Wednesday 10 August 2011

Patterdale and Angle Tarn

Day 5
 loosing track of days,the walk down from Grisedale tarn starts off gentle and then slopes quite steeply down into Patterdale.
Patterdale is a lovely unspoilt village in an alpine setting surrounded by the Helvellyn range and sits next to the beautiful lake of Ullswater unchanged from my teenage years.
 I had the option of taking detours up Sunday Crag on the right or even Helvellyn (3118) itself and then on to Striding Edge,imaging a triangle and a footpath along the top edge with just enough room to walk,I have walked along the tops,but that was 40 years ago,oh to have those legs again,but have to make do with the ones I have now,so the easy route it was,I had breakfasted with the 4 other campers,none of us had intruded on the other the night before,now it was like we were best of friends having shared the vigil together,and agreed to meet up for a lunchtime drink in the only pub in town.
being a retired barkeep I can both talk and listen but mainly talk(on most subjects under the sun) and met many people on the way down,mostly on their way up out for a mornings walk,if I could have carried a small bar I could have set up shop at places along the way and done a roaring trade,my arms propped up on the bar putting the world to rights.
so I was a little late for the Lunchtime drink but my breakfast companions were still there enjoying the break,it would have been a sin not to join them.

both were walking on further than me and left me in their wake as we climbed out of Patterdale,the camp site by Ullswater looked good but it was full of caravans and RV's and I fancied another night of solitude,so a by now familiar afternoon of climbing to the tranquil Angle tarn.

the pic on the left was taken laying on the floor of my tent,the best front garden ever.






early morning risers on their way
 my tent is a single cell (mistake) and condensation forms on the inside waiting for the morning sun to dry it out-so fell asleep once more to be woken up by a flock of Canadian Geese landing on the tarn,one of whom came to take a look at the strange old bird at the edge.

1 comment:

  1. Ian...I think after a month or more...I can comment again!! YEAH!! Love your pics...esp the one of the at dusk (or is that dawn?) and the early risers...lovely...someday!!

    Can't wait to see more!

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