27 September - Roman Around

Thursday's run starts with a short jog to Winsford Station. An odd way to get to Windermere, but you've got to start somewhere!

Three hours later, I'm faffing outside Penrith Station. It's 25 miles to Windermere across the hills. The weather forecast is good, so of course it's just coming on to drizzle as I jog down the main road and across the A66. Traffic lights play hell with my mph, but not as much as the hills are going to later on. I run down the road towards Keswick, and promptly miss the turn down a scruffy path that is the start of my route to Tirril. Grassy fields, bullocks, grey skies - not an impressive start to a classic hill run. At Tirril, I resolutely avoid the Queen's Head, quite possibly the Best Pub In The World, and take the lane up to Celleron and Winder Hall Farm. I've started climbing properly now, but it will be a while before I really feel like I've found the slopes. Past Winder Hall, I try to find the original route of High Street, the Roman Road over the tops, but instead get all tangled up in yellow gorse. A short, careful walk takes me higher up the slopes of Heughscar hill, and on the way I get my first view of Lake and Mountain: Ullswater suddenly appears in front of me, with the fells spread out beyond.

Now the real work begins, with a long, wet 1200' climb to Loadpot Hill. I pass a lone walker near the trig pillar, wearing winter clothes! I wonder if I'm a bit underdressed, but it's still too warm with the effort of climbing to wear anything more than a t-shirt.

Suddenly, the sun comes out and it's a different world. Great views open out, across Ullswater to Blencathra, and right across the big fells to Great Gable and the Scafells, the only hills with cloud on them. Helvellyn is nearby, but it's too late in the day for the light to pick out its combes and ridges so it just looks green and hulking across the valley.

The going is good now, across Wether Hill and Red Crag to High Raise. I see only two other people, out for a walk on the ridge, amazing on such a clear day. It seems like a long time since I've had a view in the Lakes, and it's especially helpful on the long, grassy whaleback hills I'm running on today. I get taken by surprise by the sharp descent off High Raise, which can only mean a long than hoped-for climb up to High Street. I cross Rampsgill Head, then it's the big one - I need a quick out-and back to find the summit.

It's a delightful run along the long curving ridge to Thornthwaite Beacon, with just a short climb up to its turretted summit, but I'm only too aware of the choice from here: follow the Romans down into the Troutbeck Valley, or make two more sharp climbs from the col up Froswick and Ill Bell. There's no argument really, despite the dark clouds chasing me down from the north. The two summits are a refreshing change from the grassy humps that precede them - sharp little rock-crowned cones.

Coming down from Ill Bell, there's a nasty surprise. I should really be running across Yoke (hardly a summit), on a soft, peaty track, enjoying the views of Lake Windermere a few miles to the south. Instead, I find myself on a horrible, two-metre wide path of sharp rock and rubble. We'd seen diggers up here last summer on our reverse walk on the same route, and this was the result. Later, I read about another "disabled access" track that's been made in Langdale - this seems similar, and it's a disgrace. I wonder how runners on the Kentmere Horseshoe race avoid it?

Nevertheless, I eventually get down to the Garburn Road, and make the descent to Near Orrest, where the last treat awaits: a sharp little climb from grteen fields up to Orrest Head, and a fine view of Lake Windermere. The climb's not really what you need after 24 miles and 4500', but the view is worth it, as the Langdale Pikes begin to disappear into the gloom.

A little descent through the woods takes me straight to the main road opposite the station in Windermere - and in 5 minutes, I've got a table to myself in the pub, and a pint in front of me.

I've felt fit and well throughout the run, thoroughly enjoyed the day, and I'm looking forward to having a couple of days off walking with Geoff and Adrian in the Lakes. Life is good. Really!