After a hearty Cumbrian Full English breakfast at Yew Crags it was a short flat road to the start of day 2. 50km and 8200ft of climb. The legs felt superb…..so much so I was worried about pride before a fall.
It was 500m of road then a 4km climb up 2,200ft of Greenup Edge with High Raise just to the right at the top. Wow. This was verdant and beautiful. Empty and vast. Bloody hilly. I made mistakes at the top, there was no signage and no GPX file today. It was hard to map read and watch the constant boulder hewn path save for a short paved section.
Local stonemasons were pressing on up to build more paved course as I made my way, this time with Black Diamond carbon fibre poles, gentle first past Calf Crag and Easdale tarn, dropping rapidly to cross the A 591 near grassmere. That next section the wheels nearly came off up Great Tongue Gill and I gave myself a stern talking to. Then on to Patterdale
This was up to the highest point at Kidsty Pike, 2559ft up or 780m. It was lovely, but so vast and I had seen almost nO one since Patterdale.
With that came some welcome descent. I should have taken on board the advice and gone across the next 4 peaks but I wanted to descend and avoid the extra 1000ft so I took the main route around Derwent Water. This is actually a reservoir and the route round the side was barely walkable yet runnable.
And it was awful running. It took forever to get round 8km of path. I went pat a couple who were on their biggest day who were in bits….and then it was over. Lake District done. 100km over 2 days, 9 hours a day.
I left the C2C at Butnbanks and then went off trail to my dinner and bed at the marvellous Mardale Inn in Bampton. I didn’t mind the extra 2.3km run and what a treat. Amazing pie dinner, great beer and a superb suite. I had such a good nights sleep. Legs were intact. Body was fine. I loved today. So lucky to be able to do this.
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