A solitary 8km run on a bright cool Friday.Route: taking the delayed 10:21am train to Staveley and running along the Banks to the main road and to the start of the Dales Way path southwards. At the first path junction, bending right along a narrow muddy track to a final stile into a field. Here forgetting to try to turn left on the right of way and instead proceeding on the familiar, intuitive, but not strictly right-of-way, route uphill towards Cragg Farm. Here diverging again from the proper path to take in the miniature rocky 140m summit to the south. Returning to the path and descending to turn left past Cowan Head (again on semi-submerged paths) to cross Hagg Bridge and to continue in the woods north as far as possible. Thus having to backtrack to reach the track to Side House and again sticking to the path to the left of the stream to Frost Hole and then on, walking, uphill. Taking a left turn into an as-yet-pathless Mike’s Wood and finding a way through this and Dorothy Farrer’s Wood to the road. Doglegging left-right to reach the sewage works and follow paths across fields to the Mill Yard.
Conditions: a cold breeze though warm, when running, in the sun.
Pub: the Hawkshead Brewery, Staveley for Downtime Easy Drinking IPA.
