Cumbria Way Non Stopper 2016.

Well I just had to give it a go after my miserable failed attempt in April. This time though I thought I'd go South to North starting in Ulverston. I'd only gone this way three times, my first time which took me just under 30 hours, and a failed second attempt, before I switched to going North to South starting in Carlisle.
After all the injuries in recent years, I thought it a good idea to compare times with that first success 25 years ago. Yes, 25 years older plus a stone extra in weight, it was going to be interesting!
Train to Ulverston, found the start and I'm on my way!
Didn't get far before I had to do a 'U' turn, and back to where I'd started.

The start Ulverston.

So back to the square where I met two young lads also doing the Cumbria Way over 5 days. They were complete novices to back packing and were unsure whether they would be able to manage 15 miles per day, having never walked that far before in one go.

Just beyond the rise from Old Hall Farm.

I walked with them for a few miles however the pace was slow and I needed to get going, so i bid them a good trip and I was off. Having lost quite some time I was now behind schedule by over an hour.
Nothing else for it I'd have to try a run. It felt awkward at first, having not even trotted for some time, but I hoped it would soon feel easier, which to my surprise it did. It takes an awful lot of running to make up an hour.

St. Johns Church, Nr. Netherhouses.
I often went wrong through the many poorly signed fields with many gates and stiles, it had been around 10 years since my last journey along this route, and that had been going in the opposite direction.
Down through Broughton Beck, I eventually arrived at Cawthwaite and my first time check. I was carrying my timings from my first CW.

Broughton Beck

Checking my watch I saw that I was 15 minutes down.

Track out of Cawthwaite heading for Oxon Fell High Cross.

Sharp right turn after Kiln Bank.

Carrying on through the rough ground, several walkers were passed doing some kind of event along with the usual DOE groups. I took the right hand bank of Beacon Tarn, the original route before parts of the path began giving way making it a bit risky in places. I then began the drop to Stable Harvey Moss and up the road to find the path leading off to the left. Due to a Camper Van being parked right on this junction I almost missed it.

Stable Harvey Moss.

Dow Crag & Old Man of Coniston.

First proper sights of the nearby mountains as I continued over broken ground below Anne Rigg and across the footbridge over Torver Beck to reach the road crossing and the path leading to Coniston Water.

Path below Anne Riggs.

Footbridge over Torver beck.

Coniston Water and landing bay, ferry in the distance having just left.

The path along the waters edge is a delight and it is followed all the way to Coniston itself.

Arrived in Coniston 9 minutes up on schedule, so I had made up the lost hour and was now 9 minutes ahead. I knew this would be short lived as I was stopping for supplies, which I did at the first garage shop. Such a busy place but I hurry through, I have time once again to catch up. I take in as much as I can when doing these 'non stoppers', it has to be enjoyable too.