Hiking club enjoy Lakes adventure
Three-day excursion is a hit with members
Our Lady of Lourdes Hiking Club enjoyed following in Alfred Wainwright’s bootsteps.
A 40-strong group of members and friends headed off by coach for a three-night stay at the Cumberland Hotel, Workington, with stops in Gretna and Cockermouth en route.
Arriving early afternoon at Maryport, many joined a club walk which was a gentle but hot six-mile ramble to Workington along the England Coast Path, flanked by the Irish Sea on one side and a mix of industry, wind-powered generators and cattle grazing land on the other.
The programme for Saturday comprised two walks leaving from Coniston village.
A low-level walk covered around 12 kilometres, giving hikers an ascent of just over 200 metres but the chance to experience one of the most popular parts of the entire Lake District, Tarn Hows. It is a picture postcard collection of small pools, once part of the estate of Beatrix Potter and her husband.
Making good time for this walk of under five hours, the group were in the shelter of the Yew Tree Hotel before some thunder and lightning started.
High-level walkers were climbing the fells above Coniston, intending a high-level circuit of Levers Water reservoir and a final ascent of the Old Man of Coniston (803m).
Wide-open vistas treated them to views of Windermere, as well as over the intervening fells as far as the coast. The walk was curtailed around the halfway mark as the lightning approached.
A steep descent took the group down a track on the crags towards the reservoir just as the heavy weather moved in.
The attraction of the Lake District was exemplified by the circular walk around Crummock Water from Buttermere the following day.
The storm clouds had gone, with the low-levellers completing the 13km with breathtaking views on all sides.
One extra highlight was an ascent to 153m that led to Scale Force, an impressive series of waterfalls with one straight drop of 170ft, making it the highest in the Lake District.
The high-levellers started a fivehour/12km trek from Coldgill Beck, a couple of kilometres north of Crummock Water, and westwards and south around the back of the hills that provided the epic views for the low-level walkers.
The remnants of the clouds on the fell tops lifted during the walk, allowing the group to witness the extent of the precipitous crags on their route up to Hopegill Head.
The group also managed a detour to climb Grasmoor (849.3m) before their descent via Whiteless Pike and Whiteless Breast to Buttermere, where they joined the others.
Keswick was used for a final shopping trip or a quick lunch before the journey back up to East Kilbride.
A club raffle and quizzes, as well as hotel entertainment, ensured there was never a dull moment. The organisers have to be thanked once again for an excellent event.
Contact the club on (01355) 245123 or visit www.ololhikingclub. co.uk for the walks calendar.
The next sign-up night is tomorrow from 7.30pm in the upstairs lounge of Our Lady of Lourdes RC Church, The Murray.