High Point to low point at Shap day 6

Day 6
 late getting going,feeling stiff this morning,takes a while to find my rhythm but got there in the end,just in time for the main climb of the walk to Kidsty pike the site of an old English fort and the highest point of the coast to coast

                           Half way up the climb looking back
The two figures are long legged German girls walking poles in hand taking it all in their stride not stopping to catch breath once
plus carrying all their gear including a tent I would meet up with them a lot in the next few days





 

                                           

  Standing on the top trying to keep my vertigo at bay sharing Lunch with the two girls from Dusseldorf reading from our guide books advising us to take our last view of Lakeland before heading steeply downhill to the reservoir at Haweswater and our days destination of Shap.
 we were joined by a middle aged man bagging Wainwrights ( climbing all the peaks in Lakeland over a certain height) stopping just to eat a sandwich he bounded off like a mountain goat with more pike's to climb,I consoled myself with the fact he probably didn't have a girlfriend.
 the climb down was hard very hard with the well walked track full of rocks all threatening to turn my ankle,each step jarring my aged knees,it seemed endless but I finally reach the bottom at Haweswater-just in time to see two young lads sliding down the steeper grassier route wearing their waterproof trousers whooping and shouting as they tobogganed down to join me and laughingly continue on their way
  the next 5 miles were spent just putting one foot in front of the other till I reached the outskirts of Shap and was drawn to a farm with a field of tents and caravans.£5 for the night and just a mile from the shops of Shap or so the farmer said.