Day 4 - Grasmere to Patterdale
26.06.13
DISTANCE WALKED: 9.4 miles
Glorious weather today for a simply stunning high level walk. Slept well in the luxurious B&B last night, had a light breakfast of fruit and eggy soldiers, met the cats and set off about 9.30. The cats were both all black and very rotund. Oscar took a liking to my suitcase and kept trying to get in it, which is just what Henry does.
As soon as left Grasmere was straight into a steep ascent of Great Tongue (yes, really) following Tongue Gill up to the waterfall at Grisedale Hause (570m). I sat and drank my coffee with two ladies from Ulster who were supporting Duke of Edinburgh Awards expeditions. They were telling me about the walks around the Antrim Coast and reminded me that I must see the Giant's Causeway. From the high point it was a drop down to Grisedale Tarn and the first glimpse of Ullswater. The low route follows the valley carved out by Grisdale Beck. The sides of the valley are made up of the splendid ridge walks of the Helvellyn range on one side, with Deepdale and St. Sunday crag on the other.
Having tackled Helvellyn via Striding Edge with Pete a few years ago, I knew how steep, narrow and slippy it could be and didn't want to do it on my own. So I opted for St. Sunday Crag and was glad that I had. AW calls it 'a mountain for connoisseurs'. The climb up wasn't too bad, the ridge walk was stunning as the ground dropped away to the valleys either side and the panoramic views from the summit (841m) were just amazing on such a clear day. I recognised Pillar and Scafell Pike to the west; Kidsty Pike was on the east, but that's a walk for tomorrow. The path then descended very steeply to Patterdale, my right knee is feeling the strain a bit. But tomorrow is the last super-hilly day as we say farewell to Lakeland and head for the Dales.
Meantime, I arrived at my B&B with plenty of time to do some washing of the stinky walking socks, some tops and a fleece. While I was hanging them on the line to dry, the resident spaniels came to ask for a game of fetch. Boy spaniel got a bit over excited and started to hump my leg. I hope there isn't an extra charge for that! Popped to the White Lion for a light dinner and a pint of their own ale then managed to speak to Pete on Skype while Henry and Tigger walked in front of the camera giving me a view of their bottoms. No extra charge for that either. Washing was still wet, so have hung it over radiator racks and am hoping not to have to pack it in wet on the morrow.
And now for the stats bit. Speed picked up again today, which bodes well for the longer stage tomorrow. Songs of the day were The Jam's "When You're Young" and Manfred Mann "Davy's on the Road Again"
Odometer
9.4 miles
Cumulative Miles
51.4
Total Ascent
966 metres
Total Descent
887 metres
Moving Time
4h 14 m
Stopped Time
3h 36 m
Moving Average
2.2 mph
Glorious weather today for a simply stunning high level walk. Slept well in the luxurious B&B last night, had a light breakfast of fruit and eggy soldiers, met the cats and set off about 9.30. The cats were both all black and very rotund. Oscar took a liking to my suitcase and kept trying to get in it, which is just what Henry does.
As soon as left Grasmere was straight into a steep ascent of Great Tongue (yes, really) following Tongue Gill up to the waterfall at Grisedale Hause (570m). I sat and drank my coffee with two ladies from Ulster who were supporting Duke of Edinburgh Awards expeditions. They were telling me about the walks around the Antrim Coast and reminded me that I must see the Giant's Causeway. From the high point it was a drop down to Grisedale Tarn and the first glimpse of Ullswater. The low route follows the valley carved out by Grisdale Beck. The sides of the valley are made up of the splendid ridge walks of the Helvellyn range on one side, with Deepdale and St. Sunday crag on the other.
Having tackled Helvellyn via Striding Edge with Pete a few years ago, I knew how steep, narrow and slippy it could be and didn't want to do it on my own. So I opted for St. Sunday Crag and was glad that I had. AW calls it 'a mountain for connoisseurs'. The climb up wasn't too bad, the ridge walk was stunning as the ground dropped away to the valleys either side and the panoramic views from the summit (841m) were just amazing on such a clear day. I recognised Pillar and Scafell Pike to the west; Kidsty Pike was on the east, but that's a walk for tomorrow. The path then descended very steeply to Patterdale, my right knee is feeling the strain a bit. But tomorrow is the last super-hilly day as we say farewell to Lakeland and head for the Dales.
Meantime, I arrived at my B&B with plenty of time to do some washing of the stinky walking socks, some tops and a fleece. While I was hanging them on the line to dry, the resident spaniels came to ask for a game of fetch. Boy spaniel got a bit over excited and started to hump my leg. I hope there isn't an extra charge for that! Popped to the White Lion for a light dinner and a pint of their own ale then managed to speak to Pete on Skype while Henry and Tigger walked in front of the camera giving me a view of their bottoms. No extra charge for that either. Washing was still wet, so have hung it over radiator racks and am hoping not to have to pack it in wet on the morrow.
And now for the stats bit. Speed picked up again today, which bodes well for the longer stage tomorrow. Songs of the day were The Jam's "When You're Young" and Manfred Mann "Davy's on the Road Again"
Odometer
9.4 miles
Cumulative Miles
51.4
Total Ascent
966 metres
Total Descent
887 metres
Moving Time
4h 14 m
Stopped Time
3h 36 m
Moving Average
2.2 mph