooms and fantastic facilities (including a free pool table, which was well used by some of the more competitive male members). Meg and Ann were staying nearby in Megs campervan. Brian and Allison Hutton were staying in a local B&B. This made our party up to a total of 23 members.
Those staying in the Villa shared self catering breakfasts and packed lunches. Those staying outside the Villa joined us for dinners each night, which were all self catering, except on Friday when we went out to a local pub to celebrate a terrific holiday.
Our return journey was rather eventful in that the rear tyre of the Discovery (driven by Ginny) blew to smithereens, thankfully, just before reaching the M6. A refit of tyres in nearby Kendal ensured a safe, but delayed arrival of the Discovery back to St Albans.
Congratulations to Mike and Ginny Fitzpatrick and Peter Dear for all the effort they made to make it a great success.
Day 1 Sunday Elterwater- Loughrigg Fell (Combined Walk)
Sunday dawned bright and sunny. The whole group of 23 set off for Elterwater. As we were a large number we split into two, with the first group setting off 10 minutes before us. We climbed gently out of Elterwater passing Walthwaite Bottom and Huntingstile Crag until we started to descend towards Grasmere. Near the lake we turned east and headed along Loughrigg Terrace where we met up with the first group having a welcome coffee stop. We took their vacated seats and enjoyed the stunning view over the lake. We then climbed up over Loughrigg Fell, eventually descending past Ivy Crag and Loughrigg Tarn to Skelwith Bridge and Chester’s tea shop. Here we all stopped to savour the delights of afternoon tea with outsize portions of homemade cake. Fortified, we then followed the Cumbria Way back to Elterwater stopping to admire the Skelwith Force waterfall on the way. A good first day to walk us all in. (Pat)
Day 2 Monday Old Man of Coniston from Walna Scar (Red Walk)
The day started with the ‘Old Man’ shrouded in mist but this soon cleared to give a fine day. The red group set off at a good pace to climb past Goat’s Water, with the spectacular sheer cliffs of Dow Crag to our left; no one was tempted to join two intrepid young ladies who headed off to scale these heights! After morning tea overlooking Goat’s Water (and the blue group’s steady advance along the water’s edge) we set off on the challenging climb to the top of the peak where we were rewarded with clear views over 360o stretching from Windermere and Morecambe Bay to Scafell and Fairfield, with even a distant glimpse of the Isle of Man. After the photo-sessions around the cairn, to prove we’d made it, the group set off towards the distant Swirl How Crag on the awe-inspiring track along the cliff edge, stopping at Levers Hawse for lunch in the sun overlooking Seathwaite Tarn and finally descending via Swirl Hawse towards Levers Water. On the ‘relentless’ descent back towards Coniston we took some local advice to take a detour using an old aquaduct round to Coppermines Valley, the site of old mine shafts and workings. Some time was spent analysing the remains of engineering works, concluding they were water-driven and designed to provide access or ventilation to the mine shafts. Several rocks seemed to take ages to find the bottom of shafts but the lack of a calculator prevented any estimate of actual depth! The path then descended on a gentle slope (a much more pleasant descent than the scheduled route) and there was time for well-earned refreshments at the Sun before returning, well ahead of schedule. An excellent walk, well worth the extra miles. (Brian)
Day 2 Monday Old Man of Coniston from Walna Scar (Blue Walk)
The ten Blue route walkers said a sad goodbye to Maggy who was very poorly and unable to walk and waved to Meg who stayed behind to prepare wonderful curries for our evening meal, and set off for Conniston Old Man. We had a day that was riotous in parts and challenging in others. The climb duplicated the red walk as far as the peak and was a bit of a slog. Part way up the ladies in the group needed a “comfort” stop. This then started an hilarious discussion about the pros and cons of the she-wee- a device for women to preserve their modesty ! Personally I will stay immodest with my “comfort” stops! The ladies were tempted to follow a very fit, hunky guy ahead but changed our minds when we realised he was going up a near vertical slope. We knew Mike and Peter would not manage the climb! As we neared the top of The Old Man Maria developed vertigo. In true SAR fashion we put her at the front and egged her on. What amazing views greeted us at the summit, it was well worth the climb . We ate our lunch and discussed the songs, singers and dance halls of the 50’s and 60’s. Oh how we showed our ages!!
