Hello fellow travellers!
Since this is the first entry of this blog, let me give you a heads up about the type of adventures I am going to write about.
The paths I usually chose for my travels are fairly easy and most of all safe! I don't go to the gym, I am not a fitness freak and if I want to eat a cookie I will! I work from Monday to Friday and therefore don't get the chance to travel as often as I would like but if I do, I try to squeeze as much as I can out of the whole experience. All in all, what I'm trying to say here is, if I can do it SO CAN YOU!
Let us start our journey with a big bang - The Lake District. With such a vast area to explore where do you even start?! Not knowing what to really expect, I have chosen the area of Thirlmere Reservoir, near Keswick, as my first destination. I stayed at The Lodge In The Vale, which was a very nice and modern accommodation in a beautiful location. There was also a nice, big car park available, which for me is always a big plus.
I dropped my bags in the room and went to explore the area. Since it was getting a bit late, I thought a walk on the shores of the reservoir was a reasonable option. For about a mile the walk was a bit risky, since there was no pavement and I had to walk on the main road but a bit further there was a nice, small, hardly used by cars road, leading all the way around the reservoir.
Later on I have discovered that there is a fair share of car parks around the lake, so you can skip the unsafe, roadside path and just drive to one of car parks and walk from there.
The walk around Thirlmere is for travellers of all ages. The tarmac road is flat and in good condition. The paths leading into the hills are colour coded and well prepared. At the beginning of each path there is a large board with a map of all nearby attractions and a brief description on what to expect.
At this point it is worth remembering that when you are exploring nature, whether it’s a mountain, forest or just a large hill, it is never a good idea to wonder alone. Plan your journey wisely, don’t take unnecessary risks, always have a torch, a bottle of water and something to eat. In remote places like that there is usually no signal and waiting until some other traveller shows up can sometimes take hours.
I dragged one of my friends on this lovely adventure but if you do travel alone remember that there are usually other hotel guests that probably plan to visit the same places as you – why not do it together? However, if you prefer to wander alone make sure you let the guys at the hotel reception know where you are going and what time you plan to come back… but I think I went a bit off track here.. anyway..
After exploring the nearest surroundings, I got a bit hungry. The Lodge did serve drinks and snack in the evening but unfortunately didn’t have a restaurant section. Luckily, close by there was a lovely pub, The King’s Head Inn, with good food and drinks so the evening was saved.
The next day we geared up and drove to the car park next to the Dob Gill Waterfall.
The 3 mile path lead next to the Harrop Tarn, Dob Gill Waterfall and back to the Thirlmere Reservoir. There was also a more challenging path going around the Harrop Tarn, however we decided to stick to the easier option.
I must admit, the first mile was the most challenging one and I would not advise anyone to take this path on a rainy day. It is a bit steep and, due to the fact that it is very close to the waterfall, can be wet and slippery. On the positive note, it does allow to admire the waterfall.
Eventually, we arrived at the beautiful plain and in the middle of it we saw the Harrop Tarn. Absolutely stunning place surrounded by mountains. Idyllic and peaceful oasis where one can relax and rest. Definitely worth the the effort.
After a good rest we continued our journey. The path was much wider now and more stable. A perfect path to enjoy the forest with your kids or dogs offering some marvellous views of the mountains, reservoir, smaller waterfalls and streams.
As we reached the bottom of the hill we carried on our walk and went to explore the trail close to the reservoir..but that is a different story..