We got up and packed at Rydal Hall campsite, where we had spent the previous night, and Ruth arrived; it was great to see her. We then set off as a group down the hill from Rydal Hall and into the woods, retracing the start of yesterday's route.
The lake looked very beautiful in the still of the morning, and I remembered how lucky we are to get the chance to do D of E and see such beautiful places as the lakes and mountains and forests of the Lake District.
We climbed up into the mountains, where our route left the one from yesterday and we were navigating new terrain. We climbed through the mountains, and as the day went on it became more and more beautiful. There were foxgloves everywhere, and the sheer heat of the afternoon and the colour of the mountains and the sky and the greenery reminded me of Provence as I have seen it in Jean de Florette, La Gloire de Mon Père etc... I remember being amazed that you could have a little bit of the south of France in the north of England.
The heat got a bit much for me at one point when we were up a mountain and I felt very unwell and headachey. Luckily this began to wear off as we made our descent, aided by Wayne and Joan as this was a particularly tricky bit of mountain. However, for most of today we were on our own, without the instuctors, to make sure we could navigate for ourselves.
Although I felt ill, that magical little place in the mountains will still remain in my mind as one of the most stunning places we visited. The group even saw a deer (although I missed it)! And of course there was the amusement of, "Who's that standing on the top of that mountain? Oh, it's Wayne and Joan!" and then calling out to them and them hearing us, because that's how easily sound can travel when you're that high up. Very Gloire de Mon Père!
After we were down from that mountain Joan and Wayne left us to get back to Coniston by ourselves. This was a nice walk, but it was still nice to reach the village of Coniston and know that soon we could rest! I had been to Coniston once a long time ago, so it was nice to see a bit more of the place. We walked through the village streets, glad that we were nearly at our destination.
Finally we got to the campsite, and at first I was a bit disconcerted by how huge it was. Would I be able to find my way in the dark if I had to? However, a place that seems big at first can often seem smaller once you get to know it better, and that was the case with our campsite. I soon learnt where everything was, and we set up our tents for the night.
We made our meals in a little shelter that had been put up specially, as it was threatening rain. I had carbonara pasta, and I had forgotton how much I loved carbonara until that moment. It was so tasty, and now eating carbonara always brings me back to that moment, sitting in a shelter in the rain on a campsite in Coniston, enjoying my dinner with Ruth, Andrew and Luke. Ruth and I also shared a chocolate pudding which was delicious.
Ruth had made a tin of millionaire's shortbread, which was gorgeous and just what we all needed after a hard day's walking and climbing. The four of us went down to the edge of the lake- it had stopped raining by now - and gazed out at its dark glassy surface and chatted about all sorts of things. That was a lovely moment.
When we came back from the lake, Ruth and I went to do our washing up and then we all sat in the shelters in our bare feet (with trainers on hand for when we had to get up!) or flip-flops, and we ate more shortbread and listened to Wayne and Joan's stories of D of E expeditions past and present. I think it is safe to say that there is never a dull moment when you are a D of E instructor. Maybe one day I could be one... It is certainly something I would consider.
That night was amazing and I feel that the four of us really bonded and got to know each other as friends, not just as expedition-mates.
Tomorrow would be the final day of our practice expedition, and I was really beginning to think that I could do this; that I could get through all three days without giving up from homesickness. I had three great friends and two brilliant instructors, and I felt that together we could get through this last day and come home smiling and ready for the assessed expedition.
Bring on Sunday!
Thanks for reading
Liz x
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