JULY DIARY FROM THE LAKELAND MEANDERER

Well Saturday started well with departure from home appr 9.20 having topped the car up with go-juice. Pretty uneventful trek across to Kendal, just a bit wet over the top of the M62 but nothing scary. Arrived Asda Kendal appr 11.40 so fairly well on the usual time scale. Bit of shopping in Adda then popped into Kendal to Wilkinsons Camera shop. Looking to treat myself with an upgrade to a 5D mkII and a couple of lenses. Their website showed a couple in stock but on the day that was not to be!!! The guy at the counter checked the company site and said they had quite a few in the various shops and could get a couple in for perusal ..... on FRIDAY !!!! They have a few shops around the area, the furthest being Warrington and the nearest Lancaster so that time scale surprised me a bit. So just made a couple of small purchaese and will think on it. Might ring them Monday or Tuesday with a view to going over late on Friday. Will have to be late as the forecast is looking reasonbale so don't want to loose any meandering time.But at the end of the day it's only 2 1/2 hours to Kendal so could mean a day out for me and my mate sometime soon.

Arrived cottage around 1.15 and got he food stashed and was getting ready for a little ramble and it started to drizzle a bit so decided to unpack and give it an hour. As expected it did not last long so just had a little wander finding a new angle on the church that I had not come across before so will have to see what those pics look like. It had started a very light drizzle again but not heavy enough to warrant turning back to the cottage. So spent a while in the churchyard but will almost certainly try again during the week, hopefully with better light. Then carried on down the the pierhead for a while and then back to base for half hour or so before the long awaited vivit to the Golden Rule. Not too many in but enough for a bit of banter and catch up with comings and goings.

Sunday started of very well and there is a Country Fair of somesort down at Coniston which starts around 1130 so that will be todays outing. Fell running, terrier racing, sheep shearing and all sorts of other Lake District pursuits. Anyway time to get the packup organised, cameras sorted and get off. 

As indicated above the day dawned very nicely indeed. Nice blue sky, and a very clear view over to Loughrigg and beyond. Following a quick shower and shave the usual bowl of Weetabix was consumed followed by a nice strong black coffee. Then a bit of washing up ..... well nearly .... had to go out to buy a bottle of washing-up liquid, something I thought I had packed but obviously not. And on the way to the nearest store, the Co-op I ran into my little tabby friend who is still looking very well fed and healthy. About 1030 pack-up duly sorted and cameras at the ready into the car and off on the 8 mile trip to Coniston. I hate Sunday drivers ..... especially on a Sunday. Plenty of room on the roads, buses and lorries use them!! yet these Sunday and holiday drivers brake and slow down for every little thing. So what should have taken 15 minutes at worst took nearly half an hour!!! Anyway on arrival Coniston Hall I knew the road down to the hall was a good bit of tarmac, but in their infinite wisdom the organisers sent us a few hundred further along and in through a gate which led to a twisty, bumpy track, but at least it was dry so no problems. Was one of the early arrivals, only a couple of hundred cars when I got there, a lot more when I left!! Decided to leave the packup in the car in the cool bag to return for later.

Wandered off into the show ground, such as it was. Really good little set up. A very local Country Fair as opposed to a show. No big trade tents, but a lot of stalls with various country crafts. The usual local produce makers, photographers, artists and all that sort of thing. In one corner of the field was a little set up of 2 ladies who fashioned all sorts of sculptures out of wood using chainsaws. Most of what they had on show were birds, mainly Owls but also a few other bits and pieces. Back in the arena were events an exhibitions like Lurcher racing, gun dogs and hounds. There was also a Bird of Prey demonstration where the guys let a relatively new bird they were training off to do its stuff and it did a few bits and pieces as expected and then flew off into the wild blue yonder. That brought that demonstration to a rather abrupt end.  One of the guys did get into the van with all the tracking gear and drove round to the woods of Grizedale on the opposite side of Coniston Water and returned about 2 hours later without said bird. However they were confident it would return later in the day!! There were games for children in the main ring, races, egg and spoon, sackrace etc which was fun for them. Then at about 1.00pm the centrepiece of most country shows round here, the Fell Race. This took the runners out of the arena and up the fells of Coniston Old Man and back. Not sure quite how far, missed that in the commentary, but the record is something like 52 minutes but today being so hot the winner completed the course in 1 hr 4 mins. Can't imagine how long it would take me to walk it.....  

