Day 2 - Rosthwaite to Haweswater Reservoir
28.8 miles
9 hours 22 mins
7,526ft ascent
Today is the big day, in my mind. Once this is over there are a few remaining obstacles but it should start to fall into place.
Not quite in the rhythm of routine yet but got up and had breakfast, sorted my bag with cereal bars and carbohydrate powder-infused water, refilled the bladder and checked the battery in GPS, phone, headphones, drone then headed the National Trust car park to pick up where yesterday concluded. I felt a little ‘clanky’ as I set off but everything was working on my body so I was optimistic. The weather was absolutely perfect, cool clear and patchy white clouds with deep blue skies making for a very scenic climb out of Rosthwaite up Stonethwaite Fell to Greenup Edge. I was a little behind my target start and wasn’t moving until 9:20am ish, so all the earlier bird walkers I’d met at the end of yesterday were already trudging up the path, it was nice to see them again and chat a little as we climbed. Within an hour I couldn’t see anyone else and felt like the only person on the Fell as signal started to creep back onto my phone with the change in altitude. I used the poles to climb at a fast walk rather than run, which worked really well and was glad for their support. As I started to descend toward the ridgeline and Helm Crag, the slow ache developing in my right knee begun to make itself a little more known, so I stopped to add some support with zinc oxide tape to see if that helped, and continued on. I dunked my foot into a bog as I was hopping from rocks slightly less steady than the fresh legs I was used to, but continued on toward the ridgeline whilst the RAF put on a few impressive displays of fast-jet dancing over Grasmere a mile ahead.
The short but steep drop down to Grasmere felt heavy on my knees, having to twist and turn gingerly supported by the poles - this section had taken about 2hr30 ish to cover 9 miles, which was off the pace I’d hoped for. I arrived at a meeting point with Pa for some sandwiches, chocolate and refresh of drink before the second climb with the weather continuing to play the perfect part to the scenery of the day.
Climbing up to Grisdale Tarn was warm but breezy, affording a really good view back toward Grasmere behind me. Everything seemed to feel okay climbing, but my knees and my right shin were not a fan of the downhill sections. I found Tomtom waiting at the top just below the saddle out of the wind where he had been for almost 2 hours by now as he’d cycled up from Patterdale - not an insignificant climb! After 10 minutes of rock-hopping down the valley, I failed to lift my foot enough and kicked a boulder with some fair commitment, then stumbled to an unamusing stop. Glad to be carrying co-codamol and ibuprofen, I dosed up and hoped they would kick in swiftly. The lower section of the valley warmed up significantly as we ran and cycled past meadows either side of us - it was another stunning part of the Lakes, and we realised neither of us had spent nearly enough time here. Tom left at Patterdale back to his van to nip round the next mountain and meet me at Haweswater Reservoir, as I begun the 3rd ascent of the day to Kidsty Pike (2559ft), the highest peak on my route. I met a few more walkers and travelled for a little while with a grandmother on her 3rd week in since St Bees, taking it steady and interspersing it with rest days, spas and enjoying the experience as a solo walker which sounded like a very good way to tackle it!
Every downhill section, however short, was now quite a painful challenge. The taping of my right knee seemed to be supporting and helping that, but my right shin felt every single step, so I was consciously placing my feet all the time, jogging on the flats with poles, marching up hills and gingerly descending the downs looking forward to the climbs for respite from the discomfort.
From Kidsty Pike, I could see weather beginning to build to my left, and Haweswater Reservoir extending out and around the corner in front of me. I tried to jog downhill but had to slow to a walk, taking the load out of the down with the poles. A chap who had done a circular to the summit with his dog was a few 100 meters ahead, I passed him slowly, then 10 minutes later sat down as I couldn’t keep descending. The easiest sections of this challenge were slowing me down, I was maxed on pain meds, I was low on water, and tired of eating the same food, staring out toward the end of the reservoir I couldn’t see with dark clouds behind it, aware there was still 6 miles to go before the day ended as the dog walker politely passed, which highlighted the pace I’d lost. I took a moment on the hillside aware there wasn’t much I or anyone else could do at this point.
I got up and started picking my way down the steep drop toward the reservoir again, passed the walker and his Rhodesian, trying to find comfortable ways to place my right leg without much success. I spotted Tom’s red riding coat which lifted me, conscious he would be cold from another prolonged wait so I pushed on down to him. We had 4 miles to go along an awkward footpath with multiple boulders and narrow sections, varying in height as it went (not the flat open trail you’d hope for contouring a reservoir’s shore). I had another topup of Vitamin-I and pain meds, some variety of food Tom had been carrying, then wrapped up in waterproofs as the heavens opened. Within a few minutes Pa appeared on the trail coming toward us, having wrestled his e-bike along the trail with war wounds on his legs from multiple incidents along the way - it was good to see him. A very welcome ham and cheese sandwich fished out of his bag as we posed for a wet photo to commemorate the moment then Pa headed past us to Tom’s van as the shortest route to avoid the trail, then Tom and I made our way through driving rain to end the day.
