Walking Coast to Coast

26.5kms (103.6kms) 516m gained This was to be a bigg biggg day with a 1100 metre gain going over Kidsty Pike, a high rocky outcrop with frequent fog and almost no waymakers. The guidebook warned to keep referring to your compass. The forecast was for RAIN and 40km winds!! We were concerned to say the least. When we asked our host for a breakfast pack so we could leave at 6am she suggested a better plan. Take the shorter, lower route. A ferry along Ullswater to Pooley Bridge 😀, over the fells (300m😀) to Brampton and then along minor roads to Shap. Wow! What a great plan. The ferry took a very lovely hour. Cottages and some stately homes dotted the shore, sheep and cows in green pastures abounded, and the rain held off. We left the ferry and walked through a holiday town, pony rides, boogie boards, Devonshire tea and ice cream on sale.  After 30 caravans passed us on the narrow lanes with dry stone walls we reached their origin. The largest cabin and caravan park you ca...

15.7 kms (77.1kms) 519m gained Snow! Now I have your attention, the last two days it has snowed. Why wait till now to tell you? On the highest points each day, every ten or twenty seconds, we have seen a tiny snowflake. Not photographs sorry, they melted and evaporated before we could get our camera out. Trust us on this!  We left Grasmere and, you guessed it, we walked up!up!up!. We could soon see the island in Grasmere Lake and the stately houses on the shore. One of which was where Clare's grandmother worked "in service" from the age of twelve. At the top, 610m, we were amazed to see a large lake, Grisedale Tarn. The wind combined with 5° to send us scurrying down to the shore where we found a sheltered spot to eat. I couldn't talk because my mouth was frozen. We needed calories quick. Not quite this quick! Look carefully they are not phone booths or tardis'. There are lots of them. That night was a little eventful. Our host did not offer evening meal and sugge...