Well its been a long day, which started with me picking up Lady in Red (My daughter) at 0500 for the drive to the Lake District. Passing the services where Doodlebug, Brains, Tinman, Jimbo, Fleur and the boys were staying we then passed one of the poshest hotels in the area and saw Tonkas One and Too parked up where they had stayed overnight. We arrived at the start point early so we could have a good fry up to start with, no fancy posh hotel beakfasts for us.
Loads of bobblies (our name for walkers because they all seem to wear bobble hats) came and went while we sat and ate and the wildlife came to visit for a feed. After a short while everyone turned up and off we went.
I think its fair to say the pass looks a little intimidating from the bottom, and even fairer to say its not easy in places. It winds severely steeply upwards on loose rocks and large boulders. A series of hairpin bends where you just get the lock on and its time to opposite lock for the next bend with a mini rock face between each bend. Not really the sort of place that you could stop and tow up another vehicle or use a winch. Not really a place to stop anywhere either and did I mention the drops? Well there where a few drops to the sides too. A good route but not for the inexperienced or feint hearted. The views are simply breath taking. We arrived at the top with much laughter and the odd cuss word too. The descent is similar to the ascent but obviously downwards and spread over a much longer distance. We saw the odd bobblie on the way down and stopped for a brew in a quiet, dry and sheltered spot. The remainder of the descent was again very picturesque and Gatescarth runs directly into the next lane Sadgill to Stile end.
A fresh challenge on every twist and turn with some difficult sections. A lunch stop at the end of the lane, again dry and reasonably sheltered.
A short discussion of which set of lanes to do next followed as I had planned two routes dependant on timescale. Choice made we moved swiftly on taking in a series of lanes, all good fun and one or two tricky spots. Some interesting starts and finishes to some lanes, one ending in a school yard and another in a chaps garden! A couple of short breaks included, taken in the warmth of the sun before taking in the last lane of the day Breasthigh road. This lane starts with a steepish descent into a river before a short ford and a climb over the moors towards the motorway, it ends with another small ford.
We parted with Tonkas here, and made our way south on the M6 towards home, leaving Jimbo and Co on the way and then Doodles and Co before arriving home tired but elated around 2130 this evening.
A good days lanning in good company.
