A short Summer Lakes break

Faced with a few days off towards the beginning of July, we decided to head north for a short break. Our thinking was to try and ease the walking in our October and November visits by climbing Hesk Fell and Stainton Pike and, with our sensible heads on, avoid driving down the Duddon Valley and up onto the Birker Fell Road when the weather could potentially be a little less benign. We also wanted to re-visit Newton Fell North and Caermote (for the third time of trying), as these two would have been slightly more awkward to get to from where we were staying at the end of the year. 

We booked into a little bungalow between Waterhead and Ambleside for four nights, which proved to be warm, quiet and very comfortable. On our way to the accommodation, we parked in a layby just below Newton Fell North to re-climb it as we suspected we hadn't quite got to the top in 2017 and we were right; in fact, we hadn't been anywhere near it! It was a warm, muggy afternoon but the wildflowers were lovely, there were deer on the flanks and the heather was just coming into flower. The walk was very marshy and circuitous as we couldn't see a path for the shoulder high bracken, but the views once at the top were lovely.

Our next objectives were Hesk Fell and Stainton Pike. We hadn't tacked Hesk Fell onto The Pike when we climbed it in March last year as Bro had a problem with his ankle, and we hadn't gone on to Stainton Pike from The Knott in that same week as the weather was horrendous, so this would tidy things up nicely. We set out very early for the fairly long drive to Coniston, down the length of the Duddon Valley, then very sharply and steeply up onto the Birker Fell Road, parking at the end of a lane which crossed tiny Woodend Bridge. It was a gorgeous day with stunning views of the Scafells and Devoke Water around us. As we started up the huge, grassy, featureless bulk of Hesk Fell, the sun came out making it very warm indeed, but three quarters of an hour or so later, there was a lovely cooling breeze blowing across the wide, flat summit plateau and breathtaking views in all directions.

From there, we headed towards Stainton Pike, and it looked a fair distance away, but once we picked our way down Hesk's western flank, it was a fairly straightforward yomp across a lovely lonely valley and up the other side. Mist rolled in from the coast, but fortunately we were on the ridge just before it engulfed us, and we made our way to Stainton Pike in that strange muffled quiet you experience in thick mist. It was a very simple and pleasurable walk in an area which felt quite remote, but we were soon on the final pull up to the top. We found it was much cooler on the summit and, with the mist clearing every so often, provided wonderful views to Muncaster Castle and towards Wasdale. We also looked down on The Knott we'd climbed in horrendous weather the previous October, relieved that we hadn't attempted to go on to climb Stainton Pike back then as originally planned! After a bite to eat and some photos, we decided that, as we were only about a twenty minute walk from Yoadcastle, one of the Devoke Water fells, we would re-climb it as we wanted a proper summit shot. We also seemed to have been just slightly off to one side of the true summit when we climbed it in 2017, so we wanted to be sure. It was a very easy detour over gently undulating ground but with a fairly stiff little climb up to the summit knoll. We sat for a while, taking photos and admiring the vast landscape in front of us, then started down in a more or less in a dead straight line to the north of Hesk Fell, heading for a drystone wall we had walked beside when we set off. Hot chocolate sitting watching tiny chaffinches at the Crosby Snack Shed was very welcome before the drive back

That afternoon. we wandered into Ambleside and Brathay Park where a Lakeland Trails event was taking place. We sat and watched for a while, enjoying the atmosphere.

The following day we decided to climb Caermote and it would be our third attempt. Both previous attempts had resulted in us not feeling comfortable climbing without permission, especially as we knew for sure that it was on private land. This time we asked two farmers in a nearby field and they pointed out the farm which owned the land, so (after a fortifying cup of coffee!) we walked into the yard and knocked on the farmhouse door. The farmer couldn't have been friendlier or more welcoming and happily gave his permission, asking that we used a specific gate, and letting us there weren't any cows in the surrounding fields. All in all, it took no more than 15 minutes and had the most spectacular panoramic views, especially over to Scotland. A delightful little fell.

Our final stop just before we re-joined the motorway home, was stunning Sizergh Castle. It was raining slightly, but it didn't diminish our enjoyment of the beautiful gardens and grounds, and its fascinating history. All in all, it was a really productive, short visit and leaves us 12 Outlying Fells left to do. We have two more weeks booked in October and November, so fingers crossed for completion, bringing to an end our quest to climb all 330 mountains and fells of the Lake District!

The Lakes in Spring

Our second visit of the year to the Lakes in May was in complete contrast to our week in March. This time, we were blessed with wonderful weather and it reminded us how lovely it is to walk in Tshirts when it's warm and relatively dry underfoot. This was to be our final visit to the north eastern Lakes, climbing the last of nine Shap Fells we had left to do. 

