Day 2: Cleator to Ennerdale Bridge

WE'RE BACK IN WIFI, SO PHOTOS AND FURTHER DETAILS HAVE BEEN ADDED

Wilf, our taxi-driver from Big Rigg Taxi, picked us up at Stone Farm B&B and took us to Whitehaven so we could go to the ee Phone Store to see if we could get data access on our phones.

Success! It turned out that the reason our phone wasn't being recognized by the ee network was that our phone needed an APN (whatever that is), that an ee store staffer had to enter. Of course the installation directions hadn't told us this :(

So, after 2 days, we can finally can get data on our phones, which will be critical for us using the phone as a GPS device on our C2C trail map:)

Then, Wilf dropped us off back at Cleator where we'd left off our walk yesterday.

A gentle climb starting out from Cleator for our first real mountain walking 

Sheep pasture in back of the main street of Cleator

Studying the thick evergreen plantation alongside our walk up Dent Fel

(A fell is a high and barren landscape feature, such as a mountain range or moor-covered hills [from Old Norse fell, fjall, "mountain"]).

The driving rain and fog give Peter our first chance to use the GPS on our phone

Peter looking out over the Fel with wonderment to the distant mountains that we'll soon be climbing

We made it to the top of Dent Fel (1150' above sea level)

Even through the rain and mist, the views back toward St. Bee's Head were spectacular.

So to were the views of brown fern-covered hills ahead, as we made our way carefully down the steep hillside into the valley of Uldale.

We splashed our way along Nannycatch Beck...

(Used as the common term for a brook in northern areas, beck often refers, in literature, to a brook with a stony bed or following a rugged course, typical of such areas.])

running into the occasional cow...

...or sheep.

We arrived early(around 3:30) at Ennerdale Bridge, about 5.5 miles in 5.5 hours; not too bad.

We were soaked to the skin, but a large room and another delightful shower awaited us at the Shepherd's Arms Hotel and Restaurant.

We spread our clothes and belongings out to dry all over the room and headed for the pub/restaurant: steak and kidney pudding, pork belly, and local beers.