Easter in the Lakes

Having mentioned, over christmas, that they fancied doing some more adventurous walking, we were unsuccessful in selling the merits of wild camping to Neil and Al, especially since we would be out over the Easter holidays! So instead it was a Youth Hostel trip with the chance to spend a night at Black Sail, England's most remote hostel high up in the Ennerdale valley.

The plan was to drive up and park at Honister Pass then walk into Black Sail via a diversion onto Fleetwood Pike to take in the westerly view of a setting sun over the lakes of the Buttermere valley. This seemed great when planned within the dry, warm shelter of our lounge but the true Lakeland reality lost much of it's initial appeal.

In a vain hope that even if the cloud did not lift to reveal the view then at least the rain might abait long enough for us to kit up, we ran from the car to the coffee shop at the Honister slate mines. Half an hour later, once again dry but with the only alternative being that the 4 of us sleep in the car, we had no choice but to pull on the waterproofs and head out onto the fells. Never one to change a plan [unless working with 'Mutinous Dogs' ] we still headed up the old slate mine tramway and diverted onto Fleetwood, taking in the infamous view from inside a ping pong ball.

The rain and wind taking their toll combined with tricky conditions for navigation meant unanimous agreement to skirt around the peaks of Grey Knotts and Brandreth, abandon the Gables for another day and hope for a warm fire at Black Sail. Thankfully, conditions eased as we slid rather than walked down the path alongside Loft Beck and so, wet and bedraggled, we dropped into Black Sail. Steve and Lorraine - Black Sail's wardens - were great, getting a brew on for us, lighting the wood burner and unfazed by the amount of water we were dripping throughout the kitchen and common room. Of greater import, once we had started to dry out our kit over the stove and were warming up in down jackets, the wardens were able to sell us a nice chilled beer and a hot meal to go with it as the wind howled around the hut rattling the wooden door and making the run out to the toilet a challenge only undertaken in desparation.

Whilst we were thre, the snow came down turning the Lakes into a Winter Wonderland which made for some great views from the tops even if the air was somewhat bracing.