Boot Shopping Day
Tuesday, our fourth day, and the fells were put on pause. The forecast looked grim, grey skies and showers rolling through, but the real reason was Ami’s boots. She’d been mentioning for a while that the soles had lost their grip, and after yesterday’s near-vertical descent it was clear they were due for retirement. So we decided to go shopping and then maybe take a flat stroll around Rydal Water.
This being the plan, we pointed the car at Ambleside instead of at a mountain. Destination: Gaynor Sports. I’d picked up boots there a couple of years ago (and Ami had too), so it was the obvious place. We also made a failed attempt to buy me some more 1950’s style poster-print artwork of the Lakes. The shop I got those from in 2023 didn’t sell them any more. Shame. So onto the boots.
New Boots and Coffee
Boot shopping turned into a slow but careful process. No more budget “starter” pairs this time — Ami tried on several options, eventually settling on some Salomon ones that should be more waterproof and should last for a while. No forever though, because she walks in them quite a lot. Anyway, hopefully a worthwhile investment.
By the time the purchase was done, the heavens had opened. We dodged a massive shower and ducked into Esquires Coffee for lunch. Simple pleasures on a wet Lakeland morning.
Testing at Rydal Water
The afternoon brightened, and with it came a chance to test the new boots properly. We parked at White Moss Car Park and set off for a circuit of Rydal Water — an easy, low-level walk with enough puddles to check the waterproofing.
The loop also brought us to the lower end of Grasmere, giving us a bonus stretch beside another classic Lake District lake. I tried a few geocaches along the way, though my luck wasn’t great this time. Still, a pleasant leg-stretcher after a slow morning.
Tapas in Keswick
Back in Keswick, we had an early booking at the tapas bar that Kas and Ami had discovered on their Easter trip. The food was excellent — good enough to make us forget we hadn’t set foot on a fell all day.
Sometimes a “rest day” is exactly what’s needed. Boots sorted, bellies full, legs rested and energy restored for the climbs still to come.
