Friday, 19 April 2013

Day 5 – Coast to Coast – Patterdale to Shap



Beautiful weather at last. Long climb up to Angle Tarn where we spotted the first birds of the day (other than Liz and Gill), Brent Geese ... it gets better.


A fellow traveller told us that mountain rescue had been busy two days ago when we were battling our way to Grasmere, several people were blown over at Grisedale Tarn (where we were the following day) suffering injuries, and there was a fatality in Langdale.



We met our Aussie friends again, Edy and Ron who last night admitted to wearing their Australian Merino underwear for up to 42 days; they must have been humming like a gospel choir – clearly superior to David’s getting pongy after 5!







Highlights

  • The Golden Eagle soaring up in front of us as we sat eating our lunch at Kidsty Howes. Apparently the only Golden Eagle in England (who lost his mate in 2005).
  • A herd of deer near Angle Tarn
  • A  pair of red squirrels at Burnbanks Village. Much more delicate and squirrely than the grey ones.
     
   
     All in all a fantastic day and wonderful scenery in good weather but felt like far more than 16 miles. We were all feeling really knackered by the end (David refused to carry Liz when she threatened a ‘Patsy’ moment towards the end of the day when there were no bloody taxis to be seen).

     Gorgeous pub and fab food. Lots of wine and laughter.

     Tomorrow is another 20.5 miles so off to bed soon. xxx

      Best of the day

1. The views and the weather
2. Golden Eagle
3. Red Squirrels
4. The laughter about the story about camel’s toes (Quote AE “Liz H is outrageous”)
  

       Worst of the day

1. Last night’s accommodation 
2. The last couple of miles

Poem of the day (which does not mean that we got lost)

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I marked the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference. 

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