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Swait a few days the lake District And you will definitely experience two things: crowds, and rain. As I zigzag up the steep trail leading out of Mickledon’s U-shaped glacial valley, there’s no end to the supply of rain pelting at me from all sides, but as for other people? They are in short supply.
You can think like this to experience Cambria and lake district From Wordsworth’s point of view, For someone who once roamed this region “alone as a cloud”, you need a time machine to go back to the days when the national park attracted 18 million tourists per year. This shows that you really need to walk the Cumbria Way.
“You’re more on your own,” says Cumbria Blue Badge guide Jeff Appleyard. Although Cumbria Tourism doesn’t keep numbers for specific routes, it tells me that this route is quieter than the more popular coast to coast path Or Wainwright’s way.
“It’s something you have to discover.”
This 73-mile footpath, which stretches from the lively market town of Ulverston in the south to Carlisle in the north, could lack the crowds – on my busiest day I see seven other walkers – and could use a few more waymarkers (I’m glad I’ve downloaded the GPX file on mine). garmin watch), but there is no lack of beauty in it.
“This is the most beautiful walk I’ve ever been on,” says Teresa Williams, another Cumbria Blue Badge guide.
The Cumbria Way is short enough that it can be tackled in less than a week, and I decided on the classic five-day approach. Leaving Ulverston, which gets hot in the late summer, I wander through beautiful pastures and shady forests, looking back more than once for a glimpse of the dazzling Morecambe Bay estuary. Ahead of me, Blewith and Coniston Fells become increasingly prominent and I calm down. Wild dip into the tranquil Beacon Tarn and Coniston waters Before a long walk along the lake which takes me to Coniston for the night.
The next day, a gentle viewpoint at Great Langdale reveals quintessential Lake District scenery: rapids, plunging waterfalls and glassy lakes. I spend the night in a friendly atmosphere New Dungeon Gill HotelA converted farmhouse, hidden beneath the towering Langdale Peaks before I battened down the hatch. waterproof gear To climb open to Stake Pass, a watershed from which all streams flow either north to the Solway coast or south to Morecambe Bay – including one that temporarily turned the hiking path beneath my feet into a deluge.
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A dizzying slope takes me into the next rugged Langstrath, a vast desolate valley that reminds me of glencoe scotland And eventually takes me on another lakeside walk along Derwentwater which turns into a fascinating exploration of the mossy Borrowdale Oakwoods, one of the largest remaining stretches of temperate rainforest in England.
My favorite route of the Cumbria Way comes on day four. After a decent start over a flat white and almond croissant at the Yonder coffee shop in Keswick, I start climbing again and soon the wide path leads to an exhilaratingly thin balcony track high on the walls of the Glendaterra valley, a geological wonder barely touched by mankind. It’s a long day with only my thoughts for company and it ends with a tough and testing climb through the remains of Carrock Mine to reach the trail’s official summit, High Pike, which from 2,160 feet offers panoramic views of the misty hills of Dumfries and Galloway beyond Skiddaw, the Northern Pennines and the pale glow of the Solway Firth.
Below me lies the charming, hidden village of Caldbeck reached by surprisingly steep descents, and the forest I have called home for the past few days rapidly merges into a soft, lush landscape that marks the beginning of the end of my journey.
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“You get a complete change of landscape,” says Appleyard. “It gives you a lot of variety, it’s not just hill walking, and you’re seeing the whole of Cumbria.”
Despite its quietness, the Cumbria Way is remarkably accessible. It only took me three hours to reach Ulverston from glasgow Via two trains stopping in Lancaster. anyone coming from london The same journey can be done by direct trains from manchester It is also present, thereby reducing complex planning as well as congestion Lake District Roads.
Places to eat and sleep are well available on this route. I stay at a variety of youth hostels, inns and a historic holiday let, and revive my spirits with cozy fare at cozy spots like the family-run Flock Inn Tearoom in Rostwaite and the co-operatively owned Old Crown pub in Heskett Newmarket.
Sadly, there is no commemorative platform marking the official end of the route, no statue with which I could take a celebratory selfie in Carlisle. This is something that could be rectified by extending your walk by half a day to end up on the shores of Bowness-on-Solway – but regardless, the linear path gives a sense of both excitement and achievement.
“Not covering the same ground, always looking ahead, that was really attractive to me,” Williams says.
Simple and with the right amount of challenge for avid walkers, the Cumbria Way provides the perfect tonic for busy modern life. More than just a change of scenery, it lifts you above the hustle and bustle, gives you space to think, and gently eases you back into daily life with a little more passion and lust than when you left it. Just don’t forget your rain gear.
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