The plan
Hire car, go to Lakes, climb England’s highest mountain, have a look around, have fun, head back.
Sunrise, for the week in October we were about to embark on, was about 9:00 BST, Sunset about 18:45 BST.
When we get there, let's aim for an 8:00 start...
Leg 1: Brackenclose to Lingmell – 3.3km, 730metres ascent,
50min. + 73 min. = 2hrs. 3Min.
Leg 2: Lingmell to Great End – 2.7km, 390metres ascent,
40min. + 39min. = 1 hr. 19min.
Leg3: Great End to Broad Crag – 1.25km, 110m ascent,
(Lunch on Great End or Broad Crag?)
19min. + 11min. = 30min.
Leg 4: Broad Crag to Scafell Pike – 0.55km, 110m ascent,
(Late lunch on Scafell?) If we make Broad Crag in 4 hours, go and see Ill Crag
on the way to Scafell Pike
110min. + 11min. = 12min.
Leg 5: Scafell Pike to Scafell, via Foxes Tarn – 2.2km, 330m of ascent
34min. + 33min. = 1hr. 7 min.
Leg 6: Scarfell to Brackenclose, via Green How, 3.85km ~ 1hr
Time: about 6-ish hours, + 2 hrs. for stops, = about 8 hours.
A full day! Start at 8:00, finish at 17:00!.
Well, that was the plan...
Picked up Fiat Punto two days ago and dropped Eddie off yesterday at Tonten kennels.
Day1 - Saturday 25th
Left at 6:40. M1, M6. A quick journey until we met Manchester's outskirts, then we crawled.
Lots of rain and wind.
Finally arrived at the strange windswept Haven Holiday Park, Grange-over-sands, about 1:00. Jam tarts & ham sandwiches for lunch (we bought a job lot of jam tarts before we left, from Tesco).
About this time the video camera was launched.
Off to The Pheasant, a local hostelry, for an excellent dinner (fish & chips, Cumberland sausage and chicken) and a pint of Black Sheep (well, you have to really, don't you).
Day 2 - Sunday
What a night! Thunderous rain and howling winds. Woke me up several times. (Later we heard that a months worth of rain fell in just 24 hours! This was also the weekend of the 2008 OMM Mountain Marathon. The event was started but cancelled after the first day. The media coverage was rather larger than normal, stories making their way to radio, newspapers and the TV. Most reports condemned the organisers for starting the race, but the competitors were well equipped for the conditions and wondered what all the fuss was about!)
Off to shop to fetch provends for a cooked breakfast. (~9:30. Clocks had gone back)
Decided on a leisurely drive via Windermere and Kendal (lunch in Kendal).
We finally made our escape stage right along the B5284, through Crook, to arrive at Kendal at 2:00.
Lunch at The Globe Inn (more fish n chips, steak and-ale-pie and Thwaites (yum)).
sandwich/pasty, fruit, Kitkat, Dorritos, cereal bars, water, flask of soup, Kendal mint cake
I also had thoughts on the kit to take (not including stuff worn):
Rain coat, waterproof trousers, gaiters, spare fleece, hat, gloves, survival bag, torch, map & bag, compass, 1st aid kit, camera, lunch, sweeties, water, flask
Worn stuff:
Thermal underwear, fleece, socks, thick socks, boots, trousers
Mmm... This evening we had cake and custard for tea.
David's knee is sore and it's just started raining, so it looks like Scafell will have to be on Tuesday. Much mayhem was enjoyed!
Day 3 - Monday
Brrrr! Blimmin' freezing! 7.5° in living room this morning (~ 8:00)
Looks like a better day but the weather forecast says sun & showers.
Alternate thoughts for another time – Crinkle crags from Wrynose (277028) looks interesting 9.6km round trip, 400m ascent, approx. 3 hours.
Lazy morning – swimming (Alex & me) and bowling (Alex & David).
Pizza and a mini TV dinner for, er, dinner. (That shop is a bad influence)
Tonight Alex and I looked at a star and wondered what it was. We took bearings and noted the time (the clocks had gone back over the weekend). We then fired up the trusty laptop, shovelled some coal in the back, and used Red Shift to discover the star was in fact a planet - Jupiter!
Day 4 - Tuesday
6:00 start. Blimey!Cooked breakfast, left at 8:00 for Scafell, and Jackie's coming along!
