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Did a road trip to the Lake District with Martyn and Mark for a weekend. The idea was to take in as many lakes as possible in two days. It was like the "Wild Hogs" on nights. Unfortunately these Wild Hogs aren't movies stars, just three ordinary guys out for a laugh (with no wives in sight).
The Wild Hogs take tea in Kendal. Scones and jam tastes better than bitting the heads off live chickens (or so Im told).
Martyn and Mark arrive at Birch Services on the M62. They came down from Leeds for the trip.
Marks Kawasaki 500cc ER 5
Martyn's Suzuki GSX 600F
GD Superhero's old relic BMW R80 ST
Just about to set off. We got onto the motorway and the heavens opened, luckily the rain only lasted for about 40 miles. After that there were just a couple of quick showers.
Map 1: Leeds & Stalybridge to Birch Services M62, then onto M61
Map 2: M61 - M6 - M55 junction . Then A6 to Garstang and B5272 & A588 to Lancaster.
After tea in Kendal we moved on to Windermere then Bowness, we were going to stop, but with the amount of people that were around we decided not to bother.
We found a place to stop by the side of Lake Windermere.
After Windermere we went on to Lake Coniston
Mark at Coniston with the bikes
Still at Coniston you can just see Martyn at the end of the wall, on his way to retrieve his gloves.
After Coniston it was through Buttermere and over the Honister Pass. This little beauty really takes you by suprise, climbing up steep gradients to over 1200 feet. The descent already steep suddenly drops to a 1 in 4, the road is narrow bumpy but makes an exciting ride.
Above: At the bottom of the Honister Pass toward Cockermouth.
Left: Same spot on the road from Borrowdale.
This was the point that Mark accused me of bringing him down a sheep track, that couldn't be on his map. The road over Honister is actually the B5289 and runs from Borrowdale to Cockermouth.
Pretty dramatic stuff
At Silloth looking across the Solway Firth toward Kirbean in Dumfries & Galloway Scotland.
Sea Defences at Silloth
Heading south at the foot of the Kirkstone Pass, towards Ambelside
In Yellow: From Lancaster we headed for Kendal then Windermere. Down Windermere to Newby Bridge - Greenodd then over to Torver. On to Hawkshead then Ambleside, up to Keswick. Through Borrowdale to Buttermere and over to Cockermouth. To Maryport up to Silloth and over to Wigton to Meet Martyns mate Mike. Then it was up to Carlisle for the night
On the trip there were only two misshaps, the Beemer decided not to let me have any fuel when I ran onto reserve. Luckly Mike saved the day by bringing out a gallon so I could run on the main tank. When we stopped for fuel Martyn's bike went over in the petrol station, no damage done though.
We managed to take in a total of ten lakes.
Windermere
Coniston Water
Rydal Water
Thirlmere
Derwent Water
Buttermere
Crummock Water
Bassenthwaite Water
Ullswater
Brothers Water
The return trip (in red): Carlisle to Bothel down to Keswick. On the A66 & A5091 to Glenridding, over the Kirkstone Pass to Ambleside then onto Winderemere. After that we took to the motorway at Kendal and headed home.
