But it had been a bit of a week so I decided to just go and do it. I put the dog in the car with all my kit (taking the dog does seem to mean I end up taking a lot more stuff) and headed up the motorway through grey skies and rain to say goodbye to summer with a proper Lakes run.
It was still early as I arrived and parked in Keswick. I had been worried about how busy it would be but the dampness and the end of the school holidays meant it was manageable. I parked easily, phaffed a bit, used the loo and eventually started trotting towards the George Fisher store and the start of the round.
The Espresso round is the baby version of the (formerly Abraham's) Tea Round. Its about a third the length at around 10-13mile depending on the lines you take, and less than a third of the elevation. I have my eyes set on the full thing next year (I said this about three years ago) and this was a reminder we have a lot of work to do. The weather was also a reminder that autumn is coming, and initially I was wearing a long sleeve though found myself pulling this off before we even got to Portinscale.
The route starts down the high street, across the bridge and turns left on to the Cumbria Way outside the Pencil Museum. Its pleasant path until the road section through Portinscale which is a bit of pain but mercifully the road was quiet enough to go round the odd early morning walker. I then went round the mariner way, just so I had seen the lake, rather than follow the more direct path but that is just a personal affectation. The section past Lingmoor is lovely and I will be using the Lingmoor kitchen as a self bribe to do more long Lakes runs soon. We past the alpacas and through the field to pop out at the pop up cafe at the bottom of the Catbells and suddenly my brain didn't know which path we wanted so I had to check my GPX. A sign I have not been in the Lakes much recently (or the state of my brain) when I have to check the GPX for Catbells....
The climb up Catbells was a walk but I was over taking quite a few people so not entirely hopeless. Oscar had to stay on the harness but scrambles quite well so the steeper section wasn't too bad. A few people were looking at these craggier sections with a bit of alarm but I think some mad woman and her dog going up them often provides reassurance. Sections of the rock felt very warn smooth after what I imagine has been a very busy summer of traffic. I wondered how I ever ran down this in Newland Memorial and remember I in fact went down like some inverted incapcitated spider....elegant.
It was a bit blowy on top of Catbells, and two chaps who had just over taken me on the way up were there. I asked where they were headed and they were doing the full Tea Round. I wished them well given the weather and turned to retrace my steps. I'd tried to spot the gap in the ferns that was the route of Catbells but missed it and ended up zig zagging back on to it. Its steepish and grassy, but attached to a dog that wants to inspect the sheep, it was less fun than it ought to be. But soon we were trotting on the track at the bottom and on to the road past a beautiful house for sale in Stair - if only! I fed Oscar some of the last fat blackberries out of the hedge as we went down towards the river before snaking through and starting the climb at the road the other side. There were a few cars on this road but its wde enough to tuck out the way.
Finding the trod up Ella's Crag proved more difficult than it should as I went left at the top and not right, ended up on something that was very much a sheep trod and then saw the path I actually wanted later as we traversed back to where we should have been. The path here is much less prominent than Catbells but I was able to follow it round north ward where a lovely view of Barrow in its heathery glory stood. We'd be there later I thought.... trying not to look at where Causey Pike stood a long way above me.
The climb up to Rowling End is steep and craggy in places, and not ideal with a dog but passable. There were no sheep immediately about so I could also let Oscar off on the steeper bits to fend for himself which helps my balance. There were defintely a few 3 points of contact bits but they were short. I was puffing and this is where my lack of hill fitness became very apparently. But I just kept plodding and eventually we reached the little tree tha marks you as nearly at the top, and then the patch of ground that marks the top. I put my long sleeve back on and gave Oscar a handful of food whilst I caught my breath. Unfortunately the view was limited as the rain and wind were in.
Ahead of me was a snaking path towards the foot of Causey Pike. Causey Pike looked worryingly craggy at the top, given I had to the dog. I decided we would go and have a little look and if we couldn't do it, we couldn't do it. Unfortuntely there were two sheep in the path who refused to move, and so what should have been an enjoyable snakey path was not, as I had to keep the dog under control so he didn't pull me over. I note this is an out and back on the route and the next section would be savage mentally as you lose a lot of height then have to gain it all again. I do wonder if carryong on down and going round to Barrow might be better? Decisions for a much later date.
As the ground started to climb more steeply I felt tired in my legs. We reached the bottom of the crags and I was a bit concerned about getting up there ymself, let alone with the dog. We hand railed around and found a little gully to the left and I let Oscar go up.... but then we were commited as he would struggle to get down that without skidding. So up we had to go. It was mostly three points of contact and at one point I had to lift the dog up a section whilst balanced a little precariously myself. This is how accidents happen. Mercifully at the time they did not. After a few heart thudding minutes we poppoed out on to the top and the mini drama was over. It was really blowing though.
The path snaked nicely away from me and again, would have been fun if the dog wasn't pulling. I saw three people up there, and a few more as we descended the curved path to the bottom of Outerside (not on the round). This path was softening up after the dry summer but still firm enough to step in the puddles. The Stoneycroft Gill path was a stream as we hit it, with water running gentle among the loose rocks. My legs were really feeling things now, and the dog annoying me. I was a bit worried about water and probably needed a bit more fuel. I managed to sort the latter and actually enjoyed the more runnable section of Barrow. I chatted to a couple coming down and saw a handful of people which actually felt nice. I was ready to be back in civilisation maybe.
The top of Barrow was glorious, the wind being abit less severe down here and the long grassy slope below me. My ear phones also decided to work and some good music later and Oscar and I were heading down hill. Now much more tired, Oscar trotted next to me rather than pulling meaning I felt more balanced. The temperature also rose on the way back down and the layer came off again. I startled some walkers as I appeared over a ridge.
The map suggests heading back via Braithwaite village and the A66, probably for speed. But a GPX I had found had a nicer route via Little Braithwaite, Ulock and Portinscale. It was still reasonably tarmac heavy (I had no interest in going over Swinside even if you can just to avoid a bit of tarmac) but the lanes are quiet and its a bit more green. Coming in to Portinscale my legs were pretty knackered and I was thirsty and out of water. Portinscale was now more busy and the path back to Keswick busy with runners, walkers and DofE groups. By the time I got in to town I was really struggling to run and the high street was extremely busy with people who just seemed to step in front of me. I had 4 minutes to get to George Fishers for a 4 hour round and only just made it.
Four hours for that distance is a bit pathetic really but the main idea had been adventure, and we had certainly had that. I also had enjoyed a lot of it (even attached to the dope on a rope I love so much). I wandered back to the car for layers (its not summer anymore), water and the rest of Oscar's lunch. Then we headed in to a bustling but not manic Keswick for lunch. Sadly some of my favourite places are not there anymore, but Oscar and I got treated by the lovely girls at Yonder who gave Oscar treats whilst I had carrot cake and tumeric latte (and hence made the weight issue worse). Its all been a bit of a wake up call but fingers crossed its the start of something.
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