'Oh What a Night' as Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons once said. After a pleasant evening drinking and chatting in the Black Sail common room, it was off to bed at 10pm.....partly because there was little else to do, but also because the common room was locked at 10! Jim & Tim went off to the male dorm, which was basically a collection of 8 bunks and not much else! Sleep was fitful at best.

Steve, Tina, Marie and I retired to our 'private suite', although Tina had gone a few minutes ahead of us and was pretending to be asleep.....anyway, we soon put paid to that! It's amazing how much noise you can make when you're trying to be quiet! Somehow, I managed to be the last one into bed and a top bunk at that (having tucked Steve in first) and after a few rounds of 'Walton Family Goodnights', we tried to get off to sleep. All I can say is, that............it was a long time until morning and I was out of bed, abluted and outside photographing a group of invading sheep, soon after 6am!



Following a decent brekkie, we assembled outside and readied ourselves for today's trek, a relatively short hop to Borrowdale of about 6 miles, BUT.....with some serious climbing involved. We had been warned that it is easy to go wrong soon after leaving Black Sail, but we're three days in now and these awkward bits don't really phase us any moe (famous last words, I'm sure!?). So off we set and headed towards today's big climb up Loft Beck, a very stiff test climbing up rocks alongside a stream.
 
The guide book suggested that we should be able to get to the top of Loft Beck in 40 minutes and we made it in 45, so were pretty pleased with ourselves. We even managed to work out the tricky place where we needed to turn east, just before the 'boggy saddle' and trust me, the last thing you need is a boggy saddle! Working our way east for about half a mile across the open moorland behind the top of the fells, the views just kept getting better and better all around. But especially behind us, where the end of Ennerdale Water came back into view, together with two smaller lakes called Indominatable Tarn and Blackbeck Tarn. Magical!
 

We then switched due north and headed for Fleetwith Pike and the slate mine at Hopper Quarry. Now when I mentioned to my 'supportive' team that the C2C book stated that we should be able to see views of the quarry soon, it was pointed out to me (rather unnecessarily, I personally thought!) that this Blot on the Hillside was actually dead ahead and we had been able to see it for ages...........note to self: should have gone Specsavers.......oh damn, I did!!

 

As we approached the quarry we turned due east down a disused tramway line to the hamlet of Honister, principally home to the Slate Mine Visitor Centre and associated shop and cafe, plus a nearby YHA. We stopped here for a cuppa and a nose around and I bought my first souvenir of the trek......a slate coaster, stating that I have completed the C2C.....a bit premature I know, but I wanted it, so there!

 

We then struck out across country to another small hamlet called Seatoller, where we stopped for lunch in a wood nearby. Half an hour later we were in Longthwaite (Borrowdale) and being greeted at the door of Gillercoombe B&B by the owner, Rachel Dunckley, a legend in her own lifetime. She has been running Gillercoombe for 42 years and is a mine of really useful information. And, when it comes to hiking, she's done it..........from the C2C and all around the Lakes, to Everest and Kilimanjaro.  

 

Rachel invited us in, showed as around her lovely and very spacious property (having already lugged our heavy cases up to our rooms by herself, following delivery by Packhorse) . She then offered us a cuppa and told us all about the trials and tribulations of some previous guests' journeys and what we should and shouldn't do on our next leg to Grasmere. A lovely lady and great host.

Our early arrival (about 2pm) gave us time to rest up, plan the next day, go on a hunt for a missing Ordnance Survey map which somehow turned up in my bag (obviously planted!), and sort out our bags, which needed re-packing (Mandy......help!). Then showered and changed, it was off to the Scafell Riverside Bar for a few drinks and dinner. Excellent food once again and the place was full of walkers, including a couple we had met earlier in the day doing a local walk, who greeted us with 'ah, it's the coast to coasters' and came for chat and to wish us good luck.  
 
We were also joined by Steve and Belinda, a couple we met on the Packhorse bus to St. Bees and who started the walk a day behind us, but who had done our three legs in two days. Amazingly they live in a village, a short distance from Royston, where both Tim and Tina live......what a small world.

So that's it, a shorter day today, but an excellent day nevertheless with amazing views. It's a 9 miler tomorrow with lots of high sections, before descending to Grasmere. Apparently, one of the most spectacular sections of the C2C, weather permitting. Can't wait!

And for today's 'points' let's try a few interesting facts instead:
* The Black Sail was a former sheherd's bothy and has been a YHA hostel since 1933;
* Slate has been mined at Honister for over 300 years; and
* Borrowdale is actually the collective name for the 3 separate hamlets of Longthwaite, Stonethwaite and Rosthwaite;

It's Grasmere tomorrow.....fingers crossed for good weather!