Experiences of a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer in Namibia (2016-19) and further adventures…
For many years, it has been our practice and preference to start our hikes in the morning – it’s usually cooler, with fewer people on the trails, and it allows us time later in the day to take care of our other tasks. This routine didn’t always serve us well in the Lake District – but it was a hard habit to break. It was particularly tough when we awoke to this views like this…
Having decided not to backpack to our next base, we loaded up the car and drove instead via a much longer route that took us out of the national park, then back in, to reach remote and rugged Wast Water. This lake and area have many claims to fame: the deepest lake in England, surrounded by some of the highest fells and spectacular crags in England (Scafell Pike – the highest, Scafell – the second highest, Great Gable, Kirk Fell, Lingmell, and Pillar), the 2,000-foot Screes, the smallest church in England, and the self-proclaimed historical center of British mountaineering.
Continue reading “UK 2022 -Wasdale Head and Loweswater”The small village of Buttermere is a popular Lake District tourist spot, and also home to a few working farms. On our next hike, to Scarth Gap and Haystacks, we saw a lot of evidence of the active dairy and sheep farming in the area.
The area around Buttermere Village has long been my favorite in the Lake District. I have visited its two adjoining lakes, Buttermere and Crummock Water, many times over the years, but have never stayed for more than a quick day visit. I was determined that we would spend ample time to explore it well, and even planned to come here twice on this trip!
Continue reading “UK 2022 -Scale Force and Windermere”Our long day climbing Helvellyn was also the last of our days on Ullswater, and it was time to drive to our next base at Buttermere. Good timing! The weather had turned overnight, so we took a leisurely route to visit a couple of places that have withstood the cold and rain for millennia: the Castlerigg stone circle near Keswick, and the Honister Slate Mine on Honister Pass.
Continue reading “UK 2022 -Castlerigg Stone Circle and Honister Slate Mine”
