The day started walking along the edge of Ennerdale Water, lovely scenery and good company (you start seeing the same crowd everywhere you go - (WARNING -builds camaraderie, and can lead to playing Trivial Pursuit in youth hostels! )
We had a bit of a scramble round Anglers Crag amd Bev chose this moment to say that she's not great with heights, edges or drops!
After a bit of coaxing we made it to flatter terrain and that's when the rain started. Now if I'd wanted to take up bog-trotting I'd have gone to Ireland, not the Lakes in the middle of May. I have never seen so much water on the fells at this time of year, let alone wrung as much out of my socks at the end of the day!
The next stretch to Black Sail YH was a stroll through the forest in lashing rain. When we got to the hostel Bev's face was a picture as we were staying in hostels for the next couple of nights and Black Sail is a bit basic and was full to the brim of dripping wet walkers all trying to warm up.
We had a cup of hot choc and some cake to ready us for the next onslaught.
More bogs and a very indistinct path led us to the steep climb up Loft Beck to the aptly tagged "Boggy Saddle". From here the path leads round Grey Knotts and down towards Honister Slate Mine.
It was here we came across Chris and Bill. Now we're not the quickest walkers in the world but we get the job done, and being overtaken is part of the day for us, gives us a chance for a quick gossip! So there we were thinking 'Yes! We're actually catching up to someone for a change', until we saw why we were catching them. Chris had happened to hear Bill in distress and had found him wandering lost and freezing cold. His legs had gone, he was suffering exposure and hypothermia and was not wearing wet weather gear or boots. The 3 of us couldn't keep him moving, even with Chris giving him a fireman's lift, so the decision was made for Chris to hotfoot it down to the slate mine while Bev and I sat with Bill to keep him warm. After carrying an emergency blanket in my kit for 30 years this was the first time I had ever used one! It always pays to be prepared! After about 40mins of sitting on very wet ground in the rain and wind we were freezing, so goodness knows how cold Bill was, Chris appeared over the horizon in his 4x4, parked on the old quarry road and armed with a couple of guys ran across to where we were, scooped Bill up and away to the slate museum. We followed in Chris's car to a very welcome hot cuppa while the paramedics checked Bill out and took him to hospital.
Chris kindly offered us a lift to the hostel as we were soaked to the skin and shivering so much I'm not sure I could have walked another step. At the hostel it seemed everyone had come across Bill at some point through the day, I'm just glad Chris heard him and we got him help in time.
I think we deserved our bottle of red tonight!!
And to top the day off, who should we be sharing a room with- mrs RG!
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