The blue route then took a very steep, tricky and rocky descent. Maria was scared, however with gentle words and willing hands we helped her down the mountain. More of a red walk than blue but all of us eventually arrived at the bottom in one piece ready for the delights of Meg’s cooking. (Helen)
Day 3 Tuesday Haystacks to Buttermere via Red Pike (Red Walk)
Today our starting point was the car park at Honister Hause which would save us quite a bit of a climb first thing in the morning. Even so, the first part of the walk was both long and steep but the effort was certainly worth it as the views from the top were fantastic. Our route took us past the Innominate Tarn and seeing this, it is easy to understand why Alfred Wainwright wanted his ashes to be scattered at this peaceful location. A short distance from the tarn is Haystacks, another of Wainwright’s favourite places. From the top we had the most wonderful view over the valley below and the surrounding mountains. We were lucky enough to have beautiful sunshine with clear blue skies and we could see for miles.
This was a perfect place to stop for lunch before we started our quite tricky descent across rocks and boulders down to Scarth Gap. Here we had two choices: to either follow the Pass down towards Lake Buttermere or climb up Seat and High Crag, continuing via High Stile and Red Pike before decending to Buttermere.
High Route
Six of us decided to brave it and take the high route. We found the climb up Seat very steep although the ascent was quite fast and we were soon up only to find we had another steep climb up to the top of High Crag from where we had an interesting bird’s-eye view of Haystacks and the route we had followed. We now had to descend again only to find ourselves faced with another climb up High Stile. However, after reaching the top we were again rewarded with amazing views: Lake Buttermere on one side and on the other Crummock Water, the Solway Firth and the Scottish hills in the far distance. Following the path along the ridge we at last reached Red Pike, our last climb for the day. It was getting late in the afternoon and the sun was beginning to set giving a golden glow to the tops of the mountains around Buttermere, while the lower slopes and the valley were in the shade.
The path leading from the summit of Red Pike down to Bleaberry Tarn proved to be a very steep and tricky descent on slippery red scree with no handhold. Quite daunting! We all made it down without any mishaps. From the Tarn, the path initially followed a small beck flowing down to Buttermere but the descent soon turned into a rocky, zigzagged path that went on and on, making us wonder if we were really heading in the right direction. Eventually the path entered a larch wood growing on the lower slopes of the mountainside and after using our last reserves of energy we reached the lake on wobbly legs!
We arrived later than expected at the Fish Inn half expecting that the rest of the group would have given up waiting for us. However, we were pleasantly surprised to see them still there and happy to join them for a welcome drink or two after a long but very exciting day’s walking. (Sonja)
Scarth Gap Pass Route
After enjoying the top and Haystacks and Innominate Tarn, Dick and the “B” team decided that Red Pike was not for them and happily took the a gentler walk down to Buttermere and tea.. The views over to Fleetwood in the sunshine were excellent, the walk round the lake a joy. The mini bus was retrieved from Honister and we waited in The Fish Inn for the “A” team's arrival, Dick gainfully employed the time with a couple of excellent pints of Jennings. (Heather)
Day 3 Tuesday Cat Bells via hawse Gate (Blue Walk)
Eight of us set off to take the launch from Keswick across Derwent Water to climb Cat Bells. After a couple of mishaps our group had dwindled to five and I was jokingly described as one of the most careless leaders known to SAR!
