Rachel, Rachel, Rachel.....what a great landlady! Gillercoombe was an absolute treat, a real home from home.......great rooms, terrific breakfast and good fun. I'd thoroughly recommend this B&B to any traveller, particularly walkers. 



After a great night's sleep and hearty breakfast, we were off......but not until after a couple of pics with Rachel's pet parrot Pip......what a pretty polly! First things first, the weather was brilliant. After a foggy start, the sun broke through and it was gorgeous by the time we started. And therein lay the dilemma......it was sunny, but Rachel told us that it can get very boggy beyond Greenup Edge and gaiters could be a good idea. 

Trouble is, we were planning to wear shorts and shorts with gaiters is not a good fashion look! In any event, wearing shorts, we sort of thought that if the water levels went over the boots, then only the legs would get wet......if it went any higher, then gaiters would have been worthless anyway!! So, in the sunshine......who needs gaiters???



So anyway, off we trotted, into Stonethwaite by road, and then on to a public footpath to start the long climb to Greenup Edge, the high point of the day. Slowly at first, but after passing Galley Force waterfalls
 , we really started climbing hard. And the higher we climbed, the better the views got, particularly back to Borrowdale. 


 
We passed Eagle Grag, then Lining Crag and finally reached Greenup Crag. 2000 feet of hard trekking, with some really difficult sections, but boy was it worth it. We were told that this was a stunning leg of the walk and the first couple of hours today certainly confirmed this; the only trouble was that every few steps was a photo opportunity! But, amazing news, after two days without a phone signal, the texts starting coming in and the first one I opened was brilliant......someone offering help with my PPI claim! How helpful.

 















 
From Greenup Edge, we turned east and headed down the valley via a tricky path following a beck. Very boggy and very slippery and before too long, a chap in front of us had slipped over, then I went down while telling that guy to be careful and soon after Steve was 'over', dampening his shorts and bending his pole! 

 
 
Once down in the valley, we had a choice. Take the lower valley path, take the higher ridge path or......have lunch. We decided on lunch! And that helped, cos refreshed by tuna on brown bread, we struck out on the high road. A stunning hike over Calf Crag, Moment Crag and Helm Crag......3 hours of hard slog, but absolutely magnificent views. Views down in the valley to Easedale, across to Grasmere and even over the other side of the crags north to Helvellyn fell. Helm Crag was the summit, in more ways than one, with a 360 degree view of the whole area! We even climbed up to the absolute summit, quite scary but great pics!


 





























At last, it was downhill and was that easy......no it wasn't! Difficult rocky path, loose shale and then steps, but very difficult steps. But we made it to Easedale and then a short walk down the Easedale Road to Grasmere and we reached our home for the night, the lovely Glenthorne Quaker Centre.

 


So, another day over 8 miles or so covered and some of the most stunning scenery I have ever seen. Tomorrow, it's up to Patterdale and possibly the mighty Helvellyn!


A few more interesting points from today:
* We saw a red squirrel! Spotted by Tim, I might add.....but couldn't get a photo I'm afraid.
* Pip is an African Grey parrot;
* William Wordsworth called Grasmere 'The loveliest spot that man hath ever found'.
* The lake next to Grasmere is called 'Grasmere' as reminded to me when I asked another passing walker what it was called...doh!!!