Day 1

Day 1:  St Bees to Ennerdale Bridge.  About 24 km and about 700m up & 600m down.  

What a beautiful start to our walk!  We left St, Bees in a bit of a drizzle but as we made our way around about 7km of elevated coastline the rain stopped and we even saw a bit of blue sky.  We also saw lots of birds - seagulls, kittiwakes, razorbills  and guillemots - as well as their nesting sites along the sea cliffs.  We traipsed through pastures of sheep and cows.  I had no idea there could be so many colour combinations for sheep - wool colour and different parts of their bodies as well as many different facial colours.  Many very cute little ones as well.  This coastal walk was quite a treat and we did lots of dollygagging.  Only when we finished that section did we realize that we had gone less than a third of the way and it was already noon!  

We picked up the pace a bit as we headed inland, but still paused lots to admire the incredible views all around.  We could see as far as Scotland and the Isle of Man, back to the Irish Sea (from whence we came) and over to the fells of the Lake District that await us in the coming days.  

We had a few navigational false starts but nothing too serious.  We have a great guidebook and a recently purchased GPS which I'm learning to use on the fly. It was good to get some practice today before we get ito more significant route-finding challenges.  

After eating a late lunch just outside of Cleator we headed up Dent Hill - our biggest climb of the day.  A bit of a grunt, but not too bad, and the views from there were amazing.  We got a bit wet crossing the bog at the top and then did probably our steepest downhill of the trip coming down Raven Crag.  Then a pretty straightforward slight downhill to Ennerdale Bridge - our day's destination.  

The scenery was great all day.  Rolling hills and farmland, stone fences, babbling streams, sheep, cows & horses, small country lanes, and of course the sweeping ocean views.  We're staying at the Shepherd's Arms Hotel tonight.  It's a cozy, lovely hotel with great food and (I'm told) quite tasty local brews to quench one's thirst.  Another big day tomorrow, so gotta turn the light out........