Drove home from  the Lake District today and, mercifully, it stayed dry for the whole journey, in fact it was bright enough to need sunglasses for some of the time.

It is always a pleasure to stay at our club’s cottage which is a useful base for exploration of the Eastern Lakes. Like most climbing club properties is is traditionally known as a ‘Hut’ although it’s not a hut like a garden shed. Most huts now are converted from existing houses or cottages although some are converted barns; one or two are even purpose built. When I first started staying in huts some of them were pretty basic and usually chilly with it; hot water was a luxury and loos were minimal. Now most of them have been modernised and can be very comfortable.

Ours has a nice large sitting / dining area with a wonderful open fire (see Day 31) and dormitories for sleeping. We have loos, showers and full washing facilities and a very well equipped kitchen. Most importantly for weekends like this we have a serious drying room with plenty of hanging space as well as a spin dryer, fan heater and dehumidifier so all your wet clothes can dry out overnight.

Before we took over the cottage it had variously been a village hall and the village school; I first remember seeing it as a building site during the conversion when I walked past it on the way to the campsite. Now I am very happy to stay here.

3 February 2014