#CountryKids Glenridding and Ullswater

We had friends visiting Cumbria from the south coast and when I had to think of somewhere to meet up I suggested Glenridding on the shores of Ullswater. Its part of the Lake District I have barely been to and I wanted to go again. So my son and I had the fun of Kirkstone Pass, the highest pass open to motor vehicles in Cumbria, with twisty roads and up to 1:4 inclines to get there! We met up at St Patrick's Boat Landing and over coffee my friends suggested a row on the lake...

The water was pretty smooth and as the only big vessels are the steamers its a pretty safe body of water to be out and about on. It did help that my friend was an experienced oarsman who safely got us past the restored Steamer Pier:

There were quite a few people out enjoying the water despite the lack of wind for sailing:

The red sailed boat did seem to manage OK and added to lots of my photographs like this of the Inn on the Lake:

My son eventually felt brave enough to have a go at rowing. However, despite a quick lesson, he soon handed the oars back to my friend:

This bunch of learner sailors were a bit bored with the lack of wind so decided to deliberately capsize their boat... It was entertaining watching them try to right it again:

There are quite a few little islands in the lake which you can go around:

Eventually my son agreed to go ashore and await rescue:

After an hour on the water we had worked up and appetite and headed into the Inn on the Lake for lunch. It was very busy but we found room in the Rambler's Bar snug and enjoyed local burgers or fish goujons:

Feeling very stuffed we needed more gentle exercise so I googled a local walk up to Lanty's Tarn. It started alongside the beck that caused most of the damage during Storm Desmond and its aftermath:

To start with it was well signposted and easy to follow the path up through the woods:

At times the path was quite steep and rocky I can imagine that after some rain it could be quite slippy:

When you needed to catch your breath there were plenty of photo opportunities:

It was quite obvious when we reach Lanty's Tarn and my son immediately went to practice his stone skimming:

We took the optional detour up to Keldas knoll which gives the best views down to Ullswater:

There was an extra scramble to the very top of the knoll:

We then all had fun trying to take selfies with Ullswater in the background: 

Back to the tarn and my son managed his longest ever stone skim which went right the way across the water:

The way back down was a little less clear and we took a few wrong turns and came out through what turned out to be private land... oops:

Instead of reaching a road we found Patterdale Hall activity centre:

Luckily this did then take us to the A592 and back into Glenridding:

There was just time for some more stone skimming before heading back to Kendal: