Day 12 Troutbeck to Condor Green

Once more the sun rose and warmed the morning. We woke, packed and ate by 9am and headed west towards thirlmere. The main toad was actually fairly quiet so we opted to stay on it rather than head to the quiet (and probably hillier ) west side. We made a similar decision about windermere but unfortunately the traffic then became heavy, and even when we pulled over to let queueing traffic  pass, the english folk still felt it neccesary to wind down their windows and hurl abuse for having held them up for the last minute. But we didn't  let it hamper our mood, the area really was outstandingly beautiful. An ice cream was had somewhere pretty, and food stocks replenished in ambleside. We dreaded the climbing around windermere, but in the main road at least it was not that bad. And the descent from windermere was amazing! Easy 45mph and lasted for what felt like forever. A real spirit lifter.
However, the next part if the day, the one that we thought was going to be a breeze, was anything but. We began following minor roads out if the lakes and they became increasingly hilly as they wound their way through small villages. These hills were leg killers. Short sharp climbs with sharp descents that were unusable (brakes had to he used, and they were over before we knew it). they went on for 20 miles, they demolished my uplifted spirit as fast as they exhausted me. We felt as tired now as any other day, completely unexpected turn of events.
Once we finally made it to the lancaster canal and cycle path system, with 9 miles to go until camp, we were finished. We were pulling on the reserve reserves. Passed done. A real shame as the canal and paths are a real gem, pan flat, well surfaced fast and easy going. Being so tired though we just plodded on praying for death. Missing a lot of the beauty and glory.
While on the subject, lancastrians, the ones we passed this afternoon, are a bunch of miserable sods. We have covered 600 miles and we gave waved and said hello to almost every cyclist and pedestrian we have seen. And almost every one has responded in kind, until today. In Lancaster only 2 of the countless people we saw even looked at us.
Rant over, we made camp, but are so tired we have showered, eaten whatever was to hand (chicken roll, sausages in bap, pork chop and some cookies), and retired to bed before 8pm. I have never felt more dejected and alone on this journey as I do now. We just hope that tomorrow, the supposed flat days of the midlands starts. And is actually fairly flat!
Miles cycled:62
Biker nods reciprocated: none
Happy lancastrians on bikes:2
Times a train was considered:every half a mile after windermere