Distance of 14 miles, height gain of 685 metres.

A combination of bad internet connections (the Lake District is apparently notoriously bad) and long days has made blogging difficult.  Anyway, the stretch from Ennerdale Bridge (two pubs and not much more) to Rosthwaite dawned bright and sunny.  We walked alongside Ennerdale water, then further up Ennerdale Valley to the Black Sail YHA hut (the most remote YHA in the UK).  Unfortunately, somewhere along Ennerdale water John hurt tendons in his ankle .  There was no option but to walk out so after drugs and strapping, he soldiered his way up Loft Beck and down to the Honnister Slate Mine.  Luckily, the owner of one of the B&Bs the group was staying in that night was able to come and pick him up – the walk into Rosthwaite from Honnister was arduous – lots of rocky slopes – and another one and a half hours!  We were so late in we went straight to the pub another mile on at Stonethwaite for dinner: good thing it was a walkers’ bar!
   
   
More photos to come but these are: heather in bloom on Ennerdale Water; Loft Beck, the climb out of Ennerdale to Honnister, and the Riverside Bar at Stonethwaite – dogs are generally welcome in the Lakes.