Our first, and longest, walk was the Wet Sleddale Horseshoe, onto which we also tacked Wasdale Pike and it was quite a long, physical day. The weather was overcast with some light drizzle at the beginning of the morning, but it was thankfully warm. Underfoot was very marshy and running wet in parts, but for the most part dry. Navigation wasn't a problem even though there weren't any discernible paths, but the terrain was hard going - uneven, rough grass, hidden rocks, vast swathes of heather and lots of undulation. However, we also had beautiful views down the length of Wet Sleddale and across to Swindale, but it felt very remote indeed and we didn't meet or see anyone else all day. Wet Sleddale is a pretty valley, and it was lovely to see it from a different angle. 

A visit to Temple Sowerby and Acorn Bank provided an opportunity to visit a new area, and we thoroughly enjoyed wandering round the beautiful gardens and orchards, before following the wonderfully named Crowdundle Beck to a small working mill, then back along a woodland path lined with the most prolific swathes of wild garlic we've ever seen. The sight and smell was incredible and ran from the mill all the way back to the main house. 

The following day found us out early to drive the thirty or so miles to Keswick to attend the Mountain Festival for a second time. The weather was perfect and it was wonderful to be back in amongst the scenery of the northern fells once again. We wandered down and round Derwentwater taking photos. then had a cup of coffee outside at the Lakeside Cafe, before spending time at the lively festival. Lunch was at the lovely Elm Cafe in George Fisher's which was Abrahams when we last ate there, but the changes were lovely and the food was delicious. Somewhat reluctantly, we left Keswick later that afternoon and headed back to Shap, checking into the Shap Wells Hotel for our second stay there, heading immediately up into their little woodland to watch the Red Squirrels which was a delight. The weather was now beautifully warm.

Todd Fell and Whiteside Pike were next on our list to tackle, and they were absolutely stunning. The sun was bright, it was warm and dry, there was a profusion of wildflowers and lambs, and the whole walk only took us around two hours,, so we were able to drink it all in. Bannisdale looked stunning, with vast sweeps of bluebells carpeting the fellside. A gentler day followed and we spent a lot of time in the woods back at the hotel, watching, photographing and filming the squirrels which was magical. We made the short drive to pretty Orton village to buy one or two food items that afternoon to take with us on our walk the next morning; the Crookdale Horseshoe. 

As the weather was forecast to be much warmer, we were on the fellside at 7am in the cool of a misty morning. Walking along the ridge from High House Bank to Robin Hood then on to Lord's Seat, was delightful; easy, only very slightly undulating, warm, clear, dry, on a path of sorts and with wonderful views in all directions. We made good time and enjoyed every minute, sitting for some time on each summit. From Lord’s Seat, we headed off piste towards Crookdale Beck, where we stopped for coffee and a bite to eat observed by a herd of curious sheep, before heading back up and over Whatshaw Common, meeting two fellow outlying fell walkers and enjoying an interesting half hour chat with them.

We headed home early the next morning as rain was forecast, but it had been a wonderful, enjoyable week. We were a little sad to have finished the Shap Fells; indeed all the eastern fells now, in this beautiful and remote corner of the National Park. Our next visit will be to the west coast, but I think often and with much affection about those gentle fells and the red squirrels in that special, magical little woodland.  

Coping with adverse weather conditions

We’ve just returned from our first visit of the year to the Lake District. We climbed ten Outlying Fells in three walks, leaving us just 24 to do in order to finish all 116, which we hope to complete this year. Two of the walks were in overcast, fairly windy but dry weather, but the last walk was in torrential rain, high wind and poor visibility, although thankfully not too cold.

So why did you walk on that particular day I hear you ask, and it was certainly something we asked ourselves on more than one occasion! Rain was forecast for the remaining three days of our week and we had already put this walk off by a day, but there was no other option, given that this is what we’d planned for the week. Also, frankly, we didn’t really want to come all the way back up to the far north east of the Lake District again, given that we’ve booked into accommodation as close as possible to the remaining walks throughout this year.

So, how do you prepare for, and then cope with, long walks in adverse weather conditions; in particular heavy rain?

1. Thankfully, in our experience, days like the one we had are fairly few and far between, but are really are much more of a mental than a physical challenge. To look out of the window and see low lying cloud and wind whipping the rain in horizontal sheets does mean a fair amount of mental determination is needed before venturing out. If you have the right mindset and focus, accept it’s going to be a bit miserable, but relish the challenge, then that’s the first hurdle overcome.

