Our friend Joan has a significant birthday and we have been invited to join in her celebrations. We leave the car at Waterend at the house of John and Rosemund at 10am and wander through Holme Woods to the Loweswater Bothy, where coffee and cakes and some of our companions for the next 12 hours were gathering
 |
| Joan had organised picnic lunch for everyone, we just had to pack it up ourselves. The Bothy kitchen has been decorated for the occasion |
 |
| Joan and four others had spent the night at the bothy (and were spending tonight there too) |
 |
| There is not a cloud in the sky and the view from the bothy is promising us a splendid day as we set of to High Nook farm to join the Coffin Route |
 |
| Crossing High Nook Beck |
 |
| We stop for lunch near Fangs Brow and after a leisurely picnic, John gives us our orders for the rest of the afternoon. There are three options, the shortest route goes straight back to the bothy from here, there is a mid length and then a longer route. |
 |
| Having only lost two of the group on the shortest option, we make our way to Graythwaite, the home of John and Judy. A handy comfort break before we carry on up the fellside. The middle group will leave us shortly while the A team carry on up Darling Fell |
 |
| Waving goodbye as we turn left off the Mosser road to head up the fell |
 |
| The Isle of Man is visible in the far distance as we reach the summit of Darling Fell |
 |
| If you look REALLY closely in this picture,you will see a cloud. That's the only one we saw all day! |
 |
| From Darling Fell we had dropped down to Crabtree beck and then walked round through the disused quarry to rejoin the Mosser road |
 |
| Back up the Mosser road briefly and we then drop down to the road and across to Hudson Place to walk back around the top end of Loweswater |
 |
| And back to the Bothy for tea and more cake! |
 |
| Meanwhile the others have been getting ready for tonight's celebrations |
 |
| Before long the canapes and drinks start to flow (can canapes flow?) |
 |
| John and Rosemund arrive in style from their house at the far end of the lake. Breeze wasn't too sure about their mode of transport |
 |
| John tries hard to organise us all for a group photo |
 |
| And the evening continues with good (hot!) food, plenty to drink and non stop chatter and laughter |
 |
| However good an organiser Joan is (and she is famed for it), even she couldn't have wished to arrange weather this good. It had been scorching all day, and through the evening the breeze dropped as the light faded to give the most amazing reflections |
Thank you Joan, it was a perfect occasion. We walked 9.5 miles, excluding to and from the Bothy.
