Never take the high road

---

Day 3
We had a later start than expected as it was to be a long walk day of 14 miles. At 9 we left the village and started the walk along Ennerdale Lake. Nice and flat but a bit chilly. After 50 feet I had to stop and put more moleskin on the blister I had developed going down Dent Fell yesterday. The lake walk quickly became up and down as we were walking on the side of a mountain that bordered the lake. We had to be a bit careful as the path was narrow and on the edge. A group had passed us 10 minutes before and 3 men in another group. We soon came around the corner and one of the 3 men had fallen and scraped his knee and his blister was broken open. I gave him moleskin. They told us the loud group had just been there a bit earlier and were doing a group shot and the camera went into the lake. Again we slowed our pace a bit. Eventually the walk became very beautiful with trees overhanging the lake and mossy streams flowing by that we would ford. All kinds of kissing gates used to keep the sheep in the proper pasture. After we left the lake (4 miles long!) we got onto a tree-lined roadway that became rather boring after the 3 miles or so. We talked about whether to take the alternate route up the Fell where we could see the Wainwright tarn (ashes were thrown here) or just stay on the low road. It depended on the sky - overcast. When we got to the decision time landmark the clouds were high and the low road looked too boring. Bad decision, Di. The topographical map made it look like we would save ourselves at least a mile of walking. Well, I happily did the climb up to where I thought we were to cut around the 2 mountains that were in our way. No. We had to go over the mountains. After we got through a bog with no nice path around, climbed a fence and we then went straight up a scree path that had boggy mud patches if not loose stone. Again it was a case of climb to the top that wasn’t the top, groan, climb, groan, climb. Finally we get up to a flat place but wait the real top is just around the corner! Again nice pics of the Irish Sea , Isle of Man and good old Scotland. Now we could go down to the tarn. Certainly looked closer from the top. Ross doffed his hat to Wainwright (tradition) and we asked some people there how to get to Stonewaithe. Their faces showed that they thought we were nuts trying to get there by this time of day. They pointed us in a direction and we went. More bog, more scree, then slate scree . It seemed forever. At last we were finished with the uphill. Getting down was maybe worse. I have 3 toes on my left foot I think folded under my foot inside my boot and refused to participate. The ball of my heel on my right foot was screaming now every time it touched a rock. And of course now that we were in wide open spaces with no bushes, trees or cover I desperately needed to go pee. Public toilets were in the little down there where we could see rooftops. That took an hour. I ran the last ten yards to get there. Problem. When you sit down after 5 hours of tough walking your body does not want to get up. I had left the poles outside with Ross and it took several attempts to get off the can. My legs were like spaghetti. Ross said we are almost to the B&B - at the 3rd right turn it is only 500 yards. The third right turn came in another mile! We got to the B&B at 6:30, didn’t take our boots off just dropped our backpacks and went across the street to the pub. Dinner was 5 star and what a treat. To walk out at the end of the meal once I stood erect I had to walk stiff-legged because my knees did not want to work. Fell into bed - unfortunately this B&B did not have an ensuite toilet. Knees had to cooperate a couple of times during the night or get wet! 39,635 steps or 15.7 mi.

---

Comments

[Jodi]

You probably knew there would be days like this....
This day sounds like a doozy!!!