2. Most importantly, you really do need the right clothing. If you’re fairly serious about your walking, you will need to invest in one or two key things to enable you to stay out all day. First, a good Gore-Tex waterproof jacket is essential and you may need to spend a bit more on it to ensure it’s both comfortable and practical. No jacket is going to keep you 100% dry, but if you are mostly dry and more importantly, warm, you can stay out for hours. A cagoule or thinner raincoat just won’t be robust enough. Secondly, you will need Gore-Tex waterproof overtrousers (mine weren’t nearly as expensive as jackets can be), but you will be so glad of their wind and rain prevention capabilities. I have a pair of Berghaus trousers which are comfortable to wear and work like a dream. Next is a thick pair of Gore-Tex gauntlet gloves. Mine have a soft fleece lining and, whilst they did get sodden, my hands were still warm and relatively dry at the end of six hours. Lastly, I would recommend a waterproof rucksack cover. They usually come in eye wateringly bright colours, but that’s what you want in the mist and fog, and they really do keep everything super dry.

3. Accept that your feet will get wet. We had never encountered so much surface water as that day, as well as slippery rocks, slimy mud, swollen becks, raging waterfalls and saturated grass. I can tolerate wet feet as long as they don’t get cold, and my boots do leak, so we took a small microfibre towel and spare socks, just in case our feet got really cold, which thankfully they didn’t. My boots took five days to dry out though…

4. Wear a hat under your hood. It keeps the hood snugly in place and your head warm and dry. Tuck longer hair up or tie it back to prevent it getting caught in zips and sticking to your face in the wind and rain.

5. Use walking poles. They were invaluable on this walk for stability and balance on slippery ground and for poking into streams and marshes to test the depths.

6. Make sure you know how to navigate. We were in a very remote area with not a soul around, in miles of grassland with lots of rocky tops, in thick mist. When you’re turning this way and that, trying to find a summit in an expanse of grassy moorland, it’s easy to become disorientated, especially when there aren’t as many recognisable features with which to pinpoint your location. Make sure you have waterproof covers for GPS devices and maps, spare batteries and ensure phones are fully charged and in protective cases.

7. Take food you can snack on quickly. It isn’t always easy or pleasant to try and sit in the pouring rain when there isn’t much shelter, and you will find you get cold very quickly when you stop moving. Whatever your food of choice, make sure it doesn’t take you long to get it out of your pack and eat. You could keep something in a pocket, but I don’t tend to as I don’t really want a soggy mess to eat.

8. Take a sit mat with you. It will prevent you having a cold backside at the very least, whilst giving your feet and back a rest, if only for five or ten minutes.

9. Carry a water bladder. It’s not overly appealing drinking cold water in the rain, but keeping hydrated is important and it saves having to stop and rummage in your pack for a water bottle whilst everything inside gets soaked, and you get cold.

10. Watch where you put your feet. We both slipped, mainly on mud, and we were watching our foot placement, but be more vigilant when everything’s sodden. Rocks become especially lethal.

11. Keep positive. Try to block out the discomfort and and enjoy what you can see around you, even if it’s just fleeting glimpses through the cloud. We still had beautiful, misty valley views every so often, some gorgeous black fell ponies and stunning waterfalls to admire. Thinking about a hot bath got me through about two and a half miles of valley walking whilst slipping and sliding around in the mud.

12. Finally, try to see the funny side of your situation rather than bemoaning it. We laughed when one or other of us skidded or tripped (after we made sure we weren’t hurt!) and there were lots of times when we looked at each other, laughed and asked ourselves what on earth we were doing, but it really helped. When you get back, take off those wet clothes, soak in the bath, sit by the fire and dry off and you’ll find that, strangely, these are the types of walks that stay in the memory for longer!

Castles, mills and cloud inversions

Our final visits of the year to the Lakes were in October and November, for a week each time. The weather in October was perfect and we had what we considered to be one of our most interesting weeks. We stayed on the west coast, just outside Whitehaven from where we climbed Dent and Flat Fell on a sublimely warm and sunny day, walking up through tangy smelling spruce woods to Dent’s pretty summit, before dropping down into two tiny hidden valleys, then climbing up on to Flat Fell with its coastal views. We climbed Ponsonby Fell up through the lovely Blengdale Forest, seeing only two people all day and marvelled at the views of the Screes from such a different viewpoint. We re-visited St Bees in time for a beautiful sunset and wandered round Eamont and Whitehaven’s harbour.

