Tuesday, August 4, 2026
💡PRO TIP: Wear boots, at least here in the Lake District. I debated boots vs. trail runners for months before this trip, because the boots I had were causing blisters but switching to trail runners had introduced heel pain. Finally I found boots that don’t cause blisters and now that I’m here, I can’t imagine hiking the Lakeland fells in trail runners. The boots provide support, stability, and protection from smashing my toes on rocky terrain that has already been critical, and I’m only on Day 2. Once I’m out of the Lake District, spending more time in fields and on less rocky trail, I may try switching to trail runners.
16.0 miles / 3,695 ft elevation gain
What a day! This is what I came here to do. Well, almost, since I didn’t end up doing the high route (more on that later). Even without it, today was physically demanding and full of beautiful scenery. Sitting here now, I feel almost overwhelmed: happy to be doing something this amazing, proud of what I’ve accomplished so far, and excited for so much more to come.
It was also finally cooler, rainy and windy, a change from the warm and sunny weather since I got here. England badly needs the rain, and while it’s not typically my favorite weather, it’s what I expected.
Leaving Ennerdale Bridge
This morning started with breakfast, chatting with fellow walkers: two women who’d also stayed at Stone House, as well as a Dutch family (mother, father, and teenage son). Breakfast was surprisingly good after a mediocre dinner. Fried eggs on toast, toast with butter and jelly, yogurt and muesli. That sounds like 3 breakfasts, but I’ll need the fuel! I also stopped at The Gather again on my way out for a latte and today’s lunch (a sandwich and some chocolate).
Within 2 minutes of leaving The Gather it started drizzling. It was the kind of rain that came in small droplets, but enough of them that everything was quickly soaked. Rain was forecasted most of the day, so I stopped to put the rain cover on my bag and the rain jacket on me. While I was doing that, the two ladies from F&H/Stone House stopped to do the same, so we chatted for a bit. They also took a photo of me, since I’ve so far only had selfies.
After leaving the village, the first part of the walk was a gravel path through a forest where they were cutting down all the trees due to Phytophthora disease. It was a nice smooth gravel path, an easy start to the day.
Ennerdale Water: North or South?
Finally, I got my first glimpse of Ennerdale Water! (In the Lake District, lakes are called Water. Go figure.) At this point, walkers must decide to go around the north or south side. The book recommends the south side unless it’s raining a lot, in which case it becomes a river, but the north side is the official route now that the C2C is a national trail. I figured “raining a lot” by Lakeland standards was way more rain than we were getting, so I hung a right to go the south side.
About 15 minutes after I turned, a guy with two border collies (who definitely seemed to be looking for sheep to herd) stopped to ask if I was doing the C2C. He wished me luck, then suggested I take the north side instead, a much easier, graded path the whole way. He said the south side was much harder on the knees and feet: very rocky, lots of up and down, and scrambling. I paused for a moment, wondering if I should heed this local’s advice. Ultimately I said I’d stick with the south side. I didn’t come to do “easy,” and it was already clear I wasn’t going to get to do the high route later in the day. Also, I really wanted to go over Robin Hood’s Chair (aka Anglers Crag). So, off I went.
Over Robin Hood’s Chair
The path was quite rocky and narrow, especially in the beginning, where bracken (ferns) and other plants were growing close to the trail. With the rain and low clouds it was moody and beautiful, like a chilly, windy rainforest. There were other walkers out there: a large group of 8 or 10, plus a pair that seemed to be grandfather and grandchild.
About 45 minutes after starting the south shore route, I hit Robin Hood’s Chair. I’d stopped to take pictures and missed seeing the route the group ahead took. There seemed to be multiple ways up, but I remembered the book suggested staying right, which looks more difficult on the way up but is less treacherous on the way down. There was definitely scrambling, and I had to toss my poles up, then down on the other side. But I made it over, stopping on the way to admire the view and take photos.
The Last Stretch of Ennerdale Water
Next came a pretty wooded section with birch trees, still more stream crossings, and a lovely stretch down close to the water, before entering a larger wooded section. Around this time, 4 guys walked by in just sweatshirts and shorts, apparently having failed to check the forecast. About 2 hours after making the decision to take the southern path, I’d reached the end of the lake.
Numerous streams ran down from Crag Fell to the water, and water was running along many sections of the path. I hadn’t made any attempt to keep my boots dry, and at some point I realized there was water sloshing inside both of them. Between walking through wet grass, walking in and crossing streams, and the rain, trying to keep your feet dry is as pointless as trying not to step in sheep poop.