The walk up is a scramble at times and, as always in the Lakes, it fools you into thinking you’re on top when in fact there is one more rocky climb to the actual summit. The sun was shining and the view from the top was just lovely through 360o but particularly spectacular over Derwent Water with its scattered small islets. After our lunch on the top we descended to a very pleasant walk beside the lake to take us back to the launch. (Deborah)
Day 4 Wednesday – Day Off
Day 5 Thursday Fairfield to Rydal via Red Screes (Red Walk)
This red route challenge was taken up by nine walkers. This classic walk to the Fairfield Horseshoe was made less taxing by starting the walk from the Kirkstone Hotel. Nevertheless we still walked 12.2km, climbed 873metres and descended 1264 metres. It really was a fantastic ridge walk with spectacular views. The weather was kind especially on the way down with lovely evening sunshine. The start of the walk provided some amusement as the ladies in the party lined up behind a handy wall - the hotel facilities being closed. It was then uphill for 50 minutes continuous steady climbing, including some easy scrambling and so to Red Screes. Next it was an 'off piste' trip to Raven Crag (viewpoint) then on to Dove Cragg the first of 4 peaks above 2500 feet. We continued on to the Horseshoe proper via Dove Crag and Hart Crag (with great views of Helvellyn and Striding Edge) and onto Great Rigg. Unfortunately Dick took a spectacular tumble (missed by all) whilst strolling along the ridge and trying to look at the views at the same time. Luckily despite a large bump on his head, broken glasses and possibly a cracked rib, after a rest, he managed to carry on and complete the walk. A steady descent to Nab Scar and the final steep descent, now mostly 'stepped' following bad erosion, into Rydal. Needless to say, Dick got interesting comments in the Badger Bar pub! (Maggie )
Day 5 Thursday Holme Fell via Black Crag and Tarn Hows (Blue Walk)
Twelve members parked the minibus near to Yew Tree farm, where we admired the Cottage which provided the set for Beatrix Potter’s house in the recent film about her life. After a moderate climb, we proceeded across Holme Fell, with its wooded terrain mixed with a variety of ferns and beautiful views of Yew Tree tarn below. Our next stop was a steeply sloped, deep water filled quarry. This was marked disused on the map. However, there were signs of activity, as a number of trucks were to be seen coming and going with cargoes of stones. After proceeding across High Oxen Fell we were treated to the sight of a beautiful farmhouse with well- tended gardens. A public notice informed us that the farm was part of an environmentally sensitive scheme.
Stopping for lunch we enjoyed the stunning views of Langdale Pikes and the beautiful browns, reds and oranges of autumn beginning to become apparent in the landscape. Reaching Tarn Hows we enjoyed a peaceful walk around the lake which is actually man made, created less than 150 years ago by the Marshall family of Monk Coniston, who owned the estate. The area known as Tom Gill was dammed to create the tarn and hundreds of trees were planted to create a beautiful, peaceful spot for the public to enjoy. Finishing our circular walk with the treat of tea and cake at the Yew Tree Cottage Farm, we enjoyed watching the antics of dogs, a playful puppy and ducks. Very Beatrix Potter! A fitting end to a lovely day’s walking. (Dianne )
Day 6 Friday Helvellyn – via Striding Edge and Swirral Edge (Red Walk)
Considered as the ‘high’ spot of our week, five of us set out from Glenridding to climb Helvellyn. We walked for a total of 4.5 hours to walk 7 km (4 miles) to the summit, an ascent of 964m, being 950m above sea level.
Conditions were overcast and very windy as we made steady progress upwards. I knew that the climb would be strenuous which proved to be the case, especially as we approached Striding Edge and took a first tentative step on to a large flat rock with nothing but a sheer drop to Red Tarn on one side and valley on the other. Searching for footholds proved to be an arduous task. We then found ourselves confronted with the ‘ladder’ (a vertical notch in the rocks) immediately prior to the steep scree faced ascent of Helvellyn itself. The climb involved much scrambling and little opportunity to stop and admire the view. Notwithstanding we managed to capture some of the grandeur of the scenery on camera before tackling a steep drop down Swirral Edge (very similar to Striding Edge and no easier), another real accomplishment. Looking at my Certificate, confirming I had just climbed Englands 3rd highest mountain, I’m really pleased I made the effort. (Benita )
Day 6 Friday Ullswater Lake Walk (Blue Walk 1)
Our ultimate walk to round off a wonderful week was around Ullswater – After a bracing steamer ride from Glenridding to Howtown, all the “blue” route people set off along the shores of the lake separating a kilometre or so along the way into two further groups - the “lower” blue route led by Meg took us on an undulating path through trees and along the lake affording us superb views of Ullswater eventually bringing us back to Glenridding where we had time to indulge in refreshments while waiting for the “higher” route folk to rejoin us.
Thank you Meg. A super end to a super week. (Leslie)
Day 6 Friday Ullswater Lake Walk (Blue Walk 2)
After splitting from the main group at Sandwick, nine of us left the lake and walked the rising path along Boredale and up to Place Fell via High Dodd. The day was clear but a cool wind heralded autumn. Lunch was taken in the shelter of a sheep fold, then, up to the summit. Views all round of Ullswater, High Street and the Helvellyn range. Pausing only for Diane to adjust her underwear, we descended via the Boredale Hause to the valley and the car park. A scenic drive and “home” to Coniston. (Dick )
Click here to see pictures
Our group of 19 set off on Saturday morning to travel to Coniston in two hired minibuses plus Mike’s Discovery. We were staying in Shepherds Villas, a four storey Lakeland stone house with nine bedrooms and fantastic facilities (including a free pool table, which was well used by some of the more competitive male members). Meg and Ann were staying nearby in Megs campervan. Brian and Allison Hutton were staying in a local B&B. This made our party up to a total of 23 members.
