Half Term Lakes..

Exchanging some Tesco vouchers for 3x their value in YH vouchers, we booked into Windermere Youth Hostel (which is really nearer to Troutbeck), an excellent location with plenty of parking available very friendly and helpful staff, and considerably quieter than the neighbouring hostel at Ambleside.

Woodpecker at the hostel bird table

Arriving mid afternoon, my friend Janine and I went for a quick loosener up from Hartsop to Hayeswater reservoir and up over the top via Satura Crag and Angle Tarn descending from Boredale Hause back to Hartsop at dusk. Ours was the last car in the car park so we cut it fine. 

That night we feasted in the Queens Head, Troutbeck to celebrate Janine's birthday, and on our return to the hostel sampled several bottles of Hesket Newmarket brewery's excellent ales... there were no Swedish girls, so I made do with a few of these...

 Janine checking out a cottage conversion project..

 It was windy up there..

Next day we drove round Ullswater to Aira Force for a family walk. Never having been there before I really enjoyed the riverside and its many waterfalls, I came over all creative playing about with my camera...  

Day 3, my nephew Stan joined us at the hostel and we tramped from Troutbeck over Wansfell Pike to join friends at Ambleside YH. It's a nice walk up to the top and a horrible one down on the other side... a man made stone staircase, which was hard on the knees for me, Stan just skipped down...thank god for walking poles.

 As we descended the sun started to break through for the first time that day ..

And by the time we reached Windermere the sunset bathed the water in golden light..

And it didn't rain once in the whole trip!