We all slept well and most of us were dressed and down for breakfast at 8 pm. It's the week-end so the place was pretty busy. The breakfast was a buffet with fruit juice; cereals; yogurt; a fry-up; tea/coffee; toast and mini croissants. No chance that we would head out to the hills hungry! Senan was just a little later - but still in time to get fed!
After breakfast, the sandwich making team went into production and soon enough we had loaded up our rucksacks with food and drink for the day ahead.
We were planning to take the Ullswater steamer to Howtown, a trip taking about 40 minutes. There was a boat leaving at 9:45 and another at 10:30. We just managed to make it for the 9:45. The day was warm but overcast. The weather forecast said the best of the weather would be in the East with the Western tops more likely to be covered in mist. Good for us! The Ullswater steamers are beautiful boats. We bought a walkers ticket which allowed us to come back from Pooley Bridge at the very other end of the lake. The views seemed to change every minute as we wound our way up Ullswater, which is shaped a bit like a back-to-front S. The light on the water and the ripples of the boat made it all even prettier.
Ullswater Ripples, Uploaded by M+MD.
The boat let us out at the tiny hamlet of Howtown in the Martindale valley. There are just a few houses and the Howtown Hotel (a well known Lake District Hotel). Our route took us up past the hotel and we diverged to the left through a gate and started to climb. Todays task is Loadpot Hill from Howtown.
This is going to take us up to 2,201 ft. The route is a steep climb up to about 1,600 ft. Followed by a gradual pull up along High Steet the old Roman Road which goes all the way to the top of the mountain of the same name (High Street 2,900 ft). As we climbed, the sun came out. We had a lot of stops for breath; water and sweets. Seany appointed Christopher as "Director of Sweets" (DOS for short)! Christopher certainly know how to do his job and he kept us energised as we walked.
Choir on the Steamer, Uploaded by M+MD.
On the second of these breaks just after 11:00 the next Ullswater steamer was just coming in to dock at Howtown which was by now about 700 feet below us. We could hear singing in harmony and sure enough Sheila confirmed by looking through her binoculars that there was a choir singing on the boat. Very strange but the sound on this lovely midsummer's day was very uplifting. When they finished, as the boat docked we shouted and applauded, shouting for more - although it was obvious that they could't hear us!
On we went taking it steady and managing to keep pace with 2 walkers on front of us. Every time we paused for breath they seemed to race ahead. However we managed to catch up with them on their breaks. It was a sort of walkers leap frog - without the leapin'; or the frogs! They did have overnight packs on their back and we discovered that they were gong down to Haweswater. That's a pretty secluded reservoir that I've only been around once a long time ago - I recall my Aunt Sheila drove me out there sometime in the seventies. Sheila is of course the reason we are here. If she had not been posted to Castlerigg Manor Catholic Youth Centre over 35 years ago I would never have discovered the Lake District and wouldn't have walked so many miles around it.
When we hit the Roman Road it was much easier and soon we were on top and it was lunchtime. We had a great spread - the chili cheese sandwiches were especially good - they tasted like ordinary cheddar cheese until - bam! the chili bits hit with a delayed reaction - seriously good. As we sat at the top we couldn't see Ullswater anymore. Wainwright told us to move 50 yards to the west to see the lake. So we did and there was the lake below us as promised. Wainwright also had a drawing in the guide book of a stone chimney just off the summit. We found this too, though it was falling into disrepair. Apparently there used to be a timber hunting lodge and this chimney stricture is all that remains.
After we had eaten and explored Loadpot Hill we headed which about 2 Miles north along the Roman Road to Arthurs Pike. It was a nice easy walk. Arthurs Pike rises up steeply from the lake the views up and down the lake were fantastic. We could see Pooley Bridge our destination in the distance. The last steamer of the day leaves at 5.05. It was a long walk - about 4 miles - but on a gradual slope.
In the meantime a paraglider was putting on quite a show for us as he sat in his harness and travelled along and across the lake and up and down the warm wind currents rising off the mountain. We had seen him taking off as we walked off of Loadpot - he just ran along the side of the hill and took off! Off we set to Pooley Bridge. It was a lovely easy descent along the ridge with views of the lake all the way. The last mile was on the road. We arrived at the pier with about 15 minutes in hand.
Arthurs Pike, Uploaded by M+MD.
It was a lovely evening for an hour long cruise along the lake. At 5.30 we pulled into Howtown. Waiting at the pier were the remnants of the choir we had heard up the mountains. We got talking to them and asked if they had heard our applause! (they hadn't!). They were a group from Lancashire and had performed a concert in Martindale parish that day. They also planned to sing some more on the boat home. This is an annual event and we just happened upon it. They sing church music in at least, four part harmony and it dates from the 17th century. There is some connection between Martindale and the finding of the music that they sing. They sang a couple of songs on the way home, just a lovely finish to a midsummer's day.
Choir Waits, Uploaded by M+MD.
Sheila had spent the day twitching (bird-spotting) as well as walking. She had spotted 15 different birds during the day - "a 15 twitch walk". She was keeping an eye out on the way home on the boat. As we steamed from Howtown back to Glenridding, the boat suddenly slowed down to a crawl. We looked at the cabin - no captain. Next thing the captain was sitting beside Sheila with his binoculars in his hand, explaining that there was a Peregrine Falcon nestting pair in the rocky hillside beside the lake. He had just spotted one on the rocks and was pointing this out to Sheila - twitcher to twitcher. He left us his binoculars while he went back to drive the boat. We didn't manage to see it but Sheila did!
As we docked in Glenridding we agreed that we should go for a swim. The water was cold and we all went in (except Senan who didn't bring his togs). It was bracing but refreshing. We went back to the hostel to dump our gear and make a quick change. We went back out the road past Brothers Water to a lovely pub with good food and great views. The beer wasn't bad either. We made it back to the hostel just before curfew! Not long after it was lights out - to-morrow was the big one and we needed our rest.
