Avoiding Meg's Ghyll

When we walked the Westmoreland Way four years ago the scariest bit was the descent of Meg's Ghyll into Chapel Stile - much worse than Striding Edge! It is a precipitously steep and narrow footpath with a huge drop into a very deep ravine on one side. I am revisiting the Westmoreland Way with a U3A group so I thought I would recce an alternative route into Chapel Stile as I would rather not lose any of the group into the ravine. I was pleased to find an alternative that meets the Chapel Stile road just 100m from the original ... we will be using the new route in January when we walk this section.

The whole day was lovely; dry, bright and will some lovely soft diffused light at times courtesy of some thin clouds. Grasmere was looking particularly photogenic.

In extras many will recognise the bridge in Elterwater. I never thought I would see an HGV attempting to cross it! The driver exited his cab at least five times to check on the clearances at the back and the front. In fact he had to exit his cab onto the parapet of the bridge which is only a few inches wide. Hats of to the driver ... with no more than a couple of millimetres either side he got through without a scratch to the lorry or the bridge.