A lucky Lakes trip.

Sheila’s mums in Cumbria was the agenda for this weekend. We were a little concerned about the weather, especially setting off at 7.30pm Thursday night. The roads in the lakes, as many of you are aware are exceptionally dark and black ice can be lurking anywhere.

As it happened the roads were very quiet and we took it very easily, following the west coast road. It took us a little longer than usual but we arrived in one piece.
This journey to Sheila’s mums is a shopping weekend and not a walking one although sometimes we can get the odd days walk in.
Friday was not too bad a day and we managed to get most things done however it turned wintery as night approached.
It had been a little while since we had been for a meal in the Scree’s at Nether Wasdale so we decided to do that.
On the approach to Nether Wasdale from the west, there is a gradual incline and what goes up usually comes down. The descent into Nether Wasdale being quite steep. It was a little icy on the approach to the summit of the hill but once we hit the top that was it! The car decided that it didn’t like my driving and took over the wheel itself. Unfortunately for us, it had not passed it’s driving test.
For 50yds or so it decided it wanted to go sideways on the wrong side of the road and then it had the mind to do some off roading. Thankfully it missed the walls and the ditches and came to rest on the grass outside somebodies house.
Deep breaths, a wipe away of the sweat/fear and it got a good slapping.
Now back under my control i managed to persuade it to get back on the ice slide, sorry road. We still had 50 yds of hill to descend and with some shaking and plenty of handbrake we started off. Gradually we slowly but surely reached the bottom. All was very quiet in the car. A sharp intake of breath.

As it was now snowing extremely heavy it was decided to abandon the idea of stopping for a meal just incase we couldn’t get out of the village in an hour or so. To be honest we wasn’t hungry anymore anyway.
We crawled at about 2mph through Nether Wasdale and onto Santon Bridge and back to Gosforth where a huge cry of relief could be heard all the way to Wasdale Head.

Later that evening whilst still shaking in the Gosforth Hall we learnt that we were not the only ones to come to grief on that hill. Fortunately no injuries though, just a dented pride.

It was quite a surprise then that i did manage to take a few photo’s without camera shake. Hope you like them.