Day 2

Day 2

Not exactly sleet but the day started with misty rain and continued on and off all day. The sun actually broke through just as we reached our B&B in Stonethwaite at 5.00.

A .long day, 14 miles with hills. Started with a brisk hike around the north side of Ennerdale Water, nice trail except for a short section of very overgrown wet ferns

Then a long trudge up the forest road through pine plantations, gradually gaining height to about 850’ with a good moment as we broke out of forest to see Black Sail YHA where we stopped for a cup of tea (50p in the ‘honesty’ box) and eat our packed lunch. Quite a few other C2C groups caught us up there, some we had seen before the previous day.

Appetite satisfied we started the climb to and up Loft Beck to top out at about 1,800, all in less than 1 mile and in about 40 minutes – not bad for oldies.

Great views from the top (although the cloud base was about 2,300) down into Buttermere, across to Haystacks and back down to Ennerdale. Unfortunately my favorite peak, Pillar, was covered in cloud.

An easy hike ’ with a gentle rise and then contouring around Brandreth and Grey Knotts to descend steeply to Honister slate quarry where we bought the obligatory slate souvenirs before the 3 mile weary descent to Rothswaite with a rocky clamber by the Derwent river with the help of chains bolted into the rock face.

Cozy B&B, Colin’s turn for the single room and Don graciously offered me the double bed in the twin room which I graciously accepted. Time to go over to the Langstrath pub for dinner and meet up with a few fellow C2Cers.