For my first hostel to hostel walk, I chose one of the closest pairs of hostels as the crow flies: Honister and Black Sail. However, a deviation from the direct route takes in the summits of several mountains and provides some of the best views in the Lake District.

First of all after leaving Honister and the slate working is Grey Knotts, a small peak which is easy to reach and only a small deviation from the quickest route.

Next, a walk to the summit of Great Gable. This small cairn, above Styhead Tarn, marks the rocky path through a mountainside of rocks.

There are splendid views of Wastwater from near the summit of Great Gable, though while I was up there, a band of rain came in from the coast and formed a visible line across Wastwater where, fortunately for me, it paused in its advance for long enough that I could descend to Black Sail.

Here is a photograph from the final part of the day; the descent to Black Sail along Tongue before the rain moved in.