Some stories from our recent camping weekend...

 Windermere Reports

Fish and chips from Ambleside in the rain was a great way to start the weekend camp with Pendle Paddlers at Windermere.  Luckily that was the only rain we had. We stayed at Low Wray campsite and it was probably one of the best sites Pendle Paddlers have been to - we could get onto the river right next to our tents which took us to the lake -great! 

On Saturday some of us paddled to an Island near Bowness. It was very hard and tiring but we stopped for breaks on the lakeshore. We also got an ice-cream to give us energy for the trip back. We paddled 16km and right near the end my dogs accidentally had their first swims (they were very good at Doggy Paddle!!). The others went on a river that day but most of the group sat around Peter's camp fire in the evening although I had gone to bed by then!

The next day we all paddled to Waterhead to buy some sandwiches and have a drink, Janet even had a guiness! Then we paddled upstream on a river to a play wave. My brother and I took turns to go in Andy's boat because his boat was the best - we got wet, bashed by other boats and we giggled to bits, it was really good fun. My mum pushed us into the river when we got back to camp which i thought was funny but Patrick wasn't happy about it!

I didn't want to leave because we'd had so much fun. We lost two paddles on the way home which made us a bit sad.

We want to go again next year.

Sally Ralphson

Windermere Snapshots.

Friday

Early birds get the best campsite pitch.  By the river, water lilies reminiscent of a Monet painting. Cost would be in the hundreds if it was a hotel.

Cassie, who bears only a passing resemblance to a sheep, being ‘rounded up’ by Jessie and Pippa the border collie trainee sheepdogs.

An otter paid a visit later on. (Simon thought it was a crocodile at first !)

Saturday

Spectacular seal-launches into the river Rothay at Grasmere, which brightened the day of some passing tourists.

Exciting (for us river novices) to be on the Rothay, but we were in safe hands with Peter. Fantastic route through three lakes and three river-sections.

Crowd-pleaser number two at the stepping-stones strainer – see Lewis for further details.

Paddling across the head of Windermere, then up a creek right to our tent – how cool is that ?

Steve’s barbeque master class at the Otter Watch station.

Johnnie’s sloping tent pitched on the hillside.  The warden was happy because his fire-regulation requirements had been ticked. (He wasn’t to know it was re-pitched later!)

A lovely camp-fire, quite modest by Andy’s usual boot-melting inferno standards.

Sunday

At Waterhead, Steve ventures onto an open boat and makes his first sortie to the dark-side. (Sorry Steve, the truth had to come out sooner or later).

Surfing the play wave keeps us amused for ages – some are more competent than others.  By Simon’s third capsize no one is worrying about him any more, except Lewis who is diligently still baling him out.

Home again, on a high, as usual after a PP’s weekend. 

Simon and Deborah

 Have a look at some of the images

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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