C2C day 4 Grasmere to Patterdale

We were quite successful at drying a lot of our stuff from yesterday’s adventure, so by morning with dry socks and relatively dry boots, and filled with an again not so restrained breakfast of berries and granola and scrambled egg on toast with grilled tomato and mushrooms, I bid farewell to Helen and John. They were taking the bus back towards Rosthwaite to pick up the car, and then Helen is off to Manchester airport, flying off to meet up with her husband, and John was returning home.

It was, of course , raining again… Today though I took no chances with being cold, complete wet weather gear and my fleece underneath. Since I knew the first 2.5k was along country lanes I also used my hiking umbrella. Perfect conditions for it, not too strong a wind and easy walking, worked very well! I decided to take the west side trail up the Great Tongue (little Tongue Gill) as I heard you have great views down to Grasmere. It was well worth it. The rocky/grassy trail was quite steep, though easy walking, quite a bit of water on the trails but nothing like yesterday. The showers continued, but I felt warm and dry. Except my feet. My boots had kept my feet totally dry on days 0, 1 and 2, despite rain and puddles and small streams. But since yesterday’s over the top soaking the seen to be letting water through. Maybe after a total drying out they will work again.

At the top of the Great Tongue (4k) after stopping to catch my breath and admire the view I continued on and met the trail that comes up the other side of Great Tongue, and on to Grisedale tarn (5k). Lovely views all around, despite the rainy skies. My plan had been to go up Sunday Crag, but with the bad weather (the top was not visibler) and yesterday’s experience I decided to stay on the lower trail past Ruth Waite lodge and on towards Patterdale.

At about 9.5k the trail becomes a track and then a small lanes. At this point I took the path on the right that brings you into Patterdale on trails (15.5k just under 5hrs). This path meets the one coming down from Sunday crag, and the rain had eased at this point so I explored a little way up the Sunday crag trail and had views down over Patterdale and Ullswater.

Then on the road through Patterdale, which two hotel/restaurants, but no shops or cafes, and so I went on down the road 1.5k to Greenbank farm where I was staying. Here I again used my handy dandy umbrella! Luckily my host was there and welcomed me in even though I was early. I had a lovely little room with a bathroom down the hall and a beautiful views over to the ridge I planned to walk tomorrow. I had left over sandwiches and crisps from previous days, so I decided to stay in the dry and have a picnic dinner in my room looking at the view. The weather forecast looks like more rain tomorrow – hopefully it will be wrong!