Last Friday I left the city on a familiar journey that ended at Keswick. Well just outside of Keswick actually at a campsite in Thornthwaite. The site was located quite high up the fellside just short of the lower tree line of Whinlatter Forest. The views on Friday were magnificent. It was a warm, sunny, clear day which provided a panorama starting at the extreme left with the open mountain-less gap to the Solway, then the bulk of Skiddaw and Carlside, and just a hint of the edge of Lonscale. Further round right was the gap of the A66 then Clough Head, The Dodds and down to Helvellyn. The site itself was merely a field in a farm allocated for caravans and tents with a wc and sink. The place was all but deserted as there was a more conventional site with showers and a shop only 100yds further down the hillside. An ideal location for a weekend of activities with a group of my best mates.
Friday evening we sat drinking tea and catching up until the sun stopped warming our old bodies, then we decamped to the famous Swinside Inn where a hearty feast and couple of pints of the black stuff was enjoyed.
Saturdays breakfast was a right faff as I had omitted to bring any pans to cook the bacon, eggs and sausages in. Everything had to be done under the grill which took ages. Beans were cooked in their can directly on the gas burner. It was all very tasty and enjoyable though, especially for Scotty who had been out for a very early run and returned to find the food all ready for him to tuck in. Plucky arrived at 0830 and Scotty went home at 0845 as he didn't have enough wife-permission-vouchers to stay any longer.
We cycled slowly up Whinlatter Pass to meet everyone else at the Go Ape high wire site. Go Ape was great fun. I was terrible at balancing on the obstacles. After a cafe stop in the Visitor centre we left Whinlatter behind as we cycled over into the Buttermere Valley. A bit of rain around but we were soon out of it again as we crossed Newlands Valley top and dropped towards Keswick. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the ride and it hadn't taken very long so I suggested an additional loop under Catbells to Grange then back along the main Borrowdale road into Keswick. After more tea and delicious homemade cakes at the camp we ventured into Keswick for a pub meal. Getting up at 6am and being busy all day was enough to have me zonked out by 9oclcock. By just after 10 we were back at the site and in bed!!!
Sunday had been arranged to do a fell run over leg one of the BGR route. After a pleasant breakfast in Keswick we met the others, Penrith and Appleby Stu's and Penrith Stu's pal Steve (and me and Plucky). We walked our breakfast off with a stroll along the railway line path to Threlkeld.
Upon reaching Threlkeld the two Stu's and Steve went up Blencathra like their pants were on fire and they needed to reach the big puddle on top ASAP. Me and Plucky took it much steadier. As we ascended ever higher it became clear that Plucky was not enjoying the day. (see his miserable face on photo). To be fair he was less than a week from completing his Ironman event which in itself was the culmination of many months of tough training. At the summit he realised he had dropped his favourite gilet and decided to look around for it before descending back the way we had already come.
The rest of us continued over Mungrisedale Common, through the Caldew and up Gt Calva. Down to the Cumbrian way and over Hare Crag to Skiddaw. As we descended Skiddaw I made some quick calculations and realised that we had taken little more than 3 hours for the leg. Considering the several stops we took and the short retrace I did with Plucky this was a damn quick time. No wonder Plucky wasn't enjoying it as the rest of us were just as fit as he is, more used to fells and also much more rested.
Back in Keswick we chatted a while at the cars and tried to help Appleby Stu push start his motor. To be honest I'm not sure he's ever done a push start before.
After a quick pint I nipped across for chips. Next door to the chippy was the New Balance shop where they were having a half price sale. So I returned to the van with chips and TWO pairs of my favourite 1064s for the price of one (and the usual price is about half the RRP anyway 'cos they are seconds (but you can never tell why they have been rejected as firsts)). I checked my email before driving off and was also delighted to find I had won an item on Ebay for only half the price I had bid.
A great weekend from start to finish. Cheers Lads
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