Day 1 Tour of the Lakes

We caught the bus to Aira Force and started walking upwards to Dockray, then the Old Coach Road eventually reaching Scales. Up and over the full Blencathra ridge and down to the carpark, then onwards up the valley, for what seemed a very long way, to Skiddaw House YHA, which is a lovely hostel and truly not accessible by road.

Horse flies were a flipping nuisance today, particularly through a large boggy area, and there were constant shouts and swearwords uttered. We all got bitten several times  :-(

A very long day. My ankle bone on the inside of my right foot was very painful with the pressure of my boot. We tried padding it but that was worse, so I laced it up low down, leaving the ankle area baggy, and hurrah there was no pain! It's three weeks since I bashed the bone on rock on Hadrian's Wall so perhaps I should get it x-rayed when I get back home. 

Main: a great view of Sharp Edge
Extra: on Blencathra summit

16.3 miles

I've no idea of the ascent because there was no signal at the youth hostel, so when I opened Strava on Wednesday morning it just carried on from today.