A staggering 43 miles to Wasdale Head! I underestimate the time it took to get there and we finally arrived at about 9:30. Hmm... a bit late to do the whole horseshoe, and it might be a good thing we are. Jackie takes one look at the hills and exclaims 'These are real mountains! Oh my God!' (I laugh Hee-hee)
We set off, the boys forgetting their water bottles, but forging ahead. I think we have a new convert in Alex, he's in the lead! We make the 300 metre contour and a light snow flurry stops Jackie in her tracks. Without her inhaler she doesn't feel comfortable to go on. That's ok, we made it half way – just before Brown Tongue.
We picnic and plan our retreat.
While we picnicked, David and I surmise that if we held the open soup flask in front of us, facing the wind we could get covered in soup by way of the 'airbrush effect'. We might then get curious people asking us how we could get 3rd degree burns on a mountain in winter!
(Well, I thought it was funny)
The soup was a brilliant idea.
Alex seems remarkably happy with his water and Dorritos.
Head back and have dinner at the Pheasant. Stew, duck with noodles, fish n chips. 'Flat Cap' beer from Bank Top Brewery. Very smooth. Might be through a tight sparkler.
At 8:30 that evening I look at the thermometer -2° outside!
Day 5 - Wednesday
8:00:- 8°C & hailstones outside, hot tea and stew inside.
Off to Kendal. It's market day today. Get there by 11:00, We managed to dodge the rain and buy some dinner for Alex and Cumberland sausages for breakfast. I bought some replacement binoculars, David and Jackie bought some hats and Alex got a buckwheat hot bottle (that Jackie later snaffled). I like Kendal.
Every time we drive past the Cartmel Sticky Toffee Pudding factory near our campsite we see if the shop is open. Today is our third attempt and it results in a purchase! We first tried the pudding at The Pheasant. We also bought some venison stew to try.
More hailstones. 4° outside.
Back at base:
Alex reaches almost 200 ticket at the amusement park. If he gets 65,000 he can get a Wii! ( I'm sure it will only cost us £2,000 or so)
David has had French and German homework all week and drives us mad talking German all day. Donner und Blitzen!
Dinner – horrible chips and... Heroes on the tele at 9:00.
Day 6 - Thursday
Up at 8:00. It was warmer last night. Good job too – the gas ran out , both cylinders (no fire) That also means the food we bought in Kendal for breakfast we can't cook!The 24 hour help line doesn't help and after several trips to and from the store and the reception finally opens and the fault is reported.
We get ready to go to Ulverston and the Laurel and Hardy museum and the electricity cuts out. Jackie opts to stay behind to sort it all out. She doesn't like museums anyway.Ulverston – Lighthouse on the hill. Seems to crop up all over the place. It is actually a monument to Sir John Barrow, a very accomplished Navel administrator and traveller of the 19th century.
The museum turns out to be really small, but it's big enough to house a small cinema and the boys and I watch a couple of films. It seems the fan club is called ' The sons of the desert ' after one of their films.
Pub lunch washed down by a pint of ' Another Fine Mess '. Hmm... must be a local brew. Not bad.
Back for afternoon tea with a chocolate cake from the market in Ulverston. The market there was bigger than Kendal's. Saw some of the same stalls as Kendal, including a guy with a brightly coloured 'Nepalese' hat and a small dog.
Gas back on, electricity back on, and off. No video diary today.
Dinner – Off t' Pheasant for burger and a pint. (nice taste, after-taste of hops, can't remember the name).
Day 7 - Friday
Up at 8:00, out by 11:00! Impressive!Long drive to Keswick for lunch via Windermere. Down the road that was flooded when we arrived. Very picturesque. We saw lots of snow on the tops.
Visited Castlerigg Stone Circle on the way. Very windy!!
Keswick- nice town. More outdoor shops than I've had hot dinners!
Lunch of Cornish pasties and a blackberry and apple pasty.
Fish and chips for dinner, but not me, I'm still stuffed from lunch.
Hallow'een night is a bit of a disappointment – I think we missed it, it must have been last night.
Oh well, Back to ice box (caravan) to pack.
Watched “Have I got news for you” with Tom Baker.
Day 8 – Saturday and Home.
Picked up Eddie on the way. Total mileage about 920 miles.
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