Circuit of Derwent Water 21/11/2015
Distance 17km, ascent ~200m, time 5.5hrs
We set off at 09:00 with the idea that we would have an easier day today and walk into Keswick, stop for some shopping and lunch and then get a ride back. Getting to Keswick from the hotel was very straightforward along the Cumbria way and we were in town by 11:30. It was a beautiful clear almost still day and it had snowed quite heavily overnight giving all the mountains a lovely covering of white. We stopped for coffee and did a little shopping and had a little lunch. The day was still beautiful and we had never done a complete circuit of Derwent Water so we decided to carry on walking (or rather I persuaded Alison that it would be a good idea to carry on). The first part around Friars Crag and as far as Calfclose Bay follows the shore of the lake and was pleasant and easy. After that the choice was 4km along the main Borrowdale Road (B5289) or retrace our steps slightly and ascend to the Great Wood to Ashness Bridge footpath. We did the latter. Ashness Bridge is on the tiny Watendlath Road with very steep crags between the road and Derwent Water - so there was still no easy route back to Grange. We ended up ascending the Watendlath Road past the aptly named Surprise Viewpoint and then steeply down through woodland to High Lodore. The footpath across the south end of Derwent Water was flooded, so we had a 1km stretch of the B5289 to walk to reach the Grange turnoff - arriving back to the hotel pretty much in the dark at 16:30.