Coast to Coast: Grasmere to Patterdale, 8 miles, Friday 11th June

It is with more than a little sadness that we prepare to leave Grasmere this morning. Yes, it’s picture box touristy; yes, it’s overwhelmed with visitors almost every day of the year. But it is just about the ideal base for walking; it has the best gingerbread shop in Britain; and after six o’clock, when the tourist buses have gone, it becomes a quiet Lakeland village once more.

As we cannot seem to avoid the World Cup football, I might as well use football analogy to describe today’s walk as was a walk of two halves.

We set off, once more, in dull, overcast weather, but by the time we’d finished the long uphill haul through Grasmere Tongue to Great Hause, the sun had broken through.

For the first time, the group split into two, with Lia and Emma electing to continue their walk via St Sunday Crag (650 metres high), and the lesser mortals following the low path through Grisedale.

Both groups enjoyed fantastic weather, superb views and scintillating company, and arrived at the next base camp at more or less the same time.

Base camp in Patterdale is the White Lion pub. We’re checked in for two nights, as tomorrow (Saturday) is our first rest day. Luckily it dispenses Tirril Brewery White Lion Ale – my favourite bitter – which allows me to forgive the rather functional bedrooms.

We meet at seven thirty for a quick sharpener, then order food from the bar, and receive the biggest portions ever. Massive steak and ale  pies, eighteen inch long Cumberland sausages, and giant battered fish fillets are served up with massive piles of chips and an entire allotment of vegetables and salad. This pub must have needed its own landfill site to dispose of the food its customers couldn’t eat.

But we gave it our best shot, the fare was pretty good, and even Captain Beaky (who’d made a late appearance at the pub that evening) grudgingly enjoyed it – although rather satisfyingly he was turfed out later on in the evening as he’d been sitting in someone else’s reserved seat.

Tomorrow is a rest day. Let’s see what that brings.

Blister count: 2 (Lia & Amanda)

Consecutive Full English Breakfasts: 5

Arguments: 0