Jenny's Lake District Experiences

What a Weekend in the Lakes!

lakesjen — Mon, 3 Jun 2013 17:58:00 GMT

Twitter has been a frenzy of Lake District images, walking descriptions and general tweets on events this weekend.

I was very lucky myself to have been able to enjoy it too and what a weekend it was! It has not only been a long time since I've experienced that level of sunshine but it has really, really felt like it's been ages too. To have to combined with a trip across to the Langdales and believe me, it was such a great weekend.

Boy was it busy though! We did the Great and Little Langdale round so we knew it was going to be busy, such an amazing part of the Lakes and well known. I have to say though, everyone was so friendly. That has been the theme throughout the whole weekend actually from filling up at teh petrol station to apres walking beers, everyone has been in such a good mood, so friendly.

The dogs had ana amazing time too and on the Langdale lopp, there's plenty of water opportunities for them including tarns for a complete cool down. Due to wet, dog shaking, I didn't want to risk getting my camera out so no images sorry!

We've walked the Langdales before but this time did take it out of us due to the heat. The views though were worth the sweating! It enede up nearly 10 miles in the end so we knew we'd well earnt a drink. We headed to Wainwrights Inn on the Langdale Estate and enjoyed a pint of Jennings Cumberland, most welcomed and most refreshing. We'd actaully wanted to stay over in one of the Langdale Estate lodges but we couldn't get anyone to look after the dogs. May be next time and make a real weekend of it.

A February Eden Valley Experience

lakesjen — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 03:21:00 GMT

It was a trip over to the Far East this weekend. No, not the Far East as in Asia, the far east of Cumbria.

We’ve been several times Mike and I over to the Eden Valley area but never with Mark & Becky. This time we also had Mark & Jocelyn too, up from London no less. We’d managed to grab a late, last minute deal on a cottage in Newby. We’ve only ever driven through Newby, never actually stayed there so it made a change.

Cross Fell was our reason for walking over that way this time as Becky has never been. No one ever realises how big Cross Fell is but it’s a fair whopper at 893 metres high and still snow caped as with the Western fells over our way. It was the most lovely, bright day on Saturday with very little wind but still nippy. This for me is the absolute best type of weather for walking. I have to say, when we stopped for our butties at the top we didn’t hang around too long due to the cold but that isn’t too hard to believe being so far above sea level.

Going up Cross Fell is quite different to the rugged, rocky fells in the west like Great Gable and Pillar. No scree to be seen (thank goodness) and hardly any rocks. What does get quite arduous is the boggy and spongy ground. Many a time each and every one of use lost our foot in a pit of black, boggy soil. Saying that, when we got back to the car, the heather had rubbed most of that off so for a walk in February, we were really quite clean. Needles to say, Mac and Cam weren’t quite as clean but by the time we’d driven back to cottage they weren’t too bad although this was detrimental to the car interior.

The cottage in Newby was booked through an Cumbrian cottages agency who kindly recommended The Crown Inn at Morland as a place for dinner. It just so happened to be a mile up the road, perfect, dog friendly, perfect and it had pies on the menu, perfect! The real ale went down a little too well after a long walk but hey ho. All in all, a super little weekend away and now it’s Monday afternoon and Mac and Cam are still shattered so a great result all round!

A Daffodil-icious Walk Round Windermere

lakesjen — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 00:45:00 GMT

A trip to Windermere was calling to have a meeting with the guys at Hillthwaite. A perfect excuse one may say to take the little dog along with me too and get out for a walk afterwards. The forecast was good both at home and for over at Windermere so it was a no brainer really.

The journey over was lovely and it was great to be able to go over Corney Fell now it's reopened after the snow and ice, that coast road really does my head it! There wasn't a cloud in the sky, it was just beautiful. Pulling up outside of Hillthwaite (it's a hotel in Windermere by the way, lovely place, family run http://www.hillthwaite.com) and I caught sight of my first daffodil of the day. It was sheltering away in the corner against a wall and was half way into full bloom I'd say. It just felt so nice to see something that is so quintessentially spring like. Even though it was freezing cold, combine the bright sunshine with seeing my first daffodil of the year and I was excited.

I decided that cam and I would do a walk I've not done since working in Ambleside back in the day, Orrest Head. On a day like it was so clear and still, I thought the view is just going to be amazing from up there. From there you can see right down either end of the lake and over to the Fairfield Horseshoe and Langdale Pikes. Cam was loving it and I think he must have found it quite strange to go on a fell walk with no snow. Back at home, there' still a fair bit about. How he's going to cope when the summer comes though and that thick mop of black fur, I don't know.

I'd parked at Booths so obviously it would be hugely bad of me if I didn't go in and buy some Booths food. One basket of full on goodies including some posh aged balsamic and a Higgidy Pie, yum!

The drive home was equally as stunning, I really don't think you can beat reaching the top of Corney to find the West Cumbria coastline with St Bees Head in the distance. Naturally, there's the small matter of a nuclear power station inbetween it but hey ho!

Reflecting on a bygone trip to Keswick

lakesjen — Thu, 7 Feb 2013 00:30:00 GMT

Stumbling across an old memory stick, I found some great memories of a walk we did back in 2009. Now it was memorable for various goods and bad reasons. The good of course being the great day, bright sunshine crisp and cold the stunning views and scenery on the walk up Helvellyn in the Lake District. The downside was when we got back to our car to find the battery flat! It was fairly late on by this point so the car park was deserted but out of nowhere came a guy in a white Audi that just so happened to have jump leads! Phew.

We wouldn’t have been as bothered about the car issue had we not got dinner booked in the hotel we were staying at. Time was getting on and I’m sure as anyone who has done a decent fell walk would know, it were ravenous.

We were actually staying near Keswick for this particular walking outing so a bit of a trek to do Helvellyn but Mark our friend was wanting to do it. He was doing the Wainwright challenge that year. I have to say, it was well worth the travelling over there and neither of us had done Helvellyn for years. Oh, and we only saw one person wearing sandals, not bad when doing one of the touisty fells in the Lake District!

RedTarn was particularly beautiful that day, there’s photo for all to see with this post. It was so still it looked like a spillage of paint, not a body of water.

All in all a great day and strangely, the car issue made it feel even better, well that’s how we reflected on it back at the Castle Inn Hotel we were staying at when we were nice and warm+all changed out of our gear+fed and watered!

Photos: Various Lake District

lakesjen — Sun, 3 Feb 2013 21:28:00 GMT

Various images of the Lake District

Valentines.....Windermere......Hint

lakesjen — Sun, 3 Feb 2013 21:00:00 GMT

How many times do I have to hint! I mean, this is getting ridiculous and embarassing now! Our favourite Valentine's meal was had in Windermere back in 2006 (yes, that long ago) so that fact Valentines is fast approaching, that I've been mentioning Windermere every other word and also that fact it would be nice to have a night away in a hotel somewhere, don't you think he would have maybe gathered I wanted to spend Valentines in Windermere? I know all you blokes out there will be thinking, how would he be able to tell that, huff!

There is just some really great deals to be had as well so it seems like a really good time. The weather will be a little more settled by then and the days are feeling much longer now thankfully.

It's just, I fancied a nice night away, good food, a nice walk and really push the boat out and have a cruise on the Lake. Personally, February often feels more depressing than January especially if the weather isn't fantastic. I have to say though that I have noticed a few daffodils springing up, the ones in tucked away, sheltered places. For me, that is quite exciting and it means Spring.

Daffodils, Windermere hotel, Valentines....hint, hint. hint, please, please please!