On a day of not climbing, we drove to Nether Wasdale and walked to the foot of Wast Water through Low Wood and were rewarded with the most spectacular view of the Screes and the head of Wasdale, and again, had it all to ourselves. Walking back through beautiful pastoral landscape was made more interesting by the discovery of tiny, ancient bridges and delightful old cottages. Our next stop was the lovely Boot Inn in Eskdale, catching the tail end of Storm Babet, which meant our climb up to Boat Howe was very windy indeed and sent us staggering on the exposed summit! A quick look round Burnmoor Lodge by the tarn and exploring three stone circles and several old shepherd huts made the return journey very interesting. We also spent a couple of hours at the wonderful Eskdale Mill in Boot; a tiny corn mill dating from the 16th century and about as authentic as it’s possible to find. Having it to ourselves made it more special and it was fascinating.

We then moved on to Ravenglass, to a hotel right on the waterfront with the most beautiful sunsets over the estuary from our bedroom window. We spent the morning at Muncaster Castle, watching the birds of prey and having a very entertaining guided tour. The views back down towards Wasdale from the castle’s high vantage point were gorgeous.

Our final morning saw us up and out early to climb Stainton Fell and The Knott lying across the valley, almost opposite Muncaster Castle. The weather had deteriorated and it was very windy and very cold, with more than a hint of rain to come. As we climbed higher, the wind hit us like a freight train and cold, although light, rain was flung in our faces like needles. We decided not to climb Stainton Fell as it was a long way on, the ground was saturated and the paths were either indistinct or non existent. Being close to the coast, we had the views, but the walk was not the most enjoyable as the wind made even talking difficult. We reached the summit after a fairly circuitous route involving some clambering over walls and through streams, but the wind was so strong we began to get really cold as we tried to force down an energy bar. It dropped as we dropped, but we can’t say that was one of the most enjoyable walks we’ve done!

In November, we treated ourselves to our second stay in a beautiful ‘penthouse’ flat in Ambleside. We loved it so much last year, that we booked it again and loved the warmth, comfort and central location. This was our chance to savour those areas in the ‘middle’ of the Lake District which we love and that we’d missed during the year, staying out on the edges as we continue to climb the Outlying Fells. We climbed eight fells in two walks, happy to make them longer, and then relax a little in between. The first walk was part of the Bannisdale Horseshoe and took in Lamb Pasture, The Forest, White Howe and Long Crag, The weather was fine; sunny but frosty and very cold as we started, and we knew rain was forecast for mid morning, so we were ready in full waterproofs. The walk was long but straightforward, although the climb up to The Forest was much steeper than anticipated. The promised rain thankfully began much later than predicted, and we were well on our way back, although it still entailed a solid two hours of walking in heavy rain. Thankfully in our wet weather gear, we stayed warm and dry.

We then spent a day relaxing as Storm Debi hit and the rain was utterly torrential and, having been out briefly first thing, we enjoyed being in the flat. The next day we drove to Keswick for a look round and lunch, then walked in light rain up to Castlehead where the most staggering view of Derwentwater was laid out in front of us, swathed in mist, with weak sun breaking through the cloud every so often. We hadn’t been up there before and will definitely return when the weather is better. The following day saw us walking round Rydal Water, up to Rydal Caves and on to Loughrigg Terrace with our cousins before lunch at The Swan Grasmere, which was lovely and good to see them.

A day in and around Ambleside preceded our final walk, saved for the last day of the week when sun and clear skies were forecast. We parked in Staveley and set off up to Nameless Potter Fell 1, Brunt Knott, Nameless Potter Fell 2 and Ulgraves. Accompanying us first thing was the most spectacular and perfect cloud inversion; something we’ve waited about 16 years to see and it was utterly stunning and totally spellbinding. The cloud and mist seemed to follow us from peak to peak, but we were always just ahead of it, in the sun and it only disippated around lunchtime. The walking was easy, the views were gorgeous and we really enjoyed this set of fells, especially the views of the Howgills from Ulgraves. A walk back past Gurnal Dubs and Potter Tarn and through an old mill, now a tiny farm built in 1542 was lovely, as was a chat with the lady clearing the farm’s yard of leaves.

All in all, two lovely weeks despite (or in some cases because of) the weather, leaving us with 34 fells to go to complete the Outlying Fells challenge!

The Shap Fells

The hottest August on record saw us in the far east of the Lake District, walking the Shap Fells as part of our quest to complete Wainwright's outlying fells.

The hills here do not comprise individual, distinctive peaks but are rather a rolling massif of grassland and distinctive pink granite. The landscape around the pretty, linear village of Shap is beautiful; pastoral, gentle and far reaching with panoramas on a scale we have not often seen in the Lakes.

