Miles today: 18.15
Total mileage: 31.01
We got a little bit of a late start today because we waited for our luggage to be delivered. We knew the terrain would be a little more challenging so we wanted our poles and proper gear. It was 9:30 before we got underway.
Our guidebook listed today's walk at 13 miles. By the time we got to the B & B we each had 18 miles on our Fitbits. During our preparation I read several blogs that said mileage and the time it takes to walk it is vastly underestimated in the guidebooks. We are finding that to be true. It took 9 hours of almost constant walking today. Parts of it were not fun. The good things were beautiful weather again and gorgeous scenery. We started out by walking the first few miles along the (very rocky) shore of Ennerdale Waters.
The next few miles were on a fairly flat easy trail along the River Liza. We followed this trail all the way to the famous Black Sail Hut Youth Hostel.
We were feeling pretty good about the day's progress and had met up with our German friend again. Right before we got here we met two English men who were also doing the C2C and camping. That's really rough. They were nice guys and the five of us left the hostel at about the same time. Obviously we were overconfident about our walk to this point because the next phase would be over Honister Pass. I took one look up and said "You've got to be kidding?" It was a long, slow trek up the mountain and sometimes I would only walk 100 steps before I had to stop and catch my breath. Once we got to the top and looked back down, I couldn't help but cry over how beautiful it was. What a reward!
Unfortunately, I was soon crying for another reason because the walk up was a piece of cake compared to the walk down. The trail followed an abandoned (in England they say "disused") mining road. It was treacherously rutted and rocky. Every step was an ordeal but we finally made it to the bottom. After that it was much easier walk downhill into Seatoller.
When we arrived at 6:45 Christine, the proprieter at our B & B, told us if we wanted to go for an evening meal, she would run out and stop the bus that was pulling out next door while we put down our backpacks. She said the pub was about a mile away and we should take the bus over then she would pick us up at 8:00. So we ran to the bus, paid the fare, and told him we wanted to go to the Scafell Hotel. After about 10-15 minutes on the bus, we wondered where we were going. Finally the bus stopped to pick up another passenger so we asked the driver if we missed the Scafell Hotel. He said, "Oh, I thought you were going to Keswick. All you can do now is go over to the hotel across the street and call a taxi to take you back." No apology or anything. We called the cab (which had to come from Keswick) and waited for a ride back. The silver lining was that the cab driver was a delight. There was a beautiful red sky sunset and he said, "I've lived here for 58 years and I can still see things and say 'Wow'." Down the road a ways he pointed out the window and said "Look at that bit of fog on the field. It looks just like a ghost." And it did.
By the time we got to the pub we were too tired to eat, so just tried a pint of the local ale and waited for Christine. It was a long day.
Honister Pass is one of our favorites. Often drove it to Buttermere. (You walked around Buttermere with us.) Can't imagine walking it! From Seatoller, we drove back to Grasmere via Borrordale and Keswick, not up and over the fells (mountain). I'm duly impressed. Jean (&Bob)
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