Didn't bother going back to the car for lunch, thought I would treat myself so had a Rump Steak roll from a burger van and it was luverly complete with onion and lashings of mustard. A bit messy to eat but well worth the cleaning up afterwards.. A stroll down to the lakeside offered the opportunity for some boat photos so some of them may pop up in the next few week, although still have 5 days of May photos to sift through yet!!

About 4pm went back to the car and opened the doors and was nearly knocked out by the heat hat poured out..... it had been a hot day. 10 minutes later was on route back to the cottage and the way out of the site was on the aforementioned tarmac bit of road. Back at the cottage packup was put in fridge, it will do for tomorrow, followed by a stroll down to piers before consuming a couple of well deserved pints in the Golden Rule after which a Chinese takeaway was purchased and eaten 'alfresco' in the garden of the cottage. All in all a really good enjoyable day. Forecast for Monday is suitably good at present so the plan is a walk up past High Sweden Bridge to Scandale and back down the eastern flank of the Fairfield Horseshoe. But, as always over here that is just a plan so anything could change

Great read Dave, I know what you mean about the Sunday drivers, we encountered more than our share of them yesterday, plus caravans !!

Nice to hear that your weather is good, if it's anything like here it's forecast to get even warmer. Look forward to your next instalment. 

Apologies for this being a bit late but I was struggling to find the enthusiasm to get typing. Long hard day on the fells, so suitably weary but lets see how we go...

As indicated in the last issue the planned assault on Scandale started around 10.00 with usual formalities being a bit curtailed as you will remember packup was not needed as yesterday's uneaten packup went straight in the fridge on the return from Coniston. So with only the Weetabix to be consumed an extra half hour in bed was a welcome treat.

The first mile or so was the regular hike upto High Sweden Bridge but then carrying on northwards along the fairly good and steady path which pretty much along side Scandale Beck.  Being almost on the valley floor there were steep fells to both sides with plenty of stone walls in attendance. From being a nice steady trek along the path the end of the valley soon came into view and which ever way you looked it only went up!!!. An elderly (well older than me) had already passed me and I could see then vanishing off to start the ascent of Scandale Pass, probably only a quarter of a mile or so but very steep with a few rocky scrambly bits thrown in for good measure. They were soon out of view and by the time I had reached the top of the pass they were not to be seen at all. However I knew which way I was going so crossed a ladder stile and bore left, still uphill!! If you think the previous highest fell I have done is Wansfell at 480 mtr, the ladder stile is at something like 500 or more, and there was still a long way up to go. Again quite steep but a reasonable path alongside the wall with a few boggy patches to negotiate but nothing insurmountable. Plenty of stops for breath and a quick slurp now and again. Little Hart Crag soon appeared on the right and that is at 637 mtr, but I wasn't going quite that high, although the aforementioned couple I could see were sitting on top of the hill having their lunch. I was quite happy to find a rock or two just off the path to partake of mine. 10-15 minutes later I was on the move again still relentlessly heading upwards. A little detour across the grasses to take look over the next valley overlooking Brothers Water allowed the couple to pass me again so I was following them once again but as previously they were soon out of sight again. By this time a younger family had caught up with me with a young lad who could not have been older 10-11 but he was quite happy with the trek, it was mother who did not look quite as enamoured with it. I let them gon on but they soon pulled off to have a bit of food and drink. By now I could quite clearly see the path which was to start the descent back down towards Ambleside. This being the track that forms the eastern route of the Fairfield Horseshow which is another jaunt that has been on my 'to-do' list but will soon be coming off it!! The wander down the path was fairly uneventful and certainly easier than what had been experienced going up. One or two steepish craggy sections along from High Pike and Low Pike. There were quite a lot of folk out now, obviously having done the Horseshoe trek. Even going downhill I was unable to keep up with most of them, striding out for they were worth. But could always see someone in front to give a idea of where the path was heading in the distance. Somehow missed a turn on the path, probably due to following the others and ended up with a couple really difficult, if not scary, rocky drops. More like mountain climbing than rambling. So they both slowed me down quite a lot trying to find easier options but in the end had to get down them as best I could. Definitely will not be doing them again. Might one day take a walk up the path I should have been on just to see where I went wrong, but not this week. Well the woods around High Sweden Bridge were now well in view although it was not for visiting today as my path was quite a bit higher but did eventually join the regular path from High Sweden Bridge down through High and Low Sweden Coppice's to eventually arrive at Low Sweden Bridge and the normal route back into Ambleside. Was getting on for 4pm or thereabouts so rather than go straight into the Rule I decided to come home to the cottage to get rid of backpack, cameras and change my shirt which was absolutely sodden at the back where the backpack had been. I was so damp and clammy that I decided to have a quick shower just to ease what pink bits the sun had left on me. I had really blathered my head with suncream before going out and also my neck and fortunately there does not seem to be any further 'burnt' bits on my head from yesterday so that is a good result.  

