Got on a train in Sheffield bound for Penrith.
Somewhere near Preston the train in front caught fire. We went to Chorley for a long wait.
Hours later we got going. Then most of the trains northwards were cancelled and >30 carriages worth of passengers tried to get on our 5.
30 in to 5 doesn’t work.
Then near Oxenholme the emergency cord was pulled.
As was my patience.
Penrith arrived a lot later than expected. I got off the X4 bus in Threlkeld centre at 8pm.
Skiddaw House check-in closed at 9.30pm.
Got to Skiddaw House at 9.27pm.
Only 2 other people in there and none of them seemed keen to stay up late getting raucous on electrolyte and salted crisps.
Not much sleep. Hot all night. Left at 9 to walk to Lingy Hut.
The Cumbria Way as far as Carrock Mine (the only tungsten mine in the UK outside of Cornwall) went okay. Okay as in really really warm but bearable.
The ascent of Grainsgill Beck, devoid of any breeze barbecued me. I was in a sun hoody and lathered in factor 50 and taking hydration breaks every 15 mins.
The hut had just been repainted inside. My friend Nick walked up from Swineside and agreed with me. On the bare arse fells it was stupidly hot.
We sat in a bit of breeze and debated where i might walk to to get out of the heat. I had a laden rucksack. The forecast was for it to be this warm, or hotter, for a week.
We descended to Swineside and sat in the shade. I was then given a lift to Penrith Station where, at 5.45pm it was 36c.
I’d hoped for a few days away camping in my new Hilleberg tent. Safety first. The fells aren’t going anywhere.
