Day 23 Kendal to Thrimby

Well today was a day of surprises. When I woke I did knew today was the day when I started some ascent after a flat middle England. Some decisions had to be made, as the nights B&B did not have any eating places near, I would have to fuel up some place beforehand. Choices were not plentiful, infact en route , the choice was Shap. There was a hotel about a mile of the a6, but the 2 mile detour was not appealing. So given Shap was the choice I tried to delay my arrival into Shap until at least the chippy was open, but I do know what's happened to me, even with the ascent I arrived at 15.30. Right between dinner closing and evening opening times. Now Shap and food have bad memories for me and others who did the Wainwright Coast to Coast Walk, having to spend almost the whole night waiting for our order to be delivered and getting into a couple to arguments with the pub management team about the "lack of service", so Shap was kindly remembered. However, 10 years on, my faith has been fully resorted as on entering at 15.15, expecting to have to hang around un necessarily (and in the rain) to opening time, I found the haven that is called the "King's Arms" which serve food throughout the afternoon. And unlike 10 years ago they actually did serve it, I was so full that now the worry was could I actually move after that mass of food? Second suprise was that during my climb to the top of Shap Fell at 420m, I found myself sunbathing, in a field on a rock outcrop. This was at my 11.30 break, were it was that hot in the sun trap that I'd found, knowing I didn't need to rush, I just lay back and enjoyed the rays. Some 200m higher, and 1 hour later I was in the midst of a snow flurry on the top of the summit, only 30 minutes later to be back in the sun. In attempting to take pictures on the summit I had got quite a chill, but quickly thawed out, in the sun.