Those staying in the Villa shared self catering breakfasts and packed lunches. Those staying outside the Villa joined us for dinners each night, which were all self catering, except on Friday when we went out to a local pub to celebrate a terrific holiday.
Our return journey was rather eventful in that the rear tyre of the Discovery (driven by Ginny) blew to smithereens, thankfully, just before reaching the M6. A refit of tyres in nearby Kendal ensured a safe, but delayed arrival of the Discovery back to St Albans.
Congratulations to Mike and Ginny Fitzpatrick and Peter Dear for all the effort they made to make it a great success.
Day 1 Sunday Elterwater- Loughrigg Fell (Combined Walk)
Sunday dawned bright and sunny. The whole group of 23 set off for Elterwater. As we were a large number we split into two, with the first group setting off 10 minutes before us. We climbed gently out of Elterwater passing Walthwaite Bottom and Huntingstile Crag until we started to descend towards Grasmere. Near the lake we turned east and headed along Loughrigg Terrace where we met up with the first group having a welcome coffee stop. We took their vacated seats and enjoyed the stunning view over the lake. We then climbed up over Loughrigg Fell, eventually descending past Ivy Crag and Loughrigg Tarn to Skelwith Bridge and Chester’s tea shop. Here we all stopped to savour the delights of afternoon tea with outsize portions of homemade cake. Fortified, we then followed the Cumbria Way back to Elterwater stopping to admire the Skelwith Force waterfall on the way. A good first day to walk us all in. (Pat)
Day 2 Monday Old Man of Coniston from Walna Scar (Red Walk)
The day started with the ‘Old Man’ shrouded in mist but this soon cleared to give a fine day. The red group set off at a good pace to climb past Goat’s Water, with the spectacular sheer cliffs of Dow Crag to our left; no one was tempted to join two intrepid young ladies who headed off to scale these heights! After morning tea overlooking Goat’s Water (and the blue group’s steady advance along the water’s edge) we set off on the challenging climb to the top of the peak where we were rewarded with clear views over 360o stretching from Windermere and Morecambe Bay to Scafell and Fairfield, with even a distant glimpse of the Isle of Man. After the photo-sessions around the cairn, to prove we’d made it, the group set off towards the distant Swirl How Crag on the awe-inspiring track along the cliff edge, stopping at Levers Hawse for lunch in the sun overlooking Seathwaite Tarn and finally descending via Swirl Hawse towards Levers Water. On the ‘relentless’ descent back towards Coniston we took some local advice to take a detour using an old aquaduct round to Coppermines Valley, the site of old mine shafts and workings. Some time was spent analysing the remains of engineering works, concluding they were water-driven and designed to provide access or ventilation to the mine shafts. Several rocks seemed to take ages to find the bottom of shafts but the lack of a calculator prevented any estimate of actual depth! The path then descended on a gentle slope (a much more pleasant descent than the scheduled route) and there was time for well-earned refreshments at the Sun before returning, well ahead of schedule. An excellent walk, well worth the extra miles. (Brian)
Day 2 Monday Old Man of Coniston from Walna Scar (Blue Walk)
The ten Blue route walkers said a sad goodbye to Maggy who was very poorly and unable to walk and waved to Meg who stayed behind to prepare wonderful curries for our evening meal, and set off for Conniston Old Man. We had a day that was riotous in parts and challenging in others. The climb duplicated the red walk as far as the peak and was a bit of a slog. Part way up the ladies in the group needed a “comfort” stop. This then started an hilarious discussion about the pros and cons of the she-wee- a device for women to preserve their modesty ! Personally I will stay immodest with my “comfort” stops! The ladies were tempted to follow a very fit, hunky guy ahead but changed our minds when we realised he was going up a near vertical slope. We knew Mike and Peter would not manage the climb! As we neared the top of The Old Man Maria developed vertigo. In true SAR fashion we put her at the front and egged her on. What amazing views greeted us at the summit, it was well worth the climb . We ate our lunch and discussed the songs, singers and dance halls of the 50’s and 60’s. Oh how we showed our ages!!
