| O.K. you wake up, you have just spent a tremendous
night down the pub reliving all the details about your coast to coast adventures, when
suddenly you realize this is the day, THIS IS THE DAY! It's my birthday, oh well why
did I do this walk over my birthday - yeah well someday I'll explain it. So the usual
thing - every one saying Happy Birthday and loads of pressies goes out of the window. All
you get is just another day feeling - nobody knows it's your birthday so you end up saying
to yourself over and over again - Happy ........ But this day is like no other - your
doing the coast to coast walk and there is a long way to go today, my lad; 16 miles with
over 4000 feet of climbing, plus some. So feeling reckless I say to hell with the
Packhorse, I can do it - and here I go. Leaving Stonethwaite behind is hard - lots of
climbing straight away - through a moonscape then finally onto Greenup Edge. Great but
very oozy under foot - squelch, squelch and so on. Well what goes up must come down and
here I go. Straight down Far Easedale. Well on the way down - one problem - feet not on
the ground and POW - Batman never did this - I'm flat on my back bruised, dirty and
thinking Gee that could have been an lot bigger drop than 50 feet. So I decided to buy a
whistle when I got to Grasmere - In case I needed to call International Rescue. Well most
sane people stop the night in Grasmere - But Wainwright suggests carrying onto
Patterdale. Which could be a good idea, Grasmere gets very busy with Wordsworth
enthusiasts, but Patterdale is a lot more walking away. O.K. I decide to go for it. Yes
it's my Birthday, I should be taking it easy, but this is a real walking expedition here
and I'm going to give it some! Well down in Grasmere the results of the fall in Far
Easedale come to fruition and out pops half a tooth- Yelp! Urgent calls home locate
a dentist in Kirby Stephen so an appointment with him is duly booked. No problems ....
now off
to Paterdale, via Grisedale Hause, - as recommended by Wainwright. Well the wind was
blowing against me and yes here and there I did crawl along on my knees thinking what's
wrong with me today. Then hey presto I met the 2 Gentleman from Shugborough and they were
having the same problem. I felt a lot better. A trouble shared is a trouble .......... I
just realized the lack of locomotion was due to a gale blowing against me and not
excessive amount of beer the night before at Stonethwaite. So on I go past Grisedale Tarn,
through Grisedale to the White Lion Inn where tonight's B & B beckoned. Well a very
tired soul entered the Inn that day and on arrival I was met by a chorus of 'Happy
Birthday to you' and 'Hi Phil what are you drinking' - comradeship, friendship - something
very special and I had found it all here; on the coast to coast!
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