Following the enormous success

of the Windermere skate...successful in that I didn't die - I'm now contemplating the next skatepedition.

You'll have noticed the weather turning far more cold, windy & wet - that's my fault. It's become a tradition that no matter in which season we stay in the Lakes the whole country gets a mini ice-age.
As we're staying further up north at Keswick for a few days from Saturday, as well as taking the obligatory snow shoes, ice axe & crampons, I'm going to be taking some new maps to check out some new routes this time.

One possibility will be on our doorstep. Looming over the vale of Keswick is the massive mound of Skiddaw, the third largest fell in England. Winding tightly round its base is the lonely singletrack lane known as Back o' Skiddaw; or as it's known in the local dialect Get Off My Land Afore I sets T'dogs On't Ye.

Renowned huntsman & DJ John Peel of whom the badly misnamed song Ken John Peel was born here & is buried just off this route at St. Kentigern's church. Well known author and TV personality Melvyn Bragg lives near here.

The whole circuit of Skiddaw would be about 20 miles, but cutting out the boring main road bit and the overly hilly scary stuff would still leave around 12 miles of gently undulating fun*. And if it's a bit more than undulating, having learned some lessons from the last skate I now have a helmet. Also, a first aid kit. I also learned that skating in flat as a pancake Norfolk is a far more sensible idea.


















Potential hazards:
Cattle grids
No cakeries nearby.
wild ponies
wild farmers
Melvyn Bragg

Hmmm, the lack of cakes could be a problem. May need to rethink this route.

* Wishful thinking alert Wishful thinking alert.

Photos Copyright Peter McDermott and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.