Two Hel With Mike!

By guest writer Helen Whitehouse

A dreary start on Sunday with weather set to improve (weatherline) or deteriorate (MWIS) or do whatever it chose (which in the end was lovely sunshine and broken cloud!) saw the trio of Hel (1) Smith,  Hel (2) Whitehouse, and Mike (long legs) Smiffy set off for a recce/training run along leg 5. With two months in hand these Billy’s girls are keen!

Poor Mike, not only outnumbered by Helens but also running on yesterdays’ legs, proved himself not to be pitied after all as he struggled to hold back to match our pace up to Dale Head. Occasionally forgetting the sedate pace from time to time, he was caught lolloping off up the hillside and then pretending not to be waiting for us while he put on a hat or stowed his gloves or ate chocolate, etc.  Very noble but we were not fooled!

However, after more blind summits than anyone would have thought possible, Dale Head cairn looked lovely! 

Dale Head summit. Left to right: Helen, cairn, Helen

A pleasant trot along brought us to Hindscarth and then choosing BG lines we trotted then slowed to a plod up Robinson.  On the descent we managed to mess around up and down for about half an hour to find and mark a good alternative route to the craggy bits. A good line with a little sheep track seemed best and so we set about building cairns and setting up standing stones to mark the starting points. Great fun driving pointed stones into the soggy turf – those Druids knew a thing or two  - I expect my efforts will blow over by tomorrow!

Robinson Closeau: several minutes’ detective work was required to find and mark the best line around the crags

Down to the road and then at Little Town Mike peeled off to return to Honister and pick up the car to bring round to Keswick.  I think this was just an excuse to stretch his legs and get a good run! 

Hel (1) and I took the trail which traverses around the bottom of Cat Bells and then the Cumbria Way along the side of Derwentwater - a very pleasant alternative to the road.

We ran right up through Keswick to the Moot Hall and were congratulated by a Geordie who thought we had just done the whole round.... It seemed a pity to tell the truth, but after a hesitation, we did!