Day 5 - Patterdale to Shap
Distance today 16.5 miles, climb today 989m (3244 ft)!
Total distance so far 69.1 miles
This was a big day - 16 miles and over the highest point of the walk!!
We set off out of Patterdale and almost immediately started climbing steeply up Kidsty Pike - the highest point on the Coast to Coast.
Setting off from Patterdale across the river
Looking back towards Ullswater.
Looking West towards Scarfell Pike.
Climbing up towards Kidsty Pike

Part way up it levelled out and we came to Angle Tarn with its little islands and lots of geese honking.
It then continued on steeply to the summit and fantastic views.
Made it to the top of Kidsty Pike!!
The view of where we are going - along the ridge and eventually down to the reservoir in the distance! The descent was even steeper - scrambling in places - down to the shores of Haweswater reservoir.
Before the steep descent down to the reservoir
Down at Haweswater Reservoir
We then walked several miles along the side of the reservoir with beautiful gorse and waterfalls.
The scent of gorse in the warm sunshine is ‘gorsegous’!!!!
The start of the Swaledales
The last few miles to Shap were very tiring and our feet were quite sore. We passed the ruins of Shap Abbey outside the town.
Shap Abbey- lovely - but disappointingly still a mile and a half from Shap!!



















During David’s epic walk from Lands End to John o’ Groats, he seemed to meet many people every day. Are you seeing fewer people?
ReplyDeleteMike - we are seeing people and chatting to them but because there are two of us there is probably less chatting going on than when David was on his own!!
DeleteWow what lovely scenery and well photographed too. Hope you are not both done in by the hard slog? Robin
ReplyDeleteWe have plenty of gorse here in the back field with a bunny warren underneath but alas no sun. Gloomy but at least not pissing down!
ReplyDelete