DAY 5 ... PATTERDALE TO SHAP ... 16 MILES
Patterdale in the Morning
Breakfast is nice, porridge and poached eggs
w/sausage. I'm off by 8:30 but 15 min to the bridge
where the C2C leaves Patterdale so its my usual time
of 8:45. As I pass the youth hostel, I see Tessie,
she is laying off a day and going to look for
medicine for sore feet and legs. Weather is calmer,
beautiful sky with white cumulus. Its a long steep
climb into the hills as I pass several familiar
walkers on the way to Angle Tarn.
Overlooking Patterdale
Friends Above Angle Tarn
I catch up with Jill, Barbara and Mike at Angle Tarn
and we walk together until Kidsty Pike which is
where High Street, the old Roman road, comes up from
the south and continues north. Here, the C2C path
drops off the pike down to Haweswater. Two years
ago, Barbara broke her leg on the steep decline off
Kidsty Pike (had to be airlifted off) and is very
concerned about having another accident. We stop for
a drink and a bite, then I leave my fellow walkers
and head north on High Street, a little used
alternative to walking along Haweswater. In 2004, I
took the traditional path off Kidsty Pike and along
the shore of Haweswater, but today I'm looking
forward to this high ridge option.
High Street - the Roman Road - Looking Southeast
Kidsty Pike - Looking East
High Street - Looking North
The Lake District to the West from High Raise
High Street is a glorious ridge walk with fantastic
views to the west. This is what I had in mind when I
decided on this route, I feel like I'm on top of the
world all alone. I can scan the whole Lake District
from here, the Helvellyn range and more. Dark rain
clouds were passing both east and west of me and I
see two rescue helicopters flying west into the
mountains. More trouble? I cross High Raise and Red
Cray to around the back of Wether Hill and High Kop
before descending across Bampton Commons. I miss the
path to Measand Beck, which empties into Haweswater,
but discover my mistake and cut down the slopes to
meet the C2C at Burnbanks at the head of Haweswater.
I meet two walkers as I turn onto the C2C path, but
they decide to go a longer way along a road.
View of Haweswater Looking South
Out of the Lake District And Into Fields & Farms
Suddenly, I am out of the Lake District crossing
flat fields and farms and the ruins of Shap Abbey. I
arrive at Brookfield House in Shap at 5:20 to huge
pots of tea, platters of fresh, hot scones, muffins,
and flapjacks. Enough! Enough! Thankfully, two
couples are there to help scarf up the goodies. What
a great b&b and Margaret is a fantastic hostess,
even does my washing. Mike is also staying here,
arrived an hour after me. Jill and Barbara are
staying at a pub down the road.
Mike and I walk over to the Greyhound for dinner.
Peter's trio and his support family is there, four
others from our b&b, and the van supported group
(three have dropped out). I find that walkers are
dropping like flies but I’m having a great time.
Really I am! Oh, I had a Ceasar salad with chicken
and an Ennerdale Copper Ale with a strange metallic
taste, apparently trying to live up to its name.