a scenic selfie and soggy feet

(Gotta get that selfie!)

We've been at it again, a quiet Saturday with pretty good weather on the forecast called for another venture to the lakes to burn a few calories.  
I'd like to say this time we were better prepared, and in one sense we were, with a guidebook that used to be my dad's (Easy Rambles around Keswick & Borrowdale if you're interested), with excellent step by step directions meant there was no chance of us getting lost this time, but donned once again in my fabric trainers, a 2km stretch of soggy bog land wasn't the most pleasant of experiences.  
We picked a relatively easy route, just under 5 miles but with impressive views once you've scaled above the Forestry Commission land, too bad we didn't pay more attention to the blurb before we set off as then we perhaps would have been more prepared for the 'boggy ground between Barf and Lord's Seat', ah well, you live and learn hey?

Parking up at Whinlatter Visitor Centre, we filled our tums with sweet potato, chilli and lime soup, and a great chunk of crusty bread.  This was genuinely one of the best soups I've ever had (sorry Glorious Soups, I still love you though!) and plan to attempt to recreate it at home some time soon.  With an emergency packet of hula hoops in my bag, a cartoon of apple juice, and a handful of maoams (turns out I snack like a 5 year old) we were ready to rock.
A relatively gentle ascent, although the heart rate was definitely racing at certain points, with good views and a history lesson or two along the way...you can see the spot that Lord Barf fell to his death after a drunken wager led him to attempt to scale the fell on his horse the next day, it was a nice walk that I'd recommend if you want something that isn't too hard going.  However, the stretch between the two fells isn't the most enjoyable, if there is a path, it was under a foot of mud when we walked through it, and however hard you try, it's impossible not to sink! 
But by the point, you've done all the hardwork and it's a simple path back downhill, so with cold and wet toes, we rushed back to the car, turned the heating up high and patted ourselves on the back for not getting lost.  Given that it's only February March, I think we're doing pretty well to have got two walks in so far this year, but before the next, I think it might be time to admit that a pair of walking boots are definitely required, although with Summer just around the corner, then I'll be getting out the flip flops!