It felt good heading out for the bus to get to hills. It was June when I was last out. The 7:35am bus was on time and I arrived at the railway station in plenty of time. I'd purchased my Chorley - Windermere return ticket yesterday for £18.90. My plan was to catch the 8:23am train and the good news was the display screen was working and the bad news was that the train was running late. As I watched the board the delay went up from 7min to 10min then 18min. It arrived 19mins late. Nearly all the seats were taken but I managed to get the last one in the carriage where my rucksack was stored. It was a pleasant ride in the morning sun under a cold blue sky. We arrived in Windermere at 9:48 and made some time up on the way. No explanation was given why the train was late. The sun was still out when I arrived and this time I'd planned my walk so that I started my walk at the railway station. I set off along the main A591 road heading east towards Staveley. I took the first minor road left towards Common Farm.

Windermere Railway Station.

Towards Ill Bell.

The front view of the farm house looked empty and deserted with a 'No Vacancies' sign but round the back I saw a light. The road walking was easy and clear but when I reached the fell track at Moor How the going was very stony in places and some puddles across the road took up the full width and were far too deep to wade through. The only way round was to trample the adjacent grass. After the small reservoir on the left the track was even rougher. I was now on Dubbs Road and continued till I joined the Garburn Road. About half way up the steep bit before the summit I stopped for a rest and sat on the wall. As I took in the view a young woman was walking up behind with a dog. We swapped hello's as she passed and she asked if I was camping out, which I was. She was Japanese which I found surprising as I've seen many in Ambleside and Grasmere, but never on the fells. She continued up the track at a fast pace and I set off a short while later. When I got to the summit of the Garburn Pass she was standing by the small cairn denoting the branch path to Yoke and looking puzzled at her map.

When I reached her she asked which way to Yoke, or York as she pronounced it. I told her it was to the left and I continued that way. I wasn't looking forward to the boggy stretches which I had to negotiate the last time I came this way but I was pleasantly surprised to see that the path had been stoned and drainage ditches dug either side all the way to the wall. The high ladder stile that was there previously had now been replaced with a gate. I continued up to the summit cairn at Yoke but the Japanese girl wasn't there, she'd continued on to Ill Bell, probably thinking that was her objective. I turned right and left the path. As I descended I soon saw the small tarn below at the top of Rainsborrow Crag. The sky had started to veil over with thin cloud but it was fine with hardly any wind. I set the tent up {Aztec Esquina Solo} just above the tarn and enjoyed a little bit of sunshine as I erected the tent. For my evening meal I tried something new. I cooked a 160gr packet of Rice & Simple Mushroom & Pepper Basmati Savoury Rice. It was endorsed by Ainsley Harriott and his grinning picture was smirking from the packet. I can only think he did it for the money. The meal was tasteless and had all the appearance of being made from sawdust. Though sawdust would have tasted better.