We thought we’d lost all our fellow travelling companions by now, but who should we bump into on the way to Glenridding? None other than the two Greytop ladies from America, Yank #1 & #2, who you will recall had been following us earlier in the week, because they couldn’t read UK maps and didn’t know where they were. We exchanged the usual pleasantries, and they asked us which was the way to Shap (their next destination). After helpfully pointing them westwards, back in the direction of St Bees, we continued our stroll to Glenridding,
It’s sad to think that we’ll never see Striding Man, Captain Beaky and Yanks #1 & #2 again, but we all have different rest days, different hotels, and very soon we’ll all be thinned out across the route.
At Glenridding jetty we boarded the little boat cruise around the Lake. That kept us busy until lunchtime, when the boat dropped us back at Glenridding.
Lunch was at the Ullswater Hotel (chicken fajitas washed down with a couple of pints of Jennings), after which we strolled back to Patterdale, calling in at the Patterdale Hotel, conveniently situated between Glenridding and Patterdale.
It was here that our surprise visitors arrived: Roger & Laura and baby Imogen had tracked us down, on the way back from their own holiday in Scotland. At first thought this might seem quite difficult, given the lack of mobile ‘phone signal in the area, but Roger had our itinerary, and pretty much guessed where we’d be. He found us in the second pub he went to.
So, we had a couple of beers and adjourned back to the White Lion for dinner
The pub bar was crammed with footie fans who had assembled to watch England screw up its first game against the United States, so it was lucky that Spike had reserved a table, as far from the TV as possible.
Dinner was more or less a replay of the night before; monster sized pies, served with mountains of chips or sackfulls of potatoes. Imogen’s “children’s portion” would have beaten the average adult, and even Roger had some difficulty getting through his own meal (but he managed it, as he is, after all, Roger).
Roger, Laura and Imogen left at about eight, and we finished the evening with a couple of bottles of house red, retiring relatively early (before midnight) as we had a massive day ahead of us, Sunday being a sixteen miler, from Patterdale to Shap.
The Coast to Coasters
Blister count: 2 (Lia & Amanda) – no change as no serious walking today
Consecutive Full English Breakfasts: 6
Arguments: 0
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Sunday 13th June; Patterdale to Shap, 16 miles
This morning, all trace of warmth and sunshine had disappeared, and we were back to the traditional Lakes weather of pouring rain. We set off early and began the slow, long climb upwards towards Angle Tarn. After an hour we were well and truly in the clouds, and all visibility had gone. Eventually we began the descent out of the clouds towards Haweswater Reservoir, via Kidsty Pike, where we stopped for lunch. The rain had reduced to a thin drizzle as we began the four mile hike along the northern bank of Haweswater.
Rumour had it there was a tea shop at the village at the end of the lake. Amanda and I discussed what we would do to the owner if he told us dogs weren’t allowed in the tea shop, and we’d have to sit outside.
Anyway there wasn’t a tea shop at the end of the lake, so we trudged on, the weather just getting worse and worse, and we eventually left the Lake District National Park, as we’d arrived in it; wet, cold, and in the pouring rain.
We arrived at the Greyhound Inn, Shap, and had an early dinner after a rewarding pint of Lancaster Stout (my favourite stout), and retired to bed, knackered, at 8:30.
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