Lake District 16th - 20th May

I had planned for a long time that once I had finished all my work for University I was going to go to the Lake District for a week or so to take a break from the rat race that I have called my life for the past few months. I hadn't expected to have anyone come with me but ended up with my new housemate, Dave a friend also on the World Challenge Apprenticeship scheme, heading up with me. It was would be a good opportunity to get to know each other as we had only actually met once before.

We headed up on the Saturday morning to Keswick where we stocked up on food and then parked up at the National Trust car park at the Great Wood where we took our rucksacks up and over Castlerigg Fell to Bleaberry Fell, High Seat, High Tove, Middle Crag over to Blea Tarn where we set up camp for the night. The weather was pretty miserable raining nearly all the time but then it cleared as we got to the tarn which was a welcome relief but then it came down again. I had the unfortunate experience of going up to my thigh in a bog and getting some very soggy boots. It was very uncomfortable and knew I would end up having wet socks for the rest of the weekend.

The next morning the weather was just as miserable. We headed up and over to Ullscarf and then followed the ridge along to High Raise where we were met with some beautiful sunshine which was a welcome relief. I still had wet socks though. We then dropped down into the West valley and followed Langstrath Beck all the way down to Stonethwaite and then we stopped at the Rosthwaite hotel where we had a drink and a little rest then we went back up to Grange Fell where we set up tent again for the night. It was blowing a gale all night and the weather again was pretty miserable but we did have some nice clear moments.

We woke up in the morning with two puddles in the corners of the tent which were worrying, it was thankfully not my tent and thankfully none of our things got wet otherwise I would have another few nights in some miserable conditions. We headed down to Watendlath and in more rain we followed the road all the way back down to the car where I happily removed my wet boots and made some lunch of beans and bacon on the stove. Yum! We ended the good weekend with a cup of tea in a cafe in Keswick and then I rearranged and sorted all my stuff for my journey to continue on. Dave dropped me at Grasmere and then I walked up to Easedale Tarn with my puzzle book and had some glorious weather. I then set up tent and watched the night fall in the sun over the tarn. Beautiful. It was these moments when I love wild camping, with no-one else around and all I have is the things on my back. So all in all we had a good time, minus the bad weather, where we decided we probably won't kill each other when we move to Buxton. I think he was quite happy to get to a warm dry house to get the last of his degree finished the Friday.

I woke to, again, some lovely weather but then as I continued up and over Blea Crag, Castle How, Lang How, Silver How, Dow Bank and Loughrigg Fell I think I had pretty much all the weather under the sun, hail, rain, gales as well as being quite burnt. I ended the day walking around Ambleside then along the lake towards Windermere, where I bailed at Brockhole for a bus to the centre of Windermere. My boots had really started to rub with the wet socks so gave in. I was shattered and was happy to finally get to the Lake District Independant Hostel. A squishy bed, shower, non-boil-in-the-bag dinner and then a little wander to the vantage point over looking Windermere and the lake with the hostel night manager finished off the day lovely.

Wednesday, I wasn't getting the train until 6pm so had a day to kill. Thankfully the guy at the hostel allowed me to leave my rucksack in the reception and I then went down to Bowness, over the lake on the car ferry and then up to High Top which is the home of Beatrix Potter, author of Peter Rabbit. It was a lovely day, sun all day and I thankfully had my flip flops with me so my feet could have a little break. I then made the trek all the way back to Windermere. I was truely shattered and was very welcome for the cup of tea from the manager man again :-)

I would have been having dinner cooked for me that evening by Ceara as I was due to be back in Stoke by 9pm but the train turned out to be cancelled which was annoying. I didn't get back until 11pm. After having a chance encounter with a lovely man who bought me some sandwiches from Booths after I lent him my phone to ring his wife to say he was going to be really late home (his phone had died). A favour for a lonely traveller :-)

All in all an awesome time away, though I ended up with some very sore feet and I also pulled a muscle in my left shoulder which is still hurting but oh well. I was away from Stoke :-)