We have had three C2C visitors this last week stopping by at the cottage on their way across the country on the marvelous coast to coast bicycle route.
Ian and Greg, good friends and former colleagues of mine at the WEA had with Les set off at 8.30 in the morning from St Bees on the Cumbrian coast and arrived, muddied and wet, at The Larches bang on time as predicted four hours later for a hearty lunch of soup and sandwiches.
We had pressed them to stay over for the night but 30 miles on the first day was too slow for an intended two day crossing, which was to land them up at Tynemouth on the east coast.
By the end of the first day they needed to have done 40 more miles and crossed the M6 to reach Great Salkeld beyond Penrith.
They were still arguing as they left about the exact distance they had to travel! But did not dispute that it was somewhere between 125 and 140 miles. Good going we thought for two days, particularly as they had to cross the high country of the Pennines via Consett in County Durham.
PHOTO The Larches is less than 300 metres from the C2C route, which cuts down through the forest from the Whinlatter pass and the Visitor Centre to reach the Thornthwaite road. It’s an excellent stop off for C2C bikers but is a good base too for anyone interested in road and track cycling in the northern lakes.
It’s also only ½ mile from the start of the Altura cycle trails through Whinlatter Forest, regarded by many as the best in the country. The garage provides good storage facilities for bikes and equipment. The photo opposite shows Ian after bringing in his bike from the rain.
We had another lovely week at The Larches over Easter and I had hoped that I could persuade one of my girls to write about it, but unfortunately they all were too busy with school. The photo opposite is an early morning view we had from the Belvedere of unusual cloud patterns in the valley with Skiddaw above. 
We’d been seduced into choosing that walk by the prospect of the ridge walk along to Hopegill Head and it didn’t disappoint, particularly because Hopegill Head was in the clouds by the time we reached there. (See photo opposite)
Seven years ago we went trekking with our son Barney and daughter Chloe through the Tiger Leaping Gorge in Yunaan, China. We marvelled at how as travellers we were able to communicate with the outside world.
Fortunately Barney has helped here by arranging for 
The challenges facing the project are considerable which is why the New York based Explorers Club – where Chloe is one of the youngest members – has agreed to loan one of its coveted flags for the expedition.
It’s been good to be reminded this last week of the Kinder mass trespass of 1932, when people from Manchester and Sheffield headed for the Derbyshire hills and successfully asserted a right to walk on the moorland and high hills of this country. I knew Benny Rothman, one of the organisers of the trespass, and with our family joined him and many others to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the event in 1982. The photo opposite shows our two young children – now very experienced mountaineers and skiers – on the walk up from the quarry to Kinder Scout.
Over in Seattle this last weekend, I couldn’t resist taking this photo opposite, near where our daughter lives. It’s a perfect example of a belvedere platform, constructed to allow walkers on America’s Pacific coast to get a bird’s eye view of the coastline below and the islands and seas beyond. Its shape is also uncannily like the deck area beside our Lakeland Belvedere at The Larches, though a little bit smaller.
Think “Snow falling on cedars” by David Guterson and 