It was a bit of a struggle to get up and out first thing this morning, but as is usually the case, it was worth it in the end. We were on the shore of Coniston and setting out on the padddleboards by 8am in order to catch the windless conditions.
It didn't take long to cross the lake and soon enough we reached Peel Island (also known as Wildcat Island in Swallows and Amazons). Last time I'd arrived here it was by canoe with some students, in a howling wind and with mist so thick we could barely see the shore. Today, it was a picture of calm.
We jumped ashore at the hidden harbour and had a look around.
We had plenty of energy and the conditions were good, so we carried on down the length of the lake.
We stopped for some food and drink at the little beach, where the Martin's used to picnic in the summers of years ago.
At this end of the lake, it was even more sheltered as we wound between the boats and inspected the lily pads.
We arrived back at where we started after a 5km journey and the clouds were starting to break up. It was becoming really warm and muggy, so we decided to go for a swim. There are thousands of tiny fish in the shallows to get past before we could dive in.
The Steam Gondola also came past and put in a few ripples on the otherwise calm surface.
While the shivering set in, we got a warming brew going...
By the afternoon, the sun was fully out, so we returned to the Duddon and climbed at Stonestar Crag again.
We did a couple of routes - one of which had a particularly tricky finish, but we made it up okay.
We'd agreed to meet Matt again once he'd finished work, but returned to the van briefly to cook up some food to keep the energy levels up before he arrived. Soon enough, he was pulled up next to us and the three of us returned to the cliff base, where we'd stashed our kit.
This time it was Matt's turn to lead, which was a good thing, as the routes he went up were much harder!
The final route was up an amazing slab with tiny holds. Much balance and concentration required!
Just as I reached the top and heaved up onto the level ground, the sun dropped below the clouds and gave a final burst of light before dipping under the horizon. It was a real magic moment and special finish to a big day out!
Stonestar Crag, Duddon Valley:
- Stonestar Groove, VS (4c)**
- Stonestar Rib, HS (4b)*
- Venezuela, HVS (5a)**
- Anchor Handling, E2 (5c)**
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