Five days in the Lake District, part 1

Thanks to Becca's mad planning skills, and buoyed by a sunny and basically rain-free weather forecast, we pulled off a last-minute trip to the Lake District last week.  While the weather didn't exactly cooperate, we still had a lovely time tramping along the Cumbria Way and climbing some fells.

Day 1: London to Ulverston to Coniston
The 6:05 AM departure from Euston was, without doubt, the most stressful portion of the trip.  But we managed it just fine, catching the 5:41 subway from Tufnell Park and arriving at Euston with plenty of time to collect our tickets and settle into our first-class seats that were inexplicably cheaper than the standard fare.

I can't say that I remember much of the train ride up to Lancaster, as we rather groggily watched the Midlands pass us by.  Lancaster's also something of a blur.  It's really only the list of stations served by the Cumbrian Coast Line that really woke me up.  Ready?  Carnforth, Silverdale, Arnside, Grange-over-Sands, Kents Bank, Cark and Cartmel, Ulverston, Dalton, Roose, Barrow-in-Furness, Askam, Kirkby-in-Furness, Foxfield, Green Road, Millom, Silecroft, Bootle, Ravenglass, Drigg, Seascale, Sellafield, Braystones, Nethertown, St Bees, Corkickle, Whitehaven, Parton, Harrington, Workington, Flimby, Maryport, Aspatria, Wigton, Dalston (not to be confused with the Dalton above!), and Carlisle.  All in just over a hundred miles.  That, my friends, is a local train.

Our first surprise of the trip came soon after disembarking at Ulverston.  We already knew about the Laurel and Hardy Museum in Ulverston, but what we didn't know was that Swarthmoor Hall was just a mile away.  Yes, as in Swarthmore.

It being early on a Saturday morning, the actual building was closed.  But we had a nice stroll around the gardens and some early views of fells in the distance.

After wandering around Ulverston, a vibrant little market town, we hopped on the bus up to Coniston.  "Bus" is really something of a misnomer.  It was really more of a glorified shuttle van, and even that was more than enough space for its riders.  Aside from us, there were two little old ladies who had come into Ulverston to do their shopping (one of whom, inexplicably, had nothing more in her shopping bag than a few apples and a handful of carrots) and a backpacker.  Hardly the stuff of a money-making route, which probably explains the sulky teenager driving the bus.

We checked in at the Black Bull, drawn in as much by the accolades the associated brewery has garnered as anything else.  After settling into our room, we decided to attempt the Old Man of Coniston, a 1,365-foot peak that rises almost directly out of the village.  There was a light mist as we left the Black Bull, but we were hopeful that it would burn off in the afternoon sun.

After a few moments of uncertainty regarding the exact direction of the trail, we were well on our way.  About halfway up we passed an old slate quarry.  The exact location of the mining was easy to determine, with a rather stark contrast on the mountainside between green ferns and gray mining spoil.  A bit further up we reached Low Water, a small lake.  Along the way we were already starting to marvel at the omnipresence of sheep, with no sign of them thinning out in number as we ascended.

By Low Water, we were pretty well socked in by clouds.  Not exactly optimistic about a view, we kept going up.  We faced a pretty steep section near the top, but the encouraging words of those on their way back down provided all the inspiration we needed.  Sadly, no view whatsoever from the top of the Old Man.

But still, the first ascent of the trip.

As you can tell from that picture, we were soaked and cold.  So back to the Black Bull for a hot shower and dinner at the pub.  If you find yourself with the opportunity to sample some beers by the Coniston Brewery Company, be sure to try the Blacksmiths Ale.  Top-notch stuff.

Approximately 6 miles walked.
Towns: Ulverston, Coniston
Peaks: Old Man of Coniston