Midtown to Buttermere at mid-height

A 12km solitary run for Lois (Tim re-resting his sore foot at home) from the cottage to the Bridge with the promise of a lift home

Route: Leaving the cottage and running down the road south to the corner at Boonbeck to take the road up to the farm at Scales and turn right and then left up the much-re-engineered track past the cowsheds to the (waterlogged, naturally) balcony path to High Swinside. Running up the track from the farm to join the fell road and turning right to run down through the gate past the Hope and go through a gate on the next bend in the road to head south, pathlessly, through more gates (and over a puddle filled with frogspawn) across two soggy fields to join the bridleway heading south-southwest all the way to Lanthwaite Green above the intake wall. (Detouring mistakenly a little further on on a higher path leading across but not out of two walled fields and having to retrace steps back to the beck crossing and the narrow walled corridor above Miller Place and High Hollins to continue.)

Contouring on for several kilometres, opting for higher and drier paths where possible, to reach Lanthwaite Gate, Lanthwaite Green and Cinderdale Common and there cross a final beck (Cinderdale Beck) to join the main path into Rannerdale. Crossing the footbridge to keep with the bridleway path up the west side of the valley, eventually crossing back over Squat Beck to rise to the saddle between Low Bank and Whiteless Breast and running down to the road under High House Crag, bearing left (east) to keep out of strong winds. Turning left along the road to run down to the Bridge (and struggle to call home for a lift - no phone signal and Bridge wifi pathetic!).

Conditions: Very wet, muddy and flooded paths in places but also stretches of dry path amazingly. Brief hail shower shortly after starting out, following by odd moments of sun, closing in with an extended heavy, sleety shower just before Rannerdale and strong winds on emerging from the valley.

Pub: The Bridge, Buttermere, with Tim, for Tractor Shed Mowdy and The Bridge.