The remote valley of Wet Sleddale was a delight. It felt truly unspoiled, filled with birdsong, trees and small hillocks covered in purple flowering heather. The reservoir, although obviously a man made shape when viewed from above, had wading birds around the shoreline, was Scots Pine lined and very pleasant to walk beside on a warm early morning. The fells above Wet Sleddale were rolling rather than steep, grassy rather than rocky and completely devoid of people, even in the middle of August. Vast grasslands, small tarns and stunning views made this a wonderfully peaceful place to walk, then sit and admire the panoramas.

The limestone outcrop of Knipescar Common has become a firm favourite. A beautiful plateau with the most incredible panorama; stretching from the village of Shap, to all the high fells around Haweswater, to the northern fells and right round to the Pennines. An absolutely extraordinary view from a very modest little fell. Time was spent hunting for a stone circle or ancient enclosure in the bracken, finding stones but unable to view the whole, then enjoying something to eat in what has to be one of the most beautiful lunch spots.

High on the Shap Fells, we ventured over towards Crookdale early one morning, climbing over surprisingly marshy ground as the heat began to build. Toiling up the first grass covered bulk, we stopped often to catch our breath and the breeze, and to take on water. The summit was shimmering in a haze of heat, and time was spent searching for the three small stones making up the summit. Discussions were had as to whether to venture on to another, higher peak given the heat, but on we ploughed. The breeze thankfully cooled us as we climbed higher; the views opening out over Crookdale, the Long Sleddale fells and the hazy Pennines on the horizon. The summit was unclear; we ventured on further, wasting precious energy, then had to re-trace our steps and climb a wall in order to find a concrete summit ring buried in the grass, marking the true summit. The descent was swift, but in the bottom of the small valley out of the breeze, the heat had reached fearsome proportions and, after labouring up the other side of the valley, we felt ourselves overheating and dripping with perspiration. A quick breather, taking long, deep gulps of water and dousing ourselves liberally from a small marshy pool, revived us enough at the end of the climb for the walk back to the car to a welcome change of clothes and refreshment.

A beautiful area; one that really made an impression on us and one we will return to, of that I have no doubt.

beautiful wet sleddale

SCOTS PINES ALONG THE SHORE

views from the fells above wet sleddale

photos don’t do the panorama from knipescar common justice

crookdale

Looking forward, but also glancing back

So, a new year has begun and I start it off with a dose of Covid… I managed to avoid it for the last two years, then I go back to work after Christmas and bam…!

To be fair, I haven’t really been that ill; just a cold and a feeling of heavy tiredness, but it’s the isolation that really gets me. A short turn around the garden and sitting in one room with the window open is all the fresh air I’m getting, but I’m lucky and grateful not to be worse as so many have been and still are.

Now that watching television has momentarily lost its appeal (although there are some good films on Netflix I’ve enjoyed), and I don’t feel like reading any more at the moment, my thoughts have turned to plans for the year ahead, but also to thoughts of last year and the completion of our Wainwright journey after 9 years. I thought I might add one or two reflections on our time spent completing the wonderful challenge, for anyone contemplating it for themselves.

oOo

I would say start with all the lower fells first. I know there’s a tendency to want to leap up the biggest, hardest and highest, but if you’re in it for the long haul and you haven’t really done much climbing before, it will pay to start off more slowly. We made all our mistakes on the relative safety of lower, grassy fells with shorter distances to walk if we felt tired, if the weather turned cold or wet, if the light started to fade, knowing where we were if we went wrong (we didn’t) and no real harm done if we slipped.

You build up a sure footedness over time, a knack of moving on rock and grass, of getting used to carrying a weighty pack, of honing your navigation skills along with developing fitness and greater muscle strength. Once you’ve built all that, muscle memory kicks in and, as long as you continue exercising in between visits, you will be able to pick up where you left off, even if it’s some months later (and I’m aiming this at people who like us, have to travel to the hills).

I would say though, you can’t really train for the mountains unless you’re in the mountains; it doesn’t matter how many times you go up and down a grassy bank or run on a treadmill, it’s just not the same as dealing with uneven ground and the elements whilst climbing, watching your feet, balancing your pack or handling a dog as we did for years in the early days. Being hill fit I think, is in a category of its own.

You will know get to know your limitations and your tolerances and this becomes a very useful tool indeed. We know how long we can put up with torrential rain, high wind, boiling sun or freezing sleet. We know how much water to take and how much each of us needs to drink to avoid dehydration. We know when we’ve had enough, we know when another peak is one too many, or that yes, we could climb another and still have energy for the return trip. We know we can ignore being super hot and sweaty or having freezing thighs and still be able to carry on. Everyone’s different, but it will mean you can plan your hill days accordingly over time.

