COAST TO COAST STAGE 2

NEW AND FAMILIAR FACES

Having succeeded on the first stage of the Coast to Coast trek; Sandra, Rob, Baz, Dave, Asta and Ruth have taken up the challenge yet…

NEW AND FAMILIAR FACES

Having succeeded on the first stage of the Coast to Coast trek; Sandra, Rob, Baz, Dave, Asta and Ruth have taken up the challenge yet AGAIN.. Bring it on, lets hope they make it all the way to the end point of the walk at Robin Hood’s Bay which we should get to in 2016 if we don’t get stuck in too many northern pubs along the way. We’re sure we’ll get no complaints.

The stage 2 trekkers

Rejoining us having been on the Moroccan challenge but missing the first leg of the C to C – the lovely Debbie Sloanes; who has done more than her fair share of fundraising tasks for PEPE.
Two of Baz’s family, Els and Hans also boarded the bus in London after a tiring journey from Amsterdam, along with Kayley (never-a-mountain climbed before), our kiwi trekker Nat tearing herself away from her young family for a much needed break, Dave’s daughter Charlotte who does work for PEPE (she also provided the pics for this blog) and last but not least (since she broke the record for fund raising!) new PEPE supporter Fred. If you think you did a gender miscount from the group picture think again ’cause…wait for it; she’s a woman. And then there was Mark, the co-founder of PEPE. Mark wasn’t on the bus setting off from London but delivered and dropped direct to the door of our start-point Borrowdale Youth Hostel by Gaynor, his never-ever-climb-a-mountain girlfriend.

setting off from London but dropped off by his girlfriend direct to the door of  by Gaynor, our start-point.

So after a gentle warm up stroll along the shores of Buttermere, a few beers and a restful night in the hostel, we set off for Grasmere past the eerie beauty and precipices of Eagle Crag and up and over the arduous Lining Crag.

There we arrived at a crossroads in terrific winds coaxing some of the group to, logically, head straight down the valley into the arms of Easdale and spurring the more rash in the group to climb ever higher up and down and up and down over Calf Crag, Moment Crag, Gibson Knott and Helm Crag. Eventually we rendezvous in the wonderful Dale Lodge Hotel where we sip pints-a-plenty in the effort to rejuvenate our weary bodies.

The lovely Dale Lodge Hotel

Baz on Greenup Edge, beyond Eagle Crag

Poor Baz did a double back half-way along the route, in the heroic offer to go back and collect the mini-bus so us poor blighters didn’t have to carry our gear on our backs. Thinking we’d have a pint ready for him at the hotel to make up for missing some of the wonderful scenery, instead we found him immersed in the local specials. Sorry no photo available…rightly so.

THE TREK CONTINUES…

PEPE Founder, David & his daughter Charlotte

Next day was a beautiful day, and in the back of our minds the possibility of tackling the infamous Striding Edge was a tad daunting. A place Where many a poor soul had slipped and fallen to their demise…hmm.
Obviously we unanimously agree not to share in that fate and probably a very good decision especially as the weather turned for the worse later in the day. A steady and persistent climb up Little Tongue was enough for most and again the group spilt, some taking the lengthy down hill route through the valley into Patterdale and some insane climbers going up the VERY steep slopes of Fairfield and over Sunday Crag to arrive 3 hours later than the others soaked from a freak hail-storm and exhausted from a mad rush down the mountain to beat the in-coming storm with loud scary cracks of thunder echoing across the valley. So all in all, the word “adventurous” would be an understatement.

Patterdale and the Old Water View hotel – how welcome! How wonderful to then run into our guide, Ian, the hotel proprietor, who generously offered to guide us in the next leg of the journey. Thanks Ian, we loved your hotel and the Wainwright bar!
And he has agreed to guide us on the 3rd stage of the trek. What a legend.
Until the next mission in October, have a good summer.

MoMo