The weather forecast was right, during the night the cloud came down and the rain started. By morning the tent was taking a battering and I wasn't looking forward to packing the tent away. I debated whether to delay my start and hope for an improvement but then decided to just pack up and head down. I had to leave several of the tent pegs in while removing the poles so the ground sheet wouldn't get blown away. Because I couldn't lift the tent and shake the water off I finished rolling up about an extra kilo of weight into the tent. It was very handy being next to a large rock so I could get some shelter from the wind as I strapped the tent on to the top of my pack. There was little visibility as I headed down but at least I knew the descent route a bit as I'd used it some years before.

Sheltering at High Tilberthwaite.
This picture was taken last month but today was the same.

Eventually Wrynose Beck came in to view below and I was able to pick my way down the soggy fellside to the Wrynose Pass road at Wrynose Bridge. I took some shelter behind it for a while to eat an apple before continuing down the road. A couple of cars passed as I approached Fell Foot farm and a short way along the road I took the right track to Bridge End where there is a National Trust building. There was nobody there but I hoped to get some brief shelter from the rain by sheltering in the barn but I couldn't get to it as the approach was flooded. I continued along the track and took the right fork to High Tilberthwaite. The rain continued and I was glad I was heading for my last pitch. At High Tilberthwaite Farm I took a short rest from the rain in the barn, just as I’d done a month previous when I was travelling the other way.

Continuing past the quarries I took the minor path steeply up towards Goat's Crag and more old quarries. The view higher up was depressing as all I could see were curtains of rain rushing overhead. I reached the fell top and headed south through wind a rain along the path to Coniston. By 11:40 I reached the final pitch at a point above Coniston. But today I could see little of the lake or town. I got the tent up and found that all my clothes were soaked. I had to change into my emergency clothes and will have to put wet clothes on tomorrow. Fortunately I'd packed my cameras in plastic bags inside the main bag so I hope they're OK. There was no opportunity to take pictures.