COAST to COAST WALK - DAY 5 Patterdale to Shap: 17 miles |
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| Lo and behold when we
surfaced from our B & B it wasn't raining so although
we had our jackets on we dispensed with our overtrousers
for the first time this trip. It was very cloudy and
misty on the tops but the forecast was for the day to
brighten up in the afternoon - hallelujah! We left
Patterdale village just after 09:00hrs after buying some
bits of food at the small shop. A short walk across to
the other side of the valley and then the climbing
started - it's nearly 5 miles from here to the highest
point of the trip at the 2560 ft summit of Kidsty Pike.
It's rough underfoot in places but not particularly steep
and the views back, even in this weather, were good. Just
before we started to climb a group of 3 other walkers
asked us 'are you doing the high or low level route to
Shap?' Wainwright's book does advise the low level route
(it's 19miles to Shap by it) in bad conditions but
really, if you are comfortable in misty conditions, the
high level route is not hard walking and it is easy
enough to follow and if the weather improves, as it did
for us, the views are far better. The only important
section is to make sure that when you reach the high
point after The Knott that you turn left at the next
major path junction and then keep close to the drop to
the Riggindale valley veering right whilst the major path
heads north to High Street.
Getting to the top of the first climb out of Patterdale
The view south to Brothers Water and Kirkstone Pass We just took it steady on the gradual climb, past the tranquil setting of Angle Tarn and then the short steeper section past The Knott and shortly after there we were on the High Street plateau which is far easier underfoot being quite grassy and dry around to Kidsty Pike where we had a short stop, in the lee of the wind, for a coffee. There were a few other groups about this morning; we were following a couple with a dog who we first saw in Borrowdale and then 3 guys overtook us while we rested; we would overtake them later on. There were some other groups behind us but we never met up with them. As we dropped off Kidsty Pike we came out of the mist and gradually the sun started to come out and by the time we reached the lakeside it was lovely and warm. The couple with the dog were there having a long rest and bathing their feet in the stream.
A brief stop on the descent to Haweswater
Looking back to the head of the lake - it's not all flat lakeside walking! It's nearly 4 miles along the lakeside to Burnbanks, a small hamlet for waterworks employees and it was quite hot work with the sun out and the temperatures up a notch or two - but we are not complaining after the naff weather we have had. We had a brief chat with an elder couple we had been camping at the head of the lake last night and were now drying their stuff out; they weren't moving very far, very fast, today, just taking advantage of the sunshine to have a relaxing day.
Looking back down Haweswater from near Burnbanks After Burnbanks we had well and truly left the mountains behind and we were following some delightful paths through a parkland type area before it was all fields and stiles to Shap Abbey and then minor roads into Shap - by this time it had misted over and was quite cool. We were quite tired by as we got to Shap so what we didn't want to know was that our accommodation - The Greyhound Hotel, was a mile away, at the far end of the village. It was worth the walk however; the evening meal was excellent and we had a couple of drinks chatting to Neil and Maddie who had walked down from their accommodation. |