Don’t give up. I know that sounds a bit trite, but we pondered on what made us keep going when we’d climbed say, 70 or 125, when it’s hard to see an end and it feels like there’s so much more to do. The honest answer is we can’t remember, but I suspect it’s that we loved it and just wanted to complete it, but we also didn’t really focus on the end point, just that week’s walking. Of course there were the odd times we really didn’t feel like doing it, but persevere because it’s an immense and wonderful feeling of achievement when you finish.

It was surprisingly easy to change our mindsets from ‘what, up there?’ or ‘how far?’, to positive, can-do attitudes and when that happened, it really made a huge difference to, well, all of it. I don’t really remember trying to being more positive, it just happened organically the more we did and the more we started enjoying it. It’s a good feeling.

In fact, all of it’s a good feeling when everything comes together and all you have to think about during the day is the landscape around you, the fresh air and the skylarks.

oOo

So after this, what’s next for us? We fully understand now why people immediately start a second round of Wainwright’s; there’s a powerful pull there that’s hard to ignore and you’re unwilling to let go of. However, we are going back to the Lakes in March, to Ennerdale this time for a walk round the lake and up Steeple from that side. We’re also going to climb Helm Crag and Latrigg again as these were a couple of the very first ones we did and it was so long ago (and we were rubbish back then) that we’d like to revisit them. We aren’t going to stay in the Lakes for the whole time either; we’re going to veer off into the Yorkshire Dales and climb round High Cup Nick, perhaps one or two (but probably three knowing us) of the Yorkshire Peaks and maybe a Howgill or two.

oOo

Whatever you plans are for this year, I hope you’re healthy and happy doing it.

A Great End on Great End!!

WE DID IT!!!!!

We finished climbing all 214 Wainwright Lakeland mountains on a beautiful still, warm summer’s day on the morning of Monday 26 July 2021, 14 years after we climbed our very first fell, Latrigg, but really in earnest after 9 years as we only climbed four fells between 2007-2012. If you pushed it all into one continuous timeline, it’s taken just under four and a half months! We left Great End until last as it seemed an appropriate place to finish and it really was; we had the summit to ourselves, it was a fantastically perfect morning, and we thought it had some of the best views of any we’ve seen in the whole of the Lake District.

So, we set off from home at the start of a heatwave in the middle of July that didn’t really start to cool down until we’d been away for five days. It was really hot and very humid and we really don’t like hot weather, so we broke the journey to Eskdale with a night just outside Lancaster and a walk beside the River Lune that evening. We then had two nights at the Woolpack Inn in Boot. From the Woolpack, we did a simple two mile walk beside the beautifully clear little RIver Irt that afternoon, then cooled off with a swim in its crystal clear waters.

The next day saw us setting off at 6am for the climb up to Hard Knott via the Roman Fort and sitting on the stunning summit well before 8am. A gentle walk down, crossing the Hard Knott Pass and across a pretty flower strewn common brought us to the base of the very steep climb up Harter Fell which was draining in the rapidly building heat. The strong, cool breeze at the top and all the way back down was wonderfully refreshing.

The next stop was Nether Wasdale for four nights based at the Screes Inn which was comfortable, if warm, with excellent, plentiful food. Setting off at 3.30am the next morning to avoid the worst of the day’s heat and to get a parking space in a very busy Wasdale, we tackled Red Pike and Yewbarrow, watching the sun rise over the Over Beck Valley and having Red Pike to ourselves at 6am. Yewbarrow’s flanking path was a little tricky in places, but once on the summit, the views of the Wasdale giants were magnificent, as was the view over Pillar and down Wast Water. We were back at the car cooling our feet in the beck by 10.30am just as the heat of the day was building.

After a day off, we set off again at 3.30am (we really enjoyed walking at this time and it was warm enough for just a Tshirt and so lovely to see the sunrise), this time up the Nether Beck Valley from Wasdale. It was a much longer walk to the head of the valley but the pink sunrise ahead of us was stunning. A stiff climb saw us at the top of Scoat Fell, watching the sunrise turn peachy gold over Kirk Fell, which was so beautiful. We carried on to Steeple with its beautiful views down Ennerdale, then took the easy path down and back up to Haycock, which, in the beautiful weather, was so lovely and quiet with fabulously clear views. Our final point was Caw in the distance, although it was an easy walk and the summit was flat, warm and quiet. We then took a flanking path all the way back to the rim of the Nether Beck Valley, pushing down through the bracken to the valley bottom and walked back to the car. This had been a long walk, about 10 miles, but the weather had finally broken so it was warm without the humidity, which was perfect walking weather and such a relief. We hadn’t seen another person all day.

