Day 2: Ennerdale to Stonethwaite

What a difference a day makes - we awoke to fantastic weather, tremendous views from the farm, a hint of a breeze and the promise of a very long day of walking.

Views from the top of Low Cock How Farm

I'll try

Grandad found a friend

Revived by a hearty farmhouse breakfast thanks to Mrs Bradley, we set off on slightly sore feet, with a variety of aches and pains - yes, already.  

I find it comforting, after three years in Africa, that I am unlikely to encounter any deadly animals, and the only living creatures I am likely to find on a walk across England that could harm me (and are highly unlikely to do that, let alone kill me) are cows and sheep.  I had to rethink that one this morning as I nearly got trampled...

I'd never seen anyone move horses (is it a herd?) like this farmer does.  They were heading home for breakfast after grazing on the open fells. 

The walk took us from the farm, down into Ennerdale Bridge, past the cottage we stayed in three years ago at Easter, to the shores of Ennerdale Water.

We walked the south shore of Ennerdale, had a quick dip (well - feet anyway) before following the River Liza up the valley – (and up and up and up) to Black Sail YHA. 

She's standing on a rock - I haven't shrunk

Grandad pointing out Pillar (it's a mountain!) 

Black Sail Youth Hostel

This is a very popular spot – for Coast to Coast walkers and others, and it’s not difficult to see why. We passed here at least 20 years ago (the dates are hazy but it was pre-kids and probably before we got married as well) and I am pretty sure it was all locked up then. 

Chillin' before the killer climb

These days, they open it up; it is unstaffed until 5pm, but walkers are welcome to come inside, refill their water bottles, make a cup of tea (please use the honesty box to pay, there’s milk in the fridge), use the toilet (a real, flushing one) and either shelter from the weather or sit out front and enjoy it.

A very welcome spot, and one I personally would love to return to one day to stay overnight.  In beautiful weather, it was incredible.

The climb from Black Sail was a killer.  Not a whisp of a breeze -  it must have been 27°C and the terrain was very steep. 

See that lake in the middle? We walked from the other side of that and were no where near finished when I took this picture! 

Later, as I recounted how my son had skipped past me up the mountain ‘like a mountain goat’, not remotely out of breath as I gasped and wheezed, his grandfather lovingly declared, ‘If I see him skipping up a mountain, I’ll kick him, hard.’  All in jest (we think).

Views were breathtaking

Buttermere and Crummock Water 

Resting at the 'crest'

The descent was no less taxing; it was a very long and rocky path, past Honister Slate Mine (with, oddly, its via ferrata, adverts for tours of the mine, café and, the thing that annoyed me for no reason whatsoever, a bus stop.) down into Seatoller. 

As we walked and walked down the long path alongside the road into Seatoller, the bus zoomed past us.  Highly annoying. (But of course, that would have been cheating.) 

From Seatoller, I took us along the wrong route – (who let me take charge of directions anyway?) along the road instead of the pleasant path we should have been on – to our bed for the night at The Vicarage.

As we arrived, limping and exhausted after 17 miles of walking, a very kind lady met us at the door.

‘You do know we’re not a proper B&B, don’t you?’   Erm, no, we didn’t, but that explains why we couldn’t find you on Trip Advisor! Rev. Gay and her retired Rev. husband, Terry open their home to walkers when ‘everywhere else is full’.  The inside reminded me of my Grandmother’s house in Surrey – lots of reminders of travel abroad (suggestions of Africa and it turns out I was right -  Korea).  It was a perfect welcome – she brought us a tray for tea, left towels out for us, pointed us in the direction of a hot shower, and left us to it.

We had booked dinner at the Langstrath Inn for 7:30pm – thankfully just a 10 minute walk this time.  Before we could get there, we had another opportunity to get trampled.

The Langstrath Inn was delightful, in the beautiful village of Stonetwaite.  All were happy with the food (leg of lamb and mashed potato for me, various pies for the rest of the group, and a trio of sorbet/apple and rhubarb crumble to finish) and then back to The Vicarage by 9:30pm.  Rock n’ roll, people.

Note 1: I have more pictures of the day's walk, but they were slow to upload.  

Note 2: I was too tired to write this blog entry on Day 2 – however early on the morning of Day 3,  I can report that we’ve had thunderstorms overnight, which continue even now, at 7am.  

Note 3: It turns out that Rev. Gay spent her first 23 years in South Africa and then Kitwe, Zambia. We had breakfast around a table that was her Father's, and had originated in Zimbabwe.  As I keep saying - small world.