Coast to Coast Day 2

Monday 30^th September 2019 Honister

I was away around 8:20 and, on the advice of the lady at the farmhouse B&B, walked the north side of Ennerdale Water (instead of the usual southern shore route).  Heck, I had already twice diverted yesterday (admittedly only once of my own choosing) so why stick to the guidebook's route?  Wainwright has stated that this was "a" coast to coast walk and that you should make your own route whenever you feel like it; I was going to do exactly that in a massive way on day 7, so I needed the practise.

Initially it was nice lake-side walking, but then became gravel roads.  I could see across to the more official route, and it looked as though it involved a bit of scrambling around the rocks on the other side.

The gravel roads went on forever, past one YHA and eventually leading to Black Sail YHA. 

All photos I had seen of the tiny Black Sail YHA makes you think it is extremely remote and that you can only gain access it by walking in, but the gravel road runs right up to the back of it.

I took a break while there soaking in the views for a while, and then chatted briefly with 2 guys who had just walked down from the surrounding hills.

Then I carried on for a very stiff climb alongside a beck.

Arriving in Honister around 1:20 I stopped at the café for a hot chocolate and to have a look at the slate mine complex.

I had expected to run into Mark and his entourage at some point today, more so while I sat at the complex, but they must have been running rather late.  I wandered over to check out the YHA (which wasn’t open yet) and there was a woman outside who queried why I was there.  When I mentioned I was staying that night she let me in.  I sat in the hostel and plotted my route for the next 4 days on the app on my phone.

A few other people stayed at the hostel, and I had a bottle of wine with the dinner I had pre-ordered (the meal, not the wine).

Day 3