The wanderers return

Well, after a weekend of madness and mayhem, we made it back in one piece.
Pictures are being uploaded to flickr even as I type.
The bunk barn was fine, if a little chilly. We understand they're putting in wood burning stoves in May just in time for the summer.
We spent the Friday evening playing pool in the pub down the road. Saturday morning, Jeremy and others cooked up a full English breakfast.
Then we departed by car to the North side of Keswick for our assault on Skiddaw.
The path up is steep, but in excellent condition, reminiscent of the M1 in the '60s. A steady slog got us to the top. Fine weather most of the day, phenomenal wind and a little hail at the top. Met a couple of mountain bikers who were looking forward to a really fast descent.
Our descent down the scree slope on the west side of Skiddaw was great. The damp, fine scree had consolidated into an almost spongy slope making scree running a pleasure, and we lost 50% of the height we'd gained over the previous hour in just a few minutes.
The sun came out for the latter stages of our descent putting us all in a good mood, with the possible exception of Mikey, who's knees were playing up.
A walk back to the centre of Keswick and a pint in the George rounded off the afternoon.
We returned to Keswick by taxi in the evening for a substantial meal in the George hotel. and followed that by a move to the Pack Horse Inn, and then off to what passes for a night club, 'Rumours'. Any similarities to 'Phoenix Nights' were entirely entertaining.
Sunday morning greeted us with torrential rain, as is traditional, so breakfast was at Lucy's in Ambleside (I recommend the tomato and pepper sauce), followed by anorak-rustling in Gaynor Sports and other similar establishments before fond farewells in the shelter at the Gentleman's toilets in the car park, and driving off into not so much the sunset as the driving rain.
All in all, if I learnt one thing this weekend, it was that it takes 2h45m to get to the Sportsman pub, Ambleside, from Edinburgh on a Friday morning.
Till next year...