Hodge Close to the Brittania (Elterwater that is.)

The popularity of the rambles for members of the Wigan Behaviour Support Team has a great deal with routes that are chosen by myself, or so I like to think. The fact that I engineer the walk to include a lunch time halt at a hostelry rather than behind a windswept cairn may or may not have some part to play. I leave that to others to decide. This walk on the 10th March was well attended as usual and commenced with people turning up in dribs and drabs at Hodge Close quarry near Coniston. The weather was somewhat inclement, so much so that nobody seemed to want to get out of their cars to greet each other. Fair weather walkers indeed!!


All was not as it seemed though, they quickly responded to shouts that it was time get going and briskly piled out of their cars looking ready for the Walk.
Marion had complained that the first word in my directions was "Up" so I changed them to "Across the car park" but within fifty yards we were going up.










Hodge Close Quarry




The great thing about doing Holme Fell from Hodge Close is that there is only four hundred and fifty of ascent and it should only take half an hour before you reach the top of the most wonderful small summit in the area with terrific views, 10.45 a.m. we'll be their by 11.30 p.m. easily. So it took us an hour to the top but "hey ho" no problems, the rain had stopped and everyone thought it was a wonderful summit.





Debs meets the country










The view from Holme Fell


















Requests for a coffee break were airily waived aside as was Maggie's third time of asking "How far have we got to go?" as we set off again only to be stopped as the grassy path turned into a rather steep downward scrabble. Noticing the rather worried looks on some faces as Grant turned round and begin to act like some latter day version of Edward Whimper, I found an alternative route of the back of Holme Fell.







The Behaviour Support Team showed off their supportive prowess by helping each other down. At the bottom Pat asked when we were stopping for coffee and I used the old technique of waving vaguely in the distance and saying "up there somewhere".





At this point the whole group lost it's grip on time the fifteen minutes it should have taken from leaving Holme fell to the coffee stop turned into an hour. Even I needed Pat's wonderful rations, which included in no particular order, coffee, brownies and a tot of rum. And then it started to rain again.
The route carried on across the top of the land between Holme Fell and Oxen Park and was generally easy walking with continually good views. No route indicated on the OS maps but a very clear path on the ground.
On the road at Oxen Park decisions had to be made as it had now reached 1.30 p.m. doubts began to creep into my mind as to whether we would reach a pub today, so the direct route was chosen. Well nearly direct as I could not bring myself to walk along a road in the Lake District like all those other people who walk in Cagoules, never waterproofs with rucksacks so small that they could only hold a hanky and one round off sandwiches in greaseproof paper. With such wonderful scenery, why do so many of these people walk along tarmac roads? and why do they wear woolen hats in winter spring and summer?



There were few complaints from this section as the footpaths either side of the A593 were all down hill to Skelwith. Even though the pace was picking up I was beginning to have panic attacks that we were never going to arrive at a pub at all. We decided to postpone the Brittania and head straight for the Talbot Bar at the Skelwith Hotel. As I crossed the car park I literally broke into a trot, the bar appeared to be in darkness. I ran to the window and sticking my nose to the window and cupping my hands round my eyes I stared through the glass straight at a couple sat two feet on the other side staring in a very perplexed fashion at me staring at them. It was then that Grant pointed at the opening hours "Winter times" "Saturday Close at 2.30 p.m. and it it was now 2.20. Thus we were forced back on track to our original objective.
The final walk up up the Brathay and past Eltermere is very pleasant but also very busy, this is definitely a hot spot for walkers but timing is everything and on arriving at the Brittania nearly two and a half hours beyond my planned arrival time we found the pub nearly empty! The backroom was completely empty but was quickly colonised, kitty arranged and the first round on the table before everyone had got into the bar. (If only the walking was so efficient.) The fire was on the atmosphere cosy and it took great effort to leave.
Grant was now the one twitching, there was only an hour to finish the walk, get back to Windermere for him to settle in to watch United and Middlesborough in FA quarter finals. (Fat chance).
Our route took us up past the woods and down to Wilson Place, I think Grant may have been toying with the idea of a diversion to the Three Shire to see if they had a television on but we decided Lakeland pubs just don't go in for big screen football. Down to Stang End it was then and in double quick time back along the road to Hodge Close. And still everyone had a great time and enjoyed the walk tremendously. The only problem now was that everyone's evening plans were going to be extremely delayed and United drew 2 all with Middlesborough.