The blue route then took a very steep, tricky and rocky descent. Maria was scared, however with gentle words and willing hands we helped her down the mountain. More of a red walk than blue but all of us eventually arrived at the bottom in one piece ready for the delights of Meg’s cooking. (Helen)
Day 3 Tuesday Haystacks to Buttermere via Red Pike (Red Walk)
Today our starting point was the car park at Honister Hause which would save us quite a bit of a climb first thing in the morning. Even so, the first part of the walk was both long and steep but the effort was certainly worth it as the views from the top were fantastic. Our route took us past the Innominate Tarn and seeing this, it is easy to understand why Alfred Wainwright wanted his ashes to be scattered at this peaceful location. A short distance from the tarn is Haystacks, another of Wainwright’s favourite places. From the top we had the most wonderful view over the valley below and the surrounding mountains. We were lucky enough to have beautiful sunshine with clear blue skies and we could see for miles.
This was a perfect place to stop for lunch before we started our quite tricky descent across rocks and boulders down to Scarth Gap. Here we had two choices: to either follow the Pass down towards Lake Buttermere or climb up Seat and High Crag, continuing via High Stile and Red Pike before decending to Buttermere.
High Route
Six of us decided to brave it and take the high route. We found the climb up Seat very steep although the ascent was quite fast and we were soon up only to find we had another steep climb up to the top of High Crag from where we had an interesting bird’s-eye view of Haystacks and the route we had followed. We now had to descend again only to find ourselves faced with another climb up High Stile. However, after reaching the top we were again rewarded with amazing views: Lake Buttermere on one side and on the other Crummock Water, the Solway Firth and the Scottish hills in the far distance. Following the path along the ridge we at last reached Red Pike, our last climb for the day. It was getting late in the afternoon and the sun was beginning to set giving a golden glow to the tops of the mountains around Buttermere, while the lower slopes and the valley were in the shade.
The path leading from the summit of Red Pike down to Bleaberry Tarn proved to be a very steep and tricky descent on slippery red scree with no handhold. Quite daunting! We all made it down without any mishaps. From the Tarn, the path initially followed a small beck flowing down to Buttermere but the descent soon turned into a rocky, zigzagged path that went on and on, making us wonder if we were really heading in the right direction. Eventually the path entered a larch wood growing on the lower slopes of the mountainside and after using our last reserves of energy we reached the lake on wobbly legs!
We arrived later than expected at the Fish Inn half expecting that the rest of the group would have given up waiting for us. However, we were pleasantly surprised to see them still there and happy to join them for a welcome drink or two after a long but very exciting day’s walking. (Sonja)
Scarth Gap Pass Route
After enjoying the top and Haystacks and Innominate Tarn, Dick and the “B” team decided that Red Pike was not for them and happily took the a gentler walk down to Buttermere and tea.. The views over to Fleetwood in the sunshine were excellent, the walk round the lake a joy. The mini bus was retrieved from Honister and we waited in The Fish Inn for the “A” team's arrival, Dick gainfully employed the time with a couple of excellent pints of Jennings. (Heather)
Day 3 Tuesday Cat Bells via hawse Gate (Blue Walk)
Eight of us set off to take the launch from Keswick across Derwent Water to climb Cat Bells. After a couple of mishaps our group had dwindled to five and I was jokingly described as one of the most careless leaders known to SAR!
