Led by Pat

 

Our February walk was planned with the possibility of a more inclement February day in mind. Fortunately on the day it was dry although cold on occasions. Underfoot conditions were favourable apart from a couple of short spongy sections through the gorse.

Initially thinking we were a group of nine leaving Rheged, only eight set off. Our potential ninth walker had earlier that morning completed the Roundhay 50 and stopped off on his way home to wish us well.

 

A straightforward route took us through Stainton and overtook Dalemain. Too early for the famous Marmalade Festival or even a slice of toast and marmalade.

A well trodden path and a bit of road took us to Pooley Bridge from where two walkers made their own way back albeit mostly on the same path that the main group would walk later.

 

We now joined the Ullswater way and after a short coffee break on the lakeside we continued on “the Way” towards Cross Dormont and Crooke a Dyke. After successfully negotiating the clarty, gorse lined path we reached our most Southerly point and turned for home. We headed for the Cockpit. Along the way we stopped to admire the view from one of two art installations claiming Ullswater, the loveliest of lakes.It was too early and too windy for lunch at the Cockpit so we carried on and hunkered down in a sheltered dip with good views of surrounding mountains. It was then grassy paths and more gorse down to Celleron. Here we took advantage of the fairly recent Charles Gough permissive path down to Barton. This path is part of a circular route from Tirril and is a memorial to the artist Charles Gough who came to grief on a walk to Grasmere over Striding Edge in 1805. At Barton we joined the Eamont Way back to Rheged.

 

We had walked 15miles with 1450ish feet of ascent

 

The Wainwright Sitting Stone on the Ullswater Way