Before setting off to the Lakes the campsite owner called to say that they had had an awful lot of rain and that the caravan field was very wet, did we still want to come? Decided to go anyway and it wasn't that bad as Ray (proprietor) towed us onto the field with his 4x4 and got us pitched, we just had to leave our car a little bit away from the caravan and wear our wellies! The campsite was fantastic - www.castelriggfarm.com - despite the soggy field. A great location as you can actually walk down into Keswick and back yet it is sufficiently far enough away to be quiet. The walk back up the hill is quite a stretch but not too bad and there is a bus which stops at the end of the lane if you are lazy!
The weather was good to us for the first 5 days with just one day of low cloud and heavy drizzle. We managed to do some nice walking and even had a day out on Derwent Water on the portabote (didn't catch a thing but fished anyway).
Our first walk was up Blaeberry and High Seat from the campsite across the back of Walla Crag, returning down past Ashness Bridge and through the woods. This was a great route and we had some lovely views, the moorland between the peaks was very wet and boggy but it was a good walk despite this.
Next day we went off up to Seathwaite to climb up Glaramara. The weather was not too good with low cloud and heavy drizzle which turned to rain higher up. We chose a tough route straight up the side of the fell from the farm (Hind Gill), the gradient was very steep indeed and quite challenging in places but it was shorter and, had it have been dry, would have been much more fun! Once up on top it was very difficult to navigate and we actually decided not to summit as we were in thick cloud. We took our route back down via Thornythwaite Fell and back on part of the Allerdale Ramble back to the car, there were some nice views from the ridge across the valley and over to Sourmilk Gill and Great Gable beyond.
An easier little walk was out from Glenridding along the shores of Ullswater, quite crowded so we took a turn off the main path up over a shoulder to return via a much quieter route with some nice views of the lake. Lovely weather for this one and the legs got a rest!
We had a bit of a jaunt up to Scotland where we had planned to stay for 5 days but when we got there the campsite was awful - don't go to castlewigg! We stayed one night and then came back to Lakes where Ray and Doris welcomed us once more to Castlerigg Farm.
We decided to have another walk from Seathwaite as the weather was still looking good, this time we headed up the other side of the valley. Climbing up the side of Sourmilk Gill and then on up Gillercomb with great views across to Raven Crag where we could hear climbers shouting to each other. We then ascended Green Gable, here we could see across to Blackbeck Tarn where we had made a wild camp (pussy camp) last August. We had a brief rest then dipped down through 'windy gap' and up onto Great Gable where we had lunch with the masses! Fantastic views all around. We headed back via Styhead Tarn and past Taylorgill Force and back to Seathwaite for a cuppa tea at the farm cafe.
So, a pretty good holiday (if you don't mention Scotland!)
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