It’s Raining

C2C – Day 4: Tuesday 5 April – ROTHSWAITE to GRASMERE (9 miles)

Grey skies and driving rain outside our window caused us some trepidation over a fine breakfast at the Scafell Hotel, but miraculously the rain held back for a while as we met up again with Wendy and Maud for the next stage of our C2C Walk. Ascending, first gently out of the Stonethwaite Beck valley, the path steepened significantly as we climbed out of Greenup Gill, culminating in an ungainly but invigorating scramble up some steep rocks to the top of the imposing Lining Crag.

A boggy ascent over wet peatland took us to the windswept col of Greenup Edge, at the head of the pass, where we rested a short while, up amongst the tops now. Our fun did not end here, as next came an interesting traverse over marshland and the daring stepping stone crossing of a couple of raging streams. By now the cloud and the drizzle enveloped our group, blending with a staggering amount of water around us in the form of becks and bogs, the result of local rainfall totals that rank amongst the very heaviest in the UK.

We descended a short distance for a picnic lunch out of the wind and overlooking the new vista of Grasmere Common to the south-east to the green valley beyond. Our climb down was rather less steep than the ascent, alongside some spectacular waterfalls.

The final leg of our trek took us down through scenic Easedale to the charming village of Grasmere, where we warmed up to tea and cake at Baldry’s Tea House, before retiring to our B&B accommodation at Raise View House to rest up ahead of dinner together.