Four nights in a tent and one in a pub

20th-25th JUNE
2007
six lakes tour!

Was supposed to be a total camping holiday and we did stay at Windamere and Wast water but were were finaly driven out by the rain...and into the pub in Keswick!

The drive up wasn't too bad and around 4.30 we drove through "crook" where I went drinking at Wavy's Wedding in 2003...Unfortunately the pub wasn't open yet so we drove on to the place for a beer stop. By the time we were waiting for the car ferry across Windamere it started to chuck it down, but by the time we were across it had stopped. On the way to the campsite we took a diversion to see this castle.


Nice little National Trust campsite right next to the lake...but a long way from the pub!



I bought these little tent lights so that I could read my book...the little buggers wouldn't stick onto anything though.

AMBLESIDE


	The next day we went into Ambleside to eat and buy some camping gear. Mia(as usual) was cold during the night so wanted to upgrade her sleeping bag to Arctic survival level! I meanwhile, was checking out the local hikes and came across the "Bridge House" which is a mini NT shop straddling the river. Decided on a gentle stroll up "Wasfell Pike." Well, I told Mia it was a gentle stroll. It was in fact quite a long circular walk with a tough peak to conquer!

The start of the walk was more or less straight up....Ambleside in the background.

Mia was smiling at the beginning.....watch the video to see her reaction change further up the hill!!

Naturally, I was the first to the top!

And as usual it was cold, wet and windy on the top. Now, just downhill to the village of Troutbeck and then a loop back near the lake to Ambleside.

Windamere was now clearly in view and we were to stay with it for the rest of the walk.

snack time!

It was a long winding track down to troutbeck. We managed to spot a few rabbits on the way and the rain held off, though a few scary black clouds did pass over.



	The pub was kind of dead, but I found out later we went to the wrong place. Another inn down the road would have been packed with ruddy locals and raincoated hikers enjoying the convivial atmosphere....well, you get the picture. Troutbeck is a village strung out over a long road and all along the way are water fountains dedicated to a saint. Good for horses I guess...

The long walk out of Troutbeck required a rest under this tree. Before long a flock of chickens came over to beg for food and I was forced to hand over my tucker to the greedy buggers.

We could actually see our campsite on the other side of the lake and could just about make out the splash of blue that was our tent!


there was a lot of resting towards the end and at one point we even spotted this deer. It stayed watching us just long enough for me to get the camera out and take the shot before it shot off.

That night back at the campsite, I left my keys in the car boot....whoops. Luckily I am a member of the AA and they sent someone out to try and retrieve them. It was not an AA van but a garage from Workington. The guy had been given wrong information and he tried to break into the car proper. On opening the door before he did any damage to my window he saw the extent of the problem and declined to go any further. So next morning I called again and this time a proper AA patrol came out and after some dismantling of the hood and other parts managed to get into the boot from behind.
We left the campsite and after some stops to see visit Beatrix Potters home(which was closed) and Coniston Water we headed off over a high pass towards Wast Water.

The drive over the pass was phenomenal. I have never seen a road like it in England before. Got a glimpse of Skafell Pike as we climbed higher and higher. I'm gonna climb that peak one day! Checked into yet another National Trust campsite and checked out a pub at the end of the road in Washead...apparently the home of mountaineering!

A three peaks view.

Mia had not sufficiently recovered from the hike up Wasfell, so we limited ourselves to a light walk to a small village with two pubs opposite each other...both were sampled but both were very quiet.

A little video footage of the events

Well, my camera ran out of battery power and I hadn't bought a charger so no more pictures much to Mia's charagrin. We bought some cooking equipment and made our one and only breakfast there after a night out in the pub, which was packed. The rain got worse and worse and we ended up staying in a pub in Keswick which was pretty good. By the time we left there were flood warnings in Sheffield and a dam was in danger of bursting!

When I'm back in the UK there aint no clubbin'
There's hiking out in the freezing, fresh country air and quaffing gallons of real ale in warm pubs!

THE PENNINES
APR 2007 LADLE HILL
DEC 2006 EXMOOR
NOV 2006 DARTMOOR
OCT 2005 BLACK MOUNTAINS
MAY 2007

PENDLE HILL
MAY 2007 N.YORK MOORS
FEB 2007 CHAGFORD
NOV 2005 DUNSFORD
OCTOBER 2006