Kendal to Carlisle: 75km

The ascent to the summit of Shap Fell began soon after we left Kendal, first on side roads and then on the A6 (which we followed for the rest of the day). It was a fairly steady climb for 20 km. The weather was cold and clear and it remained chilly for the whole day, with a very strong wind on the top of the fells. From the Greyhound Hotel in Shap, where we stopped for coffee, we noticed patches of fresh snow on the hills in the distance. The forecast for tonight included the possibility of more snow.

In Penrith, we found a delightful bookshop which included a small tea room , the “Sconery”, where we enjoyed lentil soup and freshly-baked scones. We mentioned to the proprietor that Susan Musgrave’s family lived nearby and we were directed to the Musgrave Monument in the centre of town! Taking a wrong turn leaving the town, we also found ourselves at the end of Musgrave Street! (We suggested that the bookstore might want to stock some of Susan’s books.)

Although Google Maps showed a gradual descent to Carlisle, we still faced a number of hills. South of the city, we could see some “weather” ahead.  We learned later that this was a hail storm that we had missed.

We spent the evening visiting with friends Tim and Caroline. We had both known Tim from Birmingham, where he had taught Paul epidemiology during his community medicine training.  It was good to see that Tim was doing relatively well compared to last year and it was a delight to meet Caroline for the first time.