Day 2 Ennerdale Bridge to Seatoller.

Pictures Day2EnnerdaleBridgeTo Seatoller
The day didn't start all that well, with constant wind and the pitter and patter of rain most of the night.
Outside when we surfaced it was misty, visibility limited to about 300m.
Breakfast under a pergola of Alsynite only amplified the rain.
Arrienne took one look at the day and decided to take the transport to our next accommodation.

Wet start

The foursome set out into the light rain, into the rather picturesque village of Ennerdale.
The rain persisted such that taking pictures became quite a problem. The camera lens wasn't clear and I had nothing dry to to dry it with!

Ennerdale

 We had been told that one route, around Ennerdale Water, a lake, was rather suspect with the rain, so we took the the northern route, which left exposed to the wind and rain coming in across from the other shore.
It was the first time I have actually zipped my rain jacket fully.
It was about this time that I realised my Gortex lined Scarpa, waterproof boots, weren't.
It continued to rain steadily, we got wetter and wetter.
The Ennerdale YHA provided a verandah respite for morning tea, at which point we joined up with 5 other walkers.
They proposed an alternative route to the gruelling Loft Beck, the steepest climb of the C2C.
Our route took us up to a famouse feature of the C2C, the Haystacks.
Like haystacks, we climbed up, then down, then up and finally down again, all in pouring rain.
Some of the climbing was quite steep, and the descents even steeper.
A stop for lunch was called at 1.30PM, by which time I was soaked, my boots squelching with every step.

Crap picture to illustrate the weather

After lunch we had to circuit around a high feature, leading to Black Beck with pouring water leaping off a precipice into the void.
This then lead to a tarn, with a fierce flowing stream, that lead into the aforesaid beck.
This was successfully jumped across, however worse was to come. As we were nearing the easy part of the walk, we came to a veritable torrent, too wide and too fast flowing to cross.
This then entailed walking up stream, tentative steps into the stream, then feeling with the walking poles to establish depth, in some places deeper than the length of the pole.
After about 500 metres walking upstream, through ankle deep bog and waterlogged ground, we found a spot about 20 metres wide that we could wade safely, albeit mid shin depth.
This negotiated, it was along an old railway line into the local slate mine and then accommodation.
It rained the whole time, unrelenting. It's still raining as I type.
Our accommodation is some sort of centre with many rooms.
It's dry, puts on a 3 course dinner AND has a drying room!!
Tomorrow, we are promised the weather will be better.