Lakeland Circle 2010

We’ve not walked this weekend, as several things have caught up with Mrs O-n-G and I, so its been a do this, do that, go shopping kind of weekend, with added grandchildren and me helping our son with some DIY.

As previously mentioned my mate A and I are off to walk our 75 mile Lakeland Circle route next weekend so I thought I ought to post some details about us and the walk.

A. and I started walking together in 2003 when we got talking at work about the Coast to Coast Walk, we both wanted to walk it but agreed as individuals we probably wouldn’t do so, but working together we probably could.

Training and planning started in the autumn of 2003, along with buying more and more kit and we completed the C2C in April 2004. In 2005 we went separate ways. A. walking in the Picos de Europa, while I did the Cumbria Way from Carlisle to Ulverston. Since then we’ve done a six day walk every September. In 2006 we walked the Two Moors Way from Wembury to Lynmouth, 2007, the Cumberland Way from Ravenglass to Appleby via Patterdale and Shap, 2008, the Cumbria Way from Carlisle and in 2009, the Westmoreland Way from Appleby to Arnside.

The C2C and my solo Cumbria Way effort were done on a two nights camping then one nights B&B/YHA basis. Since then it’s been YHA’s, B&B’s and barns. This year for the first time it’s Hostels all the way.

The Lakeland Circle is the first multiday walk we’ve designed ourselves, so no useful way marking, it’s also the first circular multi-day walk we’ve done in one walk.

We travel up by train on Saturday 11 September and our itinerary starting on Sunday is:

Windermere – Ill Bell - High Street – Patterdale

Patterdale – Aira Force – Thelkeld – Keswick

Keswick – Coledale Hause – Loweswater – Buttermere

Buttermere – Ennerdale – Wasdale – Eskdale

Eskdale – Seathwaite – Walna Scar – Coniston

Coniston – Grizdale – Far Sawrey – Windermere

Train home……

That should give us about 75 miles of walking with 16,000 feet of climb, day one will be the longest at 14miles and Coniston to Windermere is the shortest at 11miles.

There is a gap on the map below between Patterdale and Aira Force as this is where we catch a bus. Having walked along here before, we know it is not a pleasant on road walk, with a couple of dangerous on road sections. So last winter when we planned the walk, we decided that as both of us will be sixty we would take the bus, using our brand new bus passes, from Patterdale YHA to the bottom of Aira Force, we were wrong only A. has a bus pass. A having reached sixty at the end of May got his bus pass in July, I hit sixty in mid-July but can’t get mine until November, Government regulations evidently.

As my blog skills are still in their infancy, and I have yet to even investigate out how to blog using my iphone, I will not be posting on the hoof but will put up notes, maps and photos when I get home and sorted out.