Day 4 Rain Stopped Play

Date: Wednesday 15 September 2010

Area: Lakeland

Distance: 12.6miles 20.3K

Start Location: Buttermere

OS Sheet: Explorer OL4 & OL6

Planned Route: Buttermere – Ennerdale – Wasdale – Eskdale

Map shows planned route.

Journey

Tuesday night sleeping was difficult. The wind blew, the sash windows rattled as only sash windows can and the rain was near non stop, it even drowned out A’s. snoring , that takes some doing. I wear industrial ear plugs and was wakened again and again as the rain and wind lashed against the window. In the cold light of day things seemed worse, the trees outside the YHA were dancing like dervishes and the fellside across Buttermere was just about invisible.

This day, Buttermere to Boot via Wasdale was the one we had been looking forward to. In 2007 on the Cumberland Way we walked from Wasdale YHA  to Buttermere YHA and it had been one of the best days on that walk.  This time the plan was to walk along Buttermere up to Scarth Gap, down to Black Sail Hut for a brew, then then up to Black Sail Pass and down to Wasdale Head for lunch and on to Boot.

Over breakfast we discussed options, looked at weather forecasts, maps, time tables and pamphlets only to learn that Buttermere to Boot are possibly the worst places to travel between, in the Lakes, if not on foot. The arguments to walk or bus went around but when we got to consider the streams we would have to cross, remembering how ferocious the streams had been yesterday and weighing up how a night of rain would affect them I gave in to public transport, at that point I distinctly felt my age catch up on me.

We caught the bus to Keswick passing through Lorton Vale and Whinlatter to get into the bus station outside Booths, just in time to catch a bus to Workington. This took us through Cockermouth, now I’ve been up and down the A66 before but I’m sorry to say I’ve never been into Cockermouth. Like many people my only knowledge of the town is what we’d seen on TV following the floods. As we passed through I was quite taken with the look of the place and told myself, and anyone reading this, that I must visit it again, properly (is anyone reading this?).

We had a brief look at bits of Workington before catching the train to Ravenglass, as we travelled down the coast the sea state was rough with some hefty looking waves pounding the shore. From Ravenglass we climbed on La’al Ratty and  pulled by a steam engine we trundled to Dalegarth, before walking up to the YHA, stopping at the Woolpack on the way to peruse the Menu.

After sorting out our still wet clothing and shoes in the lovely hot drying room, it’s strange how important these things can become, we went to the Woolpack for a lovely meal and a few pints with Andy and Martin from Hubberton Hikers who were recce’ing a walk, sound like a good excuse. Another good evening.