The walk up is a scramble at times and, as always in the Lakes, it fools you into thinking you’re on top when in fact there is one more rocky climb to the actual summit. The sun was shining and the view from the top was just lovely through 360o but particularly spectacular over Derwent Water with its scattered small islets. After our lunch on the top we descended to a very pleasant walk beside the lake to take us back to the launch. (Deborah)
Day 4 Wednesday – Day Off
Day 5 Thursday Fairfield to Rydal via Red Screes (Red Walk)
This red route challenge was taken up by nine walkers. This classic walk to the Fairfield Horseshoe was made less taxing by starting the walk from the Kirkstone Hotel. Nevertheless we still walked 12.2km, climbed 873metres and descended 1264 metres. It really was a fantastic ridge walk with spectacular views. The weather was kind especially on the way down with lovely evening sunshine. The start of the walk provided some amusement as the ladies in the party lined up behind a handy wall - the hotel facilities being closed. It was then uphill for 50 minutes continuous steady climbing, including some easy scrambling and so to Red Screes. Next it was an 'off piste' trip to Raven Crag (viewpoint) then on to Dove Cragg the first of 4 peaks above 2500 feet. We continued on to the Horseshoe proper via Dove Crag and Hart Crag (with great views of Helvellyn and Striding Edge) and onto Great Rigg. Unfortunately Dick took a spectacular tumble (missed by all) whilst strolling along the ridge and trying to look at the views at the same time. Luckily despite a large bump on his head, broken glasses and possibly a cracked rib, after a rest, he managed to carry on and complete the walk. A steady descent to Nab Scar and the final steep descent, now mostly 'stepped' following bad erosion, into Rydal. Needless to say, Dick got interesting comments in the Badger Bar pub! (Maggie )
Day 5 Thursday Holme Fell via Black Crag and Tarn Hows (Blue Walk)
Twelve members parked the minibus near to Yew Tree farm, where we admired the Cottage which provided the set for Beatrix Potter’s house in the recent film about her life. After a moderate climb, we proceeded across Holme Fell, with its wooded terrain mixed with a variety of ferns and beautiful views of Yew Tree tarn below. Our next stop was a steeply sloped, deep water filled quarry. This was marked disused on the map. However, there were signs of activity, as a number of trucks were to be seen coming and going with cargoes of stones. After proceeding across High Oxen Fell we were treated to the sight of a beautiful farmhouse with well- tended gardens. A public notice informed us that the farm was part of an environmentally sensitive scheme.
Stopping for lunch we enjoyed the stunning views of Langdale Pikes and the beautiful browns, reds and oranges of autumn beginning to become apparent in the landscape. Reaching Tarn Hows we enjoyed a peaceful walk around the lake which is actually man made, created less than 150 years ago by the Marshall family of Monk Coniston, who owned the estate. The area known as Tom Gill was dammed to create the tarn and hundreds of trees were planted to create a beautiful, peaceful spot for the public to enjoy. Finishing our circular walk with the treat of tea and cake at the Yew Tree Cottage Farm, we enjoyed watching the antics of dogs, a playful puppy and ducks. Very Beatrix Potter! A fitting end to a lovely day’s walking. (Dianne )
Day 6 Friday Helvellyn – via Striding Edge and Swirral Edge (Red Walk)
Considered as the ‘high’ spot of our week, five of us set out from Glenridding to climb Helvellyn. We walked for a total of 4.5 hours to walk 7 km (4 miles) to the summit, an ascent of 964m, being 950m above sea level.
Conditions were overcast and very windy as we made steady progress upwards. I knew that the climb would be strenuous which proved to be the case, especially as we approached Striding Edge and took a first tentative step on to a large flat rock with nothing but a sheer drop to Red Tarn on one side and valley on the other. Searching for footholds proved to be an arduous task. We then found ourselves confronted with the ‘ladder’ (a vertical notch in the rocks) immediately prior to the steep scree faced ascent of Helvellyn itself. The climb involved much scrambling and little opportunity to stop and admire the view. Notwithstanding we managed to capture some of the grandeur of the scenery on camera before tackling a steep drop down Swirral Edge (very similar to Striding Edge and no easier), another real accomplishment. Looking at my Certificate, confirming I had just climbed Englands 3rd highest mountain, I’m really pleased I made the effort. (Benita )
Day 6 Friday Ullswater Lake Walk (Blue Walk 1)
Our ultimate walk to round off a wonderful week was around Ullswater – After a bracing steamer ride from Glenridding to Howtown, all the “blue” route people set off along the shores of the lake separating a kilometre or so along the way into two further groups - the “lower” blue route led by Meg took us on an undulating path through trees and along the lake affording us superb views of Ullswater eventually bringing us back to Glenridding where we had time to indulge in refreshments while waiting for the “higher” route folk to rejoin us.
Thank you Meg. A super end to a super week. (Leslie)
Day 6 Friday Ullswater Lake Walk (Blue Walk 2)
After splitting from the main group at Sandwick, nine of us left the lake and walked the rising path along Boredale and up to Place Fell via High Dodd. The day was clear but a cool wind heralded autumn. Lunch was taken in the shelter of a sheep fold, then, up to the summit. Views all round of Ullswater, High Street and the Helvellyn range. Pausing only for Diane to adjust her underwear, we descended via the Boredale Hause to the valley and the car park. A scenic drive and “home” to Coniston. (Dick )
Click here to see pictures