Natland and Sedgwick cycle pootle

Another tiny 12km C-19 evening Outdoor Day pootle.

Route: from the Close heading through the Kendal Parks estate (to drop off a funeral service printout to Hilary), then to the Rinkfield post office (to post some Cadas letters) and then rising gradually to Natland, along to Sedgwick where turning left over the hill to Crosscrake Church, along the A65 to the front-of-Helm road and then home.

Conditions: a warm sunny evening with lots of people out.

Pub? (C-19) a can of Fourpure Easy Peeler and bottle of Weston (Sainsbury’s) 0.9% cider in the summerhouse.

Eastern ridge of the Kendal bowl by foot and bicycle

Evening exercise in two forms, at the same time: T cycling on a dramatically repaired Moulton and L on shank's pony.

Route: leaving the Close and heading separately by bike and foot over the railway lines and up the hill to the Station Inn, turning left along Hayclose Lane, crossing the A684 at Singleton Park onto Paddy Lane and to the once pub the Greyhound. Here T continuing further north gradually descending, recrossing the railway to turn left on the A685, to Kendal and returning via Castle Road and Valley Drive. L turning left at the Greyhound and descending steeply the old Sedburgh Road to Castle Green Road, and along Valley Drive and the snickleway to the west of it.

Conditions: a sunny evening though with a significant warm breeze.

Pub? (C-19) Cans of Hawkshead Route 590 West Coast IPA and (0.5%) Flathead lager in the summer house.

Scout Scar 5.7km run

An Outdoor Day because run during the the Covid-19 shut down.

Route: From the layby (at GR 494899), a short ascent then bearing left to reach and then descend the escarpment and south across the fields before bending right onto the green track with views of the estuary. Bending left below Pooks Peak, through a gate and then along the cliff edge of the Scar. Along this to the trig point descending parallel to to the wall to the east but just before the path zigzags up a short scree slope bending right to follow a green track down a shallow valley. Crossing the main racecourse-to-Dave’s-Cairn path and continuing to turn right on a very clear section of the trippy path and following this to the end. Slowly uphill parallel to the wall, through the gate in the wall corner to descend, past the spooky building and along the edge of the escarpment to the start. 

Conditions: Cloudy, dry and 9C.

Pub? No because of C19, so a shared bottle of Abbot in the summer house pop-up pub.

The Helm

A tiny after-work Outdoor Day set against the background of C-19 and T's neuroma with two variants.

Route: from the house, up the road past the station - the western gates currently locked - L detouring to the postbox at the top entrance - and then onto the road in front of the Helm and up the end crossing onto the eastern side and walking along, initially on the path below but eventually at the height of the ridge to the end. There T returning on a path on the western side about 2/3 of the way from the road to the ridge, descending close to the end and back. L descending the steep southern end and down almost to the gate at the southern apex of the lane, there turning left to follow paths along the field edges, within the Helm boundary but just above and parallel with the lane. Keeping by the wall on intermittent paths and up the rock just beside the northern summit of the back lane to the final fence. Here forced left to follow the fence up, then down into the valley between the two ridges, and back up the gate in the corner (where we first crossed into the eastern side). Going through this and turning immediately right to follow the fence back down to the hollow on the other side and then follow the wall left (north) and finally bend left to the northern entrance to the Helm, and back down along the road through the Glen and round the station, home.

Conditions: 10C, grey but high clouds.

Pub? Nope!

Scout Scar 5km run

An Outdoor Day because run during the the Covid-19 shut down.

Route: From the layby (at GR 494899), a short ascent then bearing left to reach and then descend the escarpment and south across the fields before bending right onto the green track with views of the estuary. Bending left below Pooks Peak, through a gate and then along the cliff edge of the Scar. Along this to the trig point and then back though the gate in the wall corner to descend, past the spooky building and along the edge of the escarpment to the start.

Conditions: Cloudy with a hint of sun, blustery and much colder than of late.

Pub?: Bo because of C19 so a shared bottle of Abbot in the summer house with the just-arrived pub display of peanuts.

Brackenthwaite Hows tootle

A 5km run meriting an Outdoor Days entry because it may have been the last jaunt for the duration of the coronavirus shutdown. Despite the full car park, it was easy to maintain social distancing.

Route: leaving the full car in the Lanthwaite Wood National Trust car park and taking the steep shortcut to reach the start of the small path up Robin’s Steps to the summit plateau of Brackenthwaite Hows. Descending south and picking up the path within the wood by its eastern wall to join the small path descending to the boat house. Thence round the lake to the water pumping station and heading right along the stream/river to Park Bridge and along the very minor road towards Muncaster House but turning left on the footpath to Gillerthwaite, across a couple of fields, and following the drive out to join the Loweswater road at the defibrillator, turning right back to the car park.

Conditions: a delightful, warm sunny day.

Pub? on the second day of the coronavirus shutdown, cans of Hawkshead Lighter Times (0.5%) and Fyne Ales Workbench in the cottage garden in sun.

Wandope via the Sail Beck valley

A 9km walk on a blustery spring day on the first weekend of social distancing (first walk for Tim since having a neuroma diagnosed in his right foot).

Route: leaving the car at the National Trust car park at Buttermere (free and packed because of COV-19) and immediately taking the footpath round High House Crag to the south keeping a fence to the right above Mill Beck. Just before the final section of wall, forking left up on the shepherd's drove towards a first unnamed gill to cross and continue on a balcony path on the lower slopes of Bleak Rigg. Reaching Third Gill where turning left up the ravine to find a crossing point and carry on on a yet higher path and traverse for a kilometre to Addabcomb Beck. Here turning left just before the ford to struggle steeply and pathlessly up to find a path and a more pronounced ridge at the edge of Addacomb Hole and take this to the summit. Descending via Whiteless Edge and Whiteless Pike but detouring on a quickly fading path round the eastern edge of Whiteless Breast. Later rejoining the main descent path and returning to the car park via the northern edge of the quarry under High House Crag.

Conditions: good visibility, with some high cloud with occasional warm sunshine when the strong and icy wind dropped

Pub: Kirkstile Inn to pick up bottles of Cumbrian Legendary Ales American Pale and Loweswater Gold (because of the first full day of the COVID-19 pub closures) to drink indoors at the cottage.