Walking in the Lake District

Posted by Carla Bevan at 10:51 on 28 Apr 2008

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This weekend I did some good old-fashioned exercise and spent two days walking up mountains (well, hills really but they felt like mountains) in the Lake District.

I was in the region to review a hotel, but rather than laze around in the gym and drink red wine in front of roaring log fires, was booted out of bed at 7am by my hyperactive boyfriend, presented with a copy of Pathfinder: Lake District Walks and told to choose a walk that took at least five hours and wouldn't be too 'easy'.

Unfortunately with these circular walks, when it starts pouring with rain and you're at the top of a very tall hill and your boots start rubbing, the only option is to press on and finish, even if you want to sit down and go to sleep.

The best bit? When you've walked so far every bit of you aches, there's absolutely not guilt whatsoever involved in eating a Snickers bar at the end… or all the shortbread left in your hotel room… or a six-course meal for dinner.

With my bottom muscles still feeling slightly tender (that'll be going up the mountain), the following day we decided to pick a flat route and went round one of the Lake District's lakes, rather than up one of its hills. We also cut the mileage in half, although still managed to get utterly drenched making what should have been a nice stroll, something of an ordeal.

Still, this morning I'm not aching any more and feeling terribly smug about my exercise-filled weekend.

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