Day 2

19.65 miles

6 hours 47 minutes

Robert Mouncey’s Farm, Caldbeck to The Quiet Site, Mell Fell  The day started with the long ascent of the fell that had provided us with such fabulous views the night before, reaching the top of High Pike at 658m. This was my first real experience of running in the Lakes, and the weather was very damp and foggy, which seemed entirely appropriate for the remoteness of the route.  High Pike, Caldbeck Fells - 658m I loved the navigation, as it was my feel real time of using compass bearings to work out my location and I was starting to use more of the map than just the path I was following. Matching up contour lines, wooded areas, rivers and, later in the day, walls, fences and boundaries with my surroundings.  Descent from High Pike, Caldbeck Fells The track seemed quite runnable and easy, but as we headed east down the side of Grainsgill Beck, the path became an mish mash of heather, bog and rocks. Once again, my feet were soaked through as I slid my way down.  Looking east down Grainsgill Beck The path descending alongside Grainsgill Beck CP1 awaited at the bottom of the valley, and having declined the fruit cake the day before for fear of it being to rich to run on, I tried some day and it was fabulous. It soon became my staple running fuel for the week.  The road from CP1 ran along the bottom of the valley to Mosedale, and made for easy running amidst the most glorious views.  Road to Mosedale I had been hearing calls from a farmer whilst herding his sheep along the hills on the other side of the valley, and as I turned south from Bowscale, the flock emerged onto the road just ahead of me. About 4-500 of them. Thus followed a very slow hour, during which I was stuck behind them, at flock pace (shuffle forward a bit, stop, wait for the dogs get the flock back in shape, shuffle forward a bit). However it was quite fascinating to watch, and a welcome change from the usual Monday morning experience of being in the office.  Stuck behind sheep for an hour from Bowscale to Mungrisdale After a mile or so, the farm was reached in Mungrisdale, the sheep turned off, and I was left with a clear road ahead of me. I forced myself into a bit of a run after my extended walk break.  From Mungrisdale, the route went away from the road, and the first of a few incidents of ‘creative navigation’ took place.  This is when the map says there is a footpath, the compass agrees that you want to go that way, but the land says no way. And so I passed a frustrating hour or two crossing marshy fields, picking my way over waist high reed beds, stumbling over boggy patches and having to climb over barbed wire fences where the map was certain there should be a stile.  Looking back over Redmire & Bowscale Fell Eventually I hit a wide grassy farm track, and although it appeared not to lead me out to CP2, decided to follow it and then turn back along the road to the CP. It may mean added mileage, but at that stage I just wanted to be able to walk for more than 3 paces without having to clamber over something.  Are you getting an idea of why my pace was so slow?  As it turned out, the boys had spotted me, and the CP was moved to where I exited onto the Roman road, a hundred yards or so east of the correct point. From here it was a couple of miles along the course of the Roman road, which, as I discovered, may have been fairly straight, but that didn’t mean it was fairly flat.  Over the road crossing of the A66, and I again went wrong. Not looking at the map carefully enough, I followed the track down a steep hill, and found myself at a delightful, fairy-stream like stepping stone crossing, only to be faced on the other side with a gate very angrily wrapped in barbed wire and most definitely not a public right of way.  I then lost my senses for a bit, and headed along the stream looking for another crossing and a footpath, only to discover when I checked the compass and rechecked the map that I should have taken a footpath immediately after the road crossing, and I had just wasted half an hour. I headed back up the steep hill.  From the correct footpath it really was an easy route, around Thackthwaite and then along the extremely runnable track down to home for the evening, the Quiet Site, at the bottom of Mell Fell.