A 7km run on a day of very mixed weather.Route: Leaving the car opposite the Pheasant Inn, Bassenthwaite, and running 50m past the pub towards the fell but immediately turning left on a footpath, first, across the pub’s Residents’ Lawn, and then, through trees, rising gradually into Forestry Commission land. At a junction (call this ‘Point P’), turning right along a track but very soon bending slightly left onto a level path exiting the forest at Routenbeck. Turning left and running uphill on the road to take a diagnonal left path shortly before the church and following this, sometimes walking, in heavier rain and strong headwind to reach the western limit of Sale Fell (a low shoulder) before continuing, descending, on a narrow muddy path to Kelswick (herding sheep along the path in front of us).
Continuing past the remains of the old church into Church Wood, rising slightly and, at a narrow Y-junction, taking the rightmost fork to avoid climbing and then to enter the forestry land at a gate. Running first along a track and then a gravel forest road, taking one zigzag but then continuing on a mapped shortcut, steeply and muddily downhill at a walk, crossing another forest road to take another direct path to Point P. Here, turning right to explore a path towards the fort and then running left along the road back to the start.
Conditions: cool in light rain driven hard by the wind rounding the fell, but surprisingly warm out of both wind and rain by the end.
Pub: the Pheasant Inn, Bassenthwaite, for Bowness Bay Brewery, Swift Bitter.
