Despite the torrential rain on the M6 on the way up on Saturday, Sunday was gloriously sunny, so we headed off to the village of Braithwaite to walk the Coledale Round, one of Wainwright's favourite Lakeland walks, or so the the book from which this extract is taken would have you believe. And very good it was too - we deviated from old Alf's preferred route slightly, largely at my instigation, because it seemed a shame to skirt within a mile or so of the highest peak in the area and not visit the summit. So we sacrificed a visit to Hopegill Head and instead detoured west at the head of the valley to visit Grasmoor (2791 feet) before rejoining the designated route on the ascent of Eel Crag. From there it's downhill all the way to the Coledale Inn where we made short work of a couple of pints of Thirst Ascent from the local Keswick Brewery.
On Monday we went for a shorter walk up the old railway line from Keswick to Threlkeld, where we visited the excellent Horse & Farrier pub. This one had several beers by the mighty Jennings Brewery of Cockermouth, which were equally well received. On the way back we stopped off at the Castlerigg Stone Circle for the obligatory mystical druidic chanting and nude virgin sacrifice and defilement. Later in the afternoon we visited the Twa Dogs Inn for another couple of pints of Jennings, and a look at their impressive stuffed bogart that in no way whatsoever resembles half a badger badly Araldited to half a fox. Judge for yourself....
Anyway, some photos (mainly of the Coledale expedition) can be found here.
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