An enjoyable week in The Lakes at a lovely time of year. Nine of us stayed at the Longthwaite farmhouse and did a range of routes in different groupings. We walked along lakes and rivers, up fells and peaks from low lying Cat Bells to lofty Great Gable and much in between. Walking straight from the house or taking the bus a few stops gave us a wonderful sense of place in springtime Borrowdale.
Here are some comments:
“I got to bike, hike and scramble. Even a boat trip across Derwentwater.
“Some of us were pleased to be able to reach the peaks after being out of action for a while. In general the tops were clear and the views astonishing. We spent a lot of time playing ‘name that peak’ but decided you can only reliably do that when you’ve climbed them, preferably not in the mist.
“The route finding was excellent without any protracted discussions and decision making by committee. Even on the High Raise plateau we failed to get lost. Good leaders and good routes with only a bit of bog leaping. We found a lot of swimming holes but decided to save them for a warmer time of year.
“The house had spacious bedrooms and a cosy kitchen. We were kept warm with the log burner, hot water bottles and good company.
We had charming neighbours in the cows in the yard and some mornings there was a new calf with them. Lambs were being born before our eyes and the older ones were running the Grand National in packs, around the fields.
“There were tales of previous visits from mice. Some of us tried out the humane mousetraps and food was stacked on anti-mouse platforms made of cans of food. But even the cheese left all day on the table was untouched so perhaps no mice existed.
“Food was superb and varied. High points were the pineapple upside down cake, (recipe from Redrope website), a cauliflower extravaganza from Ottolenghi, and the vegetable stew. The high point of the week was finding the carton of Oatly having spent days searching for it.
We supported the local economy in beer, cake and ice cream. The nearest pub offered a sociable pint and wifi, as did the YHA next door. The low point was Watendlath tea shop being closed but a miraculous pack of Eccles cakes from someone’s bag saved the day.
Mary brought good weather. She claims to have a 100% track record of bringing the sun. This will be put to the test at High Moss in the Duddon Valley. No pressure then. In fairness my 100% record is based on a small sample.
If the next Longthwaite trip is as good as ours, you’ll have a happy time.
Thanks again to Pete for organising the trip.