For some reason (an over-stuffed triathlon season which ended not long before the Three Peaks) I didn't fancy riding around a race-track in Derby for 40 minutes. Instead, we packed the tipi in the Golf on Friday morning and by 8pm were setting up camp in Hawkshead for the weekend.
The grass was damp and made the tipi floor a tad cool but the climate was so mild we didn't even bother to get the stove out and just used sheepskin rugs to keep our toes warm.
We knew it was going to rain all morning on Saturday so we went into Kendal to seek new ski toys for TSK to enjoy winter a little bit more.
By the time we returned to camp in the afternoon, the rain had ceased and we set off to run up Carron Crag above Grizedale.
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| Just enough to see the approaching showers |
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| and just enough to watch the receeding sun |
For our entertainment. there were sculptures.
We reached the forest at 4pm and town at 5 as the sun turned the fading leaves and bracken a bright brown.
We were just in time to get a shower in daylight then head to the pub for dinner to avoid the yoof, away for their half term break.
On Sunday, we drove for 30 minutes just to find a car park that wouldn't cost us £8 for the day. Layby established we rode through Little Langdale over Wrynose pass where I had to stop 2/3 of the way up the climb to manually place my bike in its bottom gear - the derailleur having picked a suitably inconvenient spot to stop working.
Over the summit, two motorbikers wished us luck for the downhill and we turned away from the option of Hardknott pass, opting instead to ride along the back side of Old Man of Coniston, with one stiff 30% climb over to Torver itself before ending the weekend away back at the car.
We got home in one go. Almost surprised that we'd been away, done so much, lasted so long and yet was over so quick and we were home in one piece, undamaged and un-delayed.
I missed everyone but I am so glad I didn't spend the weekend in a muddy playing field in Derby.
(I have signed up for Durham).
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