Updated schedule, showing mileage and elevation gain each day....

Added more accurate mileage each day, and some elevation gain information too. Easier to read if you click on it so it opens up full size...

Gosh this mapping stuff is hard....

I really thought I could quickly put together a map showing where we are walking and which parts we're driving. Turns out not to be easy (or maybe even possible!) to create such a map. So I'm starting with this aerial view:

Now off to Photoshop with the version that shows the roads, so I can manually add the stopping places and the parts where we're driving. How silly!

OK, here's the resulting map, which I've also used as the blog background for now...

All accommodation booked for Cs and Ls, some for Ms

Here's the plan:

• Mon June 30th St Bees, Stonehouse Farm (C, L)
• Tue July 1st St Bees, Stonehouse Farm (C, L)
• Wed July 2nd...Grasmere Hostel (C, L, M)
• Thu July 3rd....Grasmere Hostel (C, L, M)
• Fri July 4th....Best Western Glenridding  (C, L)
• Sat July 5th....Best Western Glenridding  (C, L) FORMAL NIGHT
• Sun July 6th....Bampton, Crown and Mitre (C, L, M)
• Mon July 7th....The George Hotel  (C, L)
• Tue July 8th....Augill Castle north of Kirkby Stephen  (C, L)
• Wed July 9th....Augill Castle again  (C, L)
• Thu July 10th....we scatter!

Stonehouse Farm...a working farm, where we'll spend the first night, walk a short 5-6 mile loop the next day, returning to the farm for the second night.


We'll then drive from St Bees to Ennerdale, and walk to Seatoller (anywhere from 10-12 miles, just depending where we decide to stop and take a ride). From there we'll get a ride (car and/or bus) to Grasmere, where we stay at the Grasmere Independent Hostel:



Next morning, my guess is that the party will divide into groups. One group will get a ride back to Seatoller (or more likely, Stonethwaite) and walk the 10 miles to Grasmere. One group will stick close to the hostel, maybe exploring Grasmere itself. Another group might head west to meet up with the group walking east. Lots of wonderful flexibility! Second night at the hostel.

From there, we walk the 10 miles to Patterdale. Would love to think I could do Helvellyn, especially Striding Edge, but I'm probably dreaming.

Then two nights at the Best Western Glenridding, spanning a rest day:


The hotel has a swimming pool and is close to Ullswater, where there's a steamer boat and other distractions. DC had the brilliant idea that we should have a formal night (in the tradition of cruises) and this will probably be when that will happen.

Suitably rested, we head out again for an 11 mile hike to Burnbanks, from where we'll hitch a ride to Bampton, where the 11 of us will occupy all of the Crown and Mitre's accommodations:



Next day, off to Orton, 12 miles if we walk it all, but my guess is that we might get a lift to Shap and walk from there, for a total of 8 miles. In Orton, we'll stay at the St George Hotel:



Then that last hike, 14 miles, to Kirkby Stephen. Though we'll have cheated so rampantly by then that who knows what we'll actually do! For sure, we get a ride north from Kirkby Stephen to Augill Castle for the last two nights.

The Cs will be in the Orangery:

The Ls in the Stable:

Ms TBD!

First accommodation booked, plans taking shape...

The walk gets ever shorter! In order to not be trying to book accommodation in Grasmere over the weekend, we're going to skip a section between St Bees and Ennerdale Bridge. We'll do the coast portion, then loop back to St Bees. Then drive to Ennerdale Bridge (or more likely, to the western shore of Ennerdale Water). We'll walk to Seatoller (12 miles) then another 12 miles to Grasmere on Thursday. 8 miles to Patterdale (Glenridding) where we'll spend two nights. 11 miles to Burnbanks, drive to Shap, 7.5 miles to Orton, then a final 12 miles to Kirkby Stephen.

So we were at 82  miles, now we're subtracting about 10, so probably 72 miles or so?

I've booked two nights for the C family at Best Western Glenridding:
https://plus.google.com/102065772183112106415/photos?hl=en


And a night at The George Hotel Orton:
http://www.thegeorgehotelorton.co.uk/



And booked the last two nights at this awesome place....
http://www.stayinacastle.com


Enquiries out for Stonehouse Farm the first two nights, Seatoller house night 3, Grassmere Hostel night 4, and Brookfield House night 7. Taking shape, taking shape!

Training program? Er....