Glenridding, Ullswater, my favourite place on Earth. Standing by the lake with my immediate family, throwing sticks into the lake as our elderly labrador swims to fetch them with delight. This is what dreams are made of.
We visit the Lakes a lot as a family, its something we've done since I was a teeny baby and I just love it so much. Having returned two days ago, I thought it was about time to write a holiday diary style blog. Enjoy!
A view of the Valley from a walk
Day One - Arriving
Get up. Pack. Fish and Chips for lunch. Drive across (well, I didn't do the driving). Arrive. Unpack. Then the fun can begin, a walk down to the lake, a swim for the dog and an evening in the pub. A pretty good way to relax the night away.
Day Two - Helvellyn
Having conquered Swirral Edge for the first time several years ago, and Striding Edge for the first time last year, my brother and I decided it was only fitting if we once again took on the most famous and equally most dangerous route up to Helvellyn. Mum, Dad and Sandy ventured up a much longer route, past Sticks Pass, where we would meet them for lunch at Helvellyn summit. The route up to Red Tarn was wonderful as always, with mixed weather conditions giving us patches of sunshine and intermittent wind and showers. We were up at Red Tarn by 12pm, where we had a short break before taking on Striding Edge. The first time you do Striding Edge, make sure the weather is decent. It is a safe route if you are careful. We did it last year on a beautiful day so even through patches of fog, we knew what to expect. We made it to the top without the beautiful views of a clear day, and had our lunch. We took the same route down as our Parents, as the weather had taken a turn. This route was, however, very exposed and it felt like it took forever.
Day Three - Keswick
After a mammoth walk on Sunday, we decided to take a day of respite and visited the bustling Lakeside town of Keswick. We took a short walk around a section of Derwentwater, until we found a lovely bench amongst some trees overlooking the lake. It was here that we stopped for lunch. Following lunch and a potter, we ventured into Keswick town centre and had a little look in a few shops. Then it was time to head back to the cottage and spend the evening relaxing.
Day Four - Beda Fell
After first doing Beda Fell in May with relatives, we decided to do it again. Beda Fell is a very quiet walk, the paths don't appear to have been walked on much which I like. I like having a tranquil walk with 360 views of mountains, lakes and tarns and so many shades of green, undisturbed. The walk was beautiful and we definitely had the best day for weather! We reached the top, stopped for lunch and then descended back into the valley.
Day Five - Brothers' Water
Brothers' water is our traditional rest day, and just as well because we got rained off in the afternoon. We drove to Brothers' water, sat by the lake whilst the dog swam and had lunch. And then the rain set in. In the evening we went to the White Lion Inn in Patterdale for a meal. I had steak and it was fabulous.
Day Six - Rest Day
So it kind of poured down all morning and we decided it would be a lounging-in-the-cottage-and-reading day. But the weather did brighten up in the afternoon, so we had a little walk into Glenridding village. It was a day of recuperation and relaxation.
Day Seven - Lanty's Tarn & Arnison Crag
The views from Arnison Crag are mesmerising, yet the walk itself is short, steep and on not a very well trodden path. We decided to go via Lanty's tarn, a short walk situated between Patterdale and Glenridding, and en route to Helvellyn (depending which route you take). We took the short walk up and dropped into Patterdale, where we walked along Grisedale until we found the route up to Arnison Crag. It was very cold and windy at the top though, with a lack of shelter. We took the roadside path back to the cottage, stopping at Glenridding for a well earned Magnum before packing up.
I had a fabulous time in the Lake District - as I always do. It was wonderful for my brother to make it up and for Sandy to still be so full of energy at 11 years of age! It was a week of walks, exercise, reading, relaxation, good food and good memories.