We then left Wasdale and headed round to Keswick and Borrowdale, to the Glaramara Hotel in Seatoller for our final walk and final summit. We’d had some Tshirts made with a a graphic Bro had designed, and we had a half bottle of Champagne to take with us for the summit. We filmed our preparations leading up to leaving our hotel room, then the journey to Seathwaite Farm and shots of each of us climbing little sections all the way up. Again, it was a lovely day with clear skies, sunshine and no cloud. The pull up the valley beside Ruddy Gill was warm as it began to get a little hotter, but at Esk Hause there was a lovely cool breeze. There were lots of people toiling past on their way to Scafell Pike, so we were pleased to be branching off to Great End, which we had to ourselves.

We filmed ourselves walking towards the summit and touching it at the same time. It was an overwhelming moment and we were both a little emotional - perhaps tiredness, relief, delight, sadness or a mixture of all of them, but it felt strange to think this was officially our last mountain. We spent a long time on the summit, soaking in the views, toasting Alfred Wainwright, remembering our dogs, taking photos and video and finishing the Champagne! After about an hour and a half, some sandwiches and water, we set off on the long descent back to the hotel where were enjoyed a cool shower, celebratory drinks, a delicious meal and hearty congratulations from the staff and some of the other guests we’d got talking to.

We are immensely pleased and chuffed and delighted to have completed this amazing challenge together. It’s been a joy from start to finish and something we’re incredibly proud to say we’ve done. I’m not sure what we’re going to do with ourselves now as it’s been such a big part of our lives for so long, but our next holiday will definitely be something completely different (and a little more relaxing!), then we might start exploring the Yorkshire Dales, Wales, Scotland and Northumberland. We will always make return visits to our beloved Lakes and we might even climb something, just for old times sake!

Letting the train take the strain

As we clicked over into June, we had 8 Wainwright fells to climb in order to complete the 214 challenge. We had moved our two pub and one hotel stays three times over a 16 month period and they were now fixed for going in mid July all being well, so being still on furlough, Bro and I thought we could squeeze in a few days away and we decided to go to the Lakes for three nights using the train for the first time.

We planned to climb Pike o'Stickle and Loft Crag in Langdale and Baystones from Ambleside. In the early stages of starting climbing the 214, we had a very large, strong dog with us and back when we did the Langdale Pikes and Pavey Ark in 2014, we felt it was a little too much for him and us, to get him up the very last rocky sections of Loft Pike and Pike o’Stickle, so Bro and I were going back to re-climb them fully as we have now sadly lost both our dogs. We booked into the New Dungeon Ghyll for two nights and the newly refurbished Ambleside Inn for one night and planned to get around by bus.​

All the arrangements worked incredibly smoothly. We changed once in Manchester and caught the bus from Windermere within 20 minutes of getting off the train and that bus dropped us right outside the New Dungeon Ghyll Hotel.

The next morning we set off from the Stickle Ghyll path behind the hotel. Reaching the Cumbria Way, we decided not to cross Dungeon Ghyll, but to carry on and follow a path that wound under, round and up to Pike How. This put us on the 'wrong' side of Dungeon Ghyll, but we gained height quickly and it seemed to be marginally less steep. As we walked the ridge with the huge bulk of Harrison Stickle in front us, the cloud came down and there was a light drizzle, although it was still warm. The path climbed steeply beside the huge, deep ravine of Dungeon Ghyll to a small col and at the col, the path became much narrower with big drops into the ravine to our left. The cloud came right down, we could only see about 10 feet ahead and the rock became very wet and slippery. Not really being comfortable with drops at the side of slippery paths, we decided to re-trace our steps back down to the col, then branched across the flank at the top of the ravine and climbed up and onto the ridge below the start of the climb to Loft Crag.

Although it had entailed a bit more climbing, it really only took us about 20 minutes. A very steep path up to the col between Thorn Crag and Loft Crag brought us out onto Harrison Combe where we took a path up to the summit of Loft Crag. The views were amazing. We took some photos, lingered a while then headed off towards Pike o'Stickle. There was no discernible path up its rocky top and it entailed a bit of a hands on scramble, but it was good fun and the views at the top were stunning; down into Mickelden, across to Glaramara with Skiddaw to the north and Windermere to the south. It was warm, sunny and quite busy.

pike o’stickle’s rocky top from loft crag, the figures on the top give a sense of scale

Coming back down again, we had lunch watching people tackling the very steep path up to Harrison Stickle, then made our way back to the col and began picking our way down again. We took the same route on the way back; crossing the trickling Dungeon Ghyll and re-joining our ascent path up from Pike How. As the sun was shining and it was very warm, we made a slight detour to Pike How's summit and sat enjoying the gorgeous valley views for half an hour before going back down to the hotel.

