Walking 5:53:49 [3] 13.38 mi (26:27 / mi) +3013ft 21:48 / mi
Raining again. However, I wanted to do my planned Cat Bells walk so I caught the 10:30 ferry to Hawes End and headed up to Skegill Bank and Cat Bells with the many other families who were taking their children on their first ever mountain climb. I'd like a £1 for every time I heard, "if you manage to do this you can have an ice cream later..." (now where have I heard about that bribe before?!). Rain had eased off by the time I got to Cat Bells but the wind was very gusty.
Soon left the families behind as I headed on over Maiden Moor to High Spy. By this time the wind and hail was pretty grim so I was pleased to start heading down through Tongue Gill. My intention was to head to the Cumbria Way at the bottom but I decided to take the footbridge over the Gill and use the higher path which took me to the west side of Castle Crag. One of Simon's bucket list, I decided I might just as well head up and have a look. I was rewarded with some glorious views all around.
Headed back to Hawes End via the footpath along the lower slopes of Cat Bells. This was a fabulous path with lovely views, just a shame it was too wet to take pics. By the time I got to Hawes End I realised I'd missed the last ferry back so there was nothing for it but to walk the same 3 miles back to Keswick that I'd walked the day before. Thankfully I met up with a Yorkshire man who had taken his seven year old lad Oscar for the Cat Bells walk, and we chatted all the way back to Keswick. What a delight Oscar was, he was tired but carried on a good pace, telling me all bout his mum and his sister, how he was going to play battleships when he got back and how very much he was looking forward to pizza and chocolate. The last 3 miles were an unexpected delight.