Our 5 day hike was brilliantly orchestrated by Anna and Jo. They had luckily worn the edge off their energy levels by walking the York 3 peaks the day before we met up. We drove into Wasdale, 4 of us plus camping gear compacted into Anna's convertible. Had a pub dinner at the wonderful Wasdale Inn to sustain ourselves for a walk up Scafell Pike in the morning. The highest point in England was heavily shrouded in cloud that day. We then walked a circuit from Ambleside for 5 nights staying in YHA places, all grand old buildings in superb locations. It was beautiful varied walking from pale green pasture to copses of trees in new leaf to steep, barren, rocky crags. The special breed of Lake District sheep all had new lambs, so cute, coal black wooly lambs, some with white ears, frisking about with the pure white lambs. The bluebells are blooming in wide drifts under the trees and rhodos are out in brilliant pinks and yellows. We've walked through driving sleet and fluttering snow on Old Man Coniston and basked in the sun beside a bubbling brook the next day. The slate and stone buildings and bridges seem so ancient yet the area has been wooded and cleared 3 times in the last 2000 yrs.
The hostels provide everything so we could keep our packs light and the walking was really enjoyable.
Wasdale Inn from part way up Scafell Pike while it was still sunny
Display of old climbing boots and early climbing photos at the Inn is great
Last few miles to Troutbeck
En route to Hawkeshead
Chocolate sponge cake was my choice
Beautiful trails
Loved the chaos/ order of the paths and walls through shale piling going up Old Man Coniston
Snow and frozen fingers
Well deserved pint
Cutest slate bridge on the way to High Close, just imagined the 3 billygoats Gruff trotting over it.
Looking out over the YHA where we stayed from the top of High Close Hill.
Looking out towards Ambleside before return walk
Romantic row on Windermere
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