March in the Lakes – Part 4: Reflections

Some sad news from home had greeted me at the hostel, and it was in reflective mood that I set off for the last full day of the trip. After 15 miles of walking the previous day, I decreed that today would be a gentler one, a series of shorter walks, and spending some time painting.

A pop into Ambleside for a leisurely breakfast and the long-overdue purchase of some new gaiters, saw me arrive at Blea Tarn just as the morning became afternoon. I parked up and lugged my stuff to the tarnside, set up and promptly remembered I’d left my phone in the car. Useless as a phone in that location, but it was the only camera I had with me, so I needed it. This is why…

So it was back to the car to pick the phone up. Soon though I was properly settled in, easel up, tea poured and painting away.

The painting took shape, but it was clear I wasn’t going to finish it in one go. The texture medium I was using needed time to dry, so I packed up and got back in the car. A drive down into Langdale and back out to Ambleside followed. I turned the car north, my target High Rigg. After a bit of kerfuffle in the narrow lane leading up to the church, I finally parked up, just as a huge miltary plane flew low overhead, heading directly for where I knew Robin was chilling waiting for me to meet up later.

I climbed up onto High Rigg to actually see the view this time. My last visit being in rain and low cloud. By now it had got noticeably colder, so I didn’t linger and took a different route back down to the car.

I killed a bit of time in Keswick, then headed to Braithwaite to finally meet up with Robin (@blgpackinglight) for dinner and a drink. There we chatted gear and TGO. As you do.

The trip was now done, and having carried a variety of art gear during the course of it, it had given me some things to think about in terms of what I take, especially when backpacking. I’ll definitely be taking some art gear on the TGO, and I’d like it to be more than just basic sketching materials, but I suspect I’ll struggle to refine my kit down to a small enough and light enough quantity to make it viable to do everything I’d like. This is something I’ll have to work on a bit more as I prepare for the challenge.