Not too sure what tomorrow is gonna bring cos I got my youngest auntie coming to stay for a couple of days. She is only a few years older then me and has always been more of a sister than anything. She was brought up around Kirkby Lonsdale about 30 miles away but has never really done the Lakes. So an early morning sortie may be on the cards as she is due around midday. So will get her stuff in the house and then may go down to Tarn Hows and Hawkshead for a few hours before introducing the old girl to the pleasures of the Golden Rule. But as ever nothing is written that cannot be changed

Another great read Dave. You did well in the heat, it was very hot when I did the nature walk at Devils Bridge yesterday, it's vertical down, then vertical up. I don't mind the up, but the down is always a killer for me. 

Have a good day with your Auntie today, I look forward to the next post. 

Well today would see the arrival of Auntie Kate ... hereafter to known simply as Kate ... don't think I have ever called her Auntie in my life. As said before just a few years older then me and always more like a sister. Based on her intended arrival time of 12.00 at Hayes Garden Centre, which I considered the best place to meet than in the middles of Ambleside, I have planned a relatively short jaunt for the morning which would get me to Hayes for somewhere around 12.00. But as always the case the plan changed. When I woke around 6am a quick look out of the window showed a glorious morning so after about half an hour I got up and set off about 7am for a reflective sojourn around the pierhead. The water was beautifully calm so a couple of hours was spent taking loads and loads of reflections of boat and scenery! The boats had to appear sooner or later didn't they? After a very pleasant couple of hours I made my way back across the field where the remains of the Roman fort Galava are, the via the banks of the River Rothay and eventually along Under Loughrigg Road to Millers Bridge and back through Rothay Park to the cottage. On route to the pier I passed the oft photographed church in wonderful sunlight so few more pics of St Mary's were added to the collection as indeed were a few more as I came off Rothay Park. Was now nearly 10am so a quick wander round the village but nothing untoward available to catch with the shutter finger. Just as I had got back to the cottage 1015 a text from Kate said she had just come off the M6 !!!!! now that is only about 20 miles from Ambleside so she had made very good progress indeed. Good job I had not gone with my original plan which would had me halfway up a small fell and she would have had to wait at Hayes for nearly an hour and half...... which could have been costly for her. Anyway I had a quick tidy round and was down at Hayes for 1035 ish and Kate landed with in 5 minutes of that so all was good. Got her car parked up and stuff emptied and into the cottage. Following a quick brew and a bite to eat we set off for a little jolly out towards Rydal Water and along the southern shore towards Grasmere. Didn't go any further as we will be coming back this way from Grasmere tomorrow. Instead started back towards Rydal over the top path that passes the Rydal Caves and eventually ends at Rydal Woods. Wandered through the woods to come out on the A591 Ambleside - Keswick Road opposite the Badger Bar and strolled along to the path leading to Rydal Park, better than walking along the main road. A quick detour into the grounds of Rydal Hall and then back along the path to Ambleside. By now due to the heat the back of my shirt was soaked under the backpack again really need to sorts better one. Saw a nice one in Gaynors back in May by Berghaus which has a much better ventilation system so may look for one of them later in the week. So back at the cottage said wet shirt was changed and Kate had made another brew so that was consumed before taking a stroll into the village for a look round for a few things Kate was interested in, Kendal Mint Cake being on!!! Now that is not very hard to find at all in Ambleside where just about every other shop is an outdoor shop of some description. Following a few purchases the next purchase was a couple of drinks in The Golden Rule. Had promised to take her there and she was not disappointed. Only had a couple as we had decided to go the Unicorn for dinner a bit later on. So back to the cottage for an hour before venturing out again to the Unicorn. Got there about 6.50 and there were already people well on with eating their meals. A bit surprised as they don't usually start serving til 7pm, but there were still a couple of tables available so all was good. I ordered my usual sirloin and Kate had some vegetarian rubbish!!! Anyway back to the cottage for about 8.30 and sat down for rest and a chat. Uploaded the days takings to the laptop, had a shower and the proceeded to have a quick look at what had been amassed during the day. Should be something worth looking at when I get home. Kate took herself off to bed around 10.00 and I did a bit of catching up with internet etc. Don't really need too early a start tomorrow as the plan is my favourite wander round Loughrigg Fell and Grasmere. 4-5 hours normally but we got all day especially as it looking to be a hot one again.