Paraffin Pathfinder, Lake District Round, 10th March 2013 Day 1 & 2, Ambleside-Coniston-Boot   .....click on the photos for a better view How long between Pathfinder training and the first assignment? Five days!

No need to flap - the Macs Adventure team were on the ball and the GPS, OS Explorers and Route Notes arrived in good time. So where to? A six day trek, seventy four miles with some serious climbs and descents. What a fabulous walk! Overview Day1 Ambleside - Coniston Day2 Coniston - Boot Day3 Boot - Buttermere Day4 Buttermere - Keswick Day5 Keswick - Patterdale Day6 Patterdale - Ambleside   The weather forecast from the MWIS ( http://www.mwis.org.uk/ld.php ) looked mixed. High chance of sunny peaks but with intermittent heavy showers bringing snow, winds gusting to 50 mph and severe wind chill. But it turned out well in the end...   Loughrigg Fell from Ambleside... ... a view of the top from the bottom.       And a view of the bottom from the top. Grasmere from Loughrigg Fell   Yep, those poles were an absolute must! The next morning was cold , cold , cold but beautiful.   It doesn't take long to leave the neat village of Coniston. Then the walker commences a long climb up the old drovers' route, the Walna Scar road.       A pause to gaze across the Cove, with the scarred flank of the Old Man of Coniston in the background. The sun was warm but the wind was biting.           There is some shelter on this slope, but it would be a cold and desperate hiker who decided to stay here for the night.       On passing Brown Pike, the pass reaches  its highest point of 2030 ft, to start the descent into Seathwaite.   The shadow side had a message for travelers. Walk tall.... tread lightly.     And the winter is slow to let go of these northern slopes.

Seathwaite welcomes the weary with a tidy pub and spiritual support. The little church displays its sundial monument to one of its ministers, the Rev Walker, afforded the title "Wonderful Walker" for his good deeds for his congregation.

Looking back at Brown Pike from Broad Haws, the diagonal line marks the drover's road.

Finally, a well earned rest and some local cheer.

What a brilliant two days walking! There are four more to go but the West Highland Way beckons and this blog will be resumed. This had been good but the rest was the best, please come back to read it.

Happy walking,