Rebels without a cause

Summer at long last!

We set off at noon with a vague plan to ride two twisty passes. Fidra being more suited to faster A roads & motorways stayed at Camp Gals and little Biscuit took Ms.Arell for a scenic pillion ride.


We set off from our accomodation in Braithwaite, up the Whinlatter Pass and down the other side into Yewdale. Turning south, we bimbled past Crummock Water to Buttermere where we stopped and took a lovely stroll to a sunny shingle beach. Rays were absorbed before heading back for lunch sat outside The Buttermere Court Hotel. Walking back up the path, our noses inhaled a very strong whiff of Camomile which in fact we reckon was freshly cut grass...so now we know what's in our fancy herbal tea bags.

Climbing aboard once more Biscuit really showed us her Heart of Tractor by taking the mighty Honester Pass in her stride! The main blip is a plaque on the disused trackbed to one of the old Slate Mines at the summit. Note we are on the wrong side of Beyond This Point, rebels that we are.

Extra 1 is looking down the Pass that we had just ridden up. There had (and have continued to be) incredible views around every corner, and this one looking 'back down the hill' was a bit of a Wow moment for sense of scale. I remarked to Ms Arell that I could see such a view in some old British Leyland advertising with an Austin Maxi crawling up the hill ;-D

Rolling down the south side of the pass was great too, containing more green fields compared to the barren north. It was an equally dramatic bimble leading all the way around to Derwent water and back to Keswick.

In fact the weather was so nice we popped back to our accomodation, dropped off our bulky riding gear and returned to Keswick dressed more casual, taking a stroll around (extra 2) and enjoying an ice cream in the early evening sunshine. The air was so calm and we observed a Parasailer attempting to get airborne from a nearby peak, having no luck finding a headwind to keep their wing taught enough to make the leap!

Afterwards we had Beans on Toast, a cuppa, a shower and Zzzzz. A fab day :-)