The High Route I Didn’t Take
Next it was over the River Liza, then up a forest road along the river to YHA Ennerdale, where I stopped to warm up and eat lunch (afterward I realized it’s not clear they welcome passersby, unlike YHA Black Sail, where I was headed next). While I was there, two guys came in with enormous backpacks, who I’d passed earlier while they were stopped on the road. When I went to the vestibule to put my boots on before leaving, only one of them came out to do the same. Turns out his brother was having foot pain and couldn’t go any further, so their parents were coming to pick him up while this guy carried on. They were wild camping and carrying all their own stuff. He said his pack weighed over 20 kg (~45 lbs)!
Just after YHA Ennerdale is the turn-off for the high route, which takes you over a number of summits, including Red Pike, High Stile (the highest summit on the C2C), High Crag, and Haystacks. Wainwright describes this route as only suitable for very strong and experienced fellwalkers in clear weather. The Stedman book (see the Resources page) stresses to only do the high route in clear weather, because navigation is difficult in the fog and the only reason to put yourself through the struggle is for the views. I’d been eyeing the peaks around me all day, or at least trying to, but their outlines were barely visible. I’d be lucky if I could see my hand in front of my face up there, much less anything else. So, low route it was for me.
If I’m honest, I’d been stressing about the high route overnight, and it was kind of relieving to have the weather decide for me. That said, I fretted about my decision as I walked, until there was enough of a break in the trees that I could see the fells I would have been on. I couldn’t see the peaks at all, so I snapped a picture to document the moment, and decided not to think about it anymore.
Black Sail and the Climb Up
Carrying on to YHA Black Sail, I nibbled on Maltesers I’d picked up at the last hostel’s honesty box. Black Sail is England’s most remote hostel, which also encourages walkers to stop in even if they aren’t staying there. It seemed so cozy inside that I’d never want to leave, so I stayed outside, used their toilet, drank an apple juice, and chatted with some folks before setting off on the 1,000 ft climb up alongside the very steep Loft Beck.
It was much windier and colder in this section than it had been all day. The climb was very vertical, but thankfully it was more like walking on steep, uneven, rocky stairs than a steeply sloping ground: more work for the quads, but much easier on the heels. There were definitely sketchy parts (the brother I’d talked to previously actually took a tumble; he was scraped up, but ok), and at times the gusts felt like they were going to blow me off my feet, but I felt fine from a strength and cardio perspective (even though I was already 10 miles into the hike when I started the climb).
Finally I reached the top of Loft Beck, where there are views of Buttermere. From there, it was a much gentler ascent, through the gate in Brandreth Fence and on to Grey Knotts, where the descent to Borrowdale Valley begins.
Into Borrowdale Valley
After initially missing the (very, very obvious) turn to start the descent, I quickly realized my mistake. It’s a disused quarry tramway that is now a very rocky, steep, difficult descent that gets harder as it goes. Finally I made it down to Honister Mine, stopping briefly in the cafe before being overwhelmed by the touristy-ness (although I have to admit the Baileys hot cocoa sounded amazing).
The rest of the walk down to Borrowdale Valley (which has several villages along the C2C), was fairly boring, closely hugging the road. Thankfully, two things made it great! Lee called and I chatted with him for a while as he was getting ready for work. And I ate a flapjack (a baked oat bar which must be made with a ton of sugar) for the first time, and it was amazing! It had come in yesterday’s lunch from Stone House; I can’t believe I’d been carrying this pile of deliciousness all this time.
Continuing the descent, I also chatted with a woman who is in the Dutch Air Force, here to get her British Mountain Guide certification (purely for personal development). We also ran into the brother, as well as the two women who’d stayed at the same place as me the last two nights. We dropped them in Seatoller, and then I dropped the other two at YHA Borrowdale before carrying on to Rosthwaite.
A Warm Welcome at Last
Unfortunately it started pouring rain, the worst all day, when I was about 3 minutes away from The Royal Oak Hotel, and I’d already taken off my rain gear. I walked in looking like a drowned rat, but was warmly welcomed. What a difference this place is from last night!
The only dinner seating was in 30 minutes, so I quickly cleaned myself up and went back downstairs. Dinner was delicious: goat cheese and beet appetizer, arancini in pesto entree, and chocolate mousse dessert.
I was also on the receiving end of an act of kindness to top off the night. It seems like many inns don’t have conditioner for your hair. Stone House did, but Fox & Hounds didn’t, and there wasn’t any in my shower at The Royal Oak (surprising, considering how nice the hotel was otherwise). I’d gone downstairs to ask the manager if they had any, and he said unfortunately they do not. The female employee overheard, went upstairs to get a small bottle, and told me to keep it, as it’s not a kind that works well for her hair. I was so grateful for her kindness!
Leave a comment