The next day we took the bus into Ambleside, dropped our surplus bag off at the hotel and set off straight away for Wansfell as we were already in our walking kit and boots. The climb began immediately and I'd forgotten just how steep it was. We'd last been up in 2012 and Bro had also been up again on his own in 2018 when our second dog was very poorly and that time, he’d had also gone on along the ridge to Baystones, which is the Wainwright summit and not something I think we’d realised back in 2012 when we were just starting out in earnest, so I hadn’t done it. He wasn't overjoyed at tackling the climb for a third time, but that's brotherly love for you I guess!

It was very humid and the climb seemed to go on and on but it was much cooler once we reached Wansfell’s summit and the views north over Ambleside and south over Windermere were just stunning. After pausing for a drink, some photos and enjoying the views in the cool breeze, we set off along the very undulating ridge towards Baystones, which looked a fair way on, but was very straightforward. No one else followed us even though there were quite a few people about.

It was a fairly uneventful walk with some gentle ups and downs, but nothing strenuous. The cloud came down as we were on the summit, but we did have wonderful views of the Troutbeck valley, the Kirkstone Pass and Red Screes before the mist and light rain saw us donning waterproofs and heading back. It was much quicker on the way back as we found a path that ran more along the ridge tops and even after a sandwich stop, took us no time at all. The weather improved as we began the descent and we emerged back into the sun and humidity of the valley bottom again, where a cool drink at the Ambleside Inn was very welcome.

It had been a very enjoyable and interesting few days and left us with just four more walks to finish the challenge!

Beautiful langdale from pike how

ambleside from the climb to wansfell

A Lakeland Spring

We’ve been lucky, very lucky and it was so good to be back in the Lakes again after 7 months away.

We had a week’s self catering booked from last year which we moved to last week, and which was able to go ahead under the covid easing regulations. We stayed in a small three bedroom semi detached house in Portinscale that was beautifully comfortable, in the perfect location, and we ate there every evening. We had one coffee out in the whole week.

The weather was amazing, as the week before ours had seen quite a heavy snowfall, but we had no rain (other than one evening), the snow had gone, it was warm enough for a fleece without a coat and there was virtually no wind. We did have one walk with very strong gusts of wind that made us stagger sideways but other than that, it was mild and warm with one or two overcast days, making the perfect walking weather.

At the start of the week, we had 12 Wainwright summits left to climb to finish the challenge. The plan was to tackle 3 of them from Borrowdale and 1 from Ullswater, leaving the last 8 in Wasdale for later in the year hopefully.

The first walk was The Nab from Patterdale and Boredale Hause on a blustery day, but it was a good walk to get ourselves hill fit again and we managed 9 miles and nearly 3000 feet of overall climbing, but the wind picked up on the return and was incredibly strong around Angle Tarn, but exhilarating.

The second walk was Kirk Fell and we took the Hoister Rambler bus from just outside our house up to Honister Slate Mine and climbed up the mine path heading across the flanks of Grey Knotts and Brandreth to Moses Trod. The sun was out, it was warm and still and we only saw 5 people all day. The views down Buttermere and Ennerdale were spectacular. Once at Beck Head, with Great Gable for company, we climbed the steepish, scrambly rock path up the side of Kirk Fell onto the summit plateau where there was still a fair way to go to the summit, but it was easy walking and the views of the Scafells and Wasdale were magnificent.

Walk three was Rosthwaite Fell, one Bro had done before on his own when we had a sick dog to look after, but he generously came back up with me. The views down Borrowdale to Skiddaw were beautiful, but it was a steep climb, although not that lengthy, and much cooler on the top where we realised we were almost at the central point of the Lake District. It was amazing to be able to spin round 360 degrees and realise we’d climbed everything in sight, as well as most of the ridges and valleys.

The last walk was Esk Pike from Seathwaite. We arrived early and parked easily and courteously at the side of the farmer’s road and took the path straight up to the head of the Grains Valley to Esk Hause, following first Grains Gill, then Ruddy Gill. As we gained height, we walked into the low lying cloud which, unfortunately, didn’t lift at all, but it made a wonderfully atmospheric walk up past the enormous ravine of Ruddy Gill, which was very dramatic. The pitched path was very easy to walk on and you didn’t really notice the steepness of the route. At Esk Hause, it was such a shame we couldn’t see the views, but the final pull up to Esk PIke’s summit was very straightforward and we arrived on the top at mid morning. It was very warm and still with not a breath of wind (we’ve read that the wind can be fearsomely strong up there), so we had a drink, took some photos of each other, then made our way back down again. The cloud began to lift as we got lower and we had lovely views of the valley ahead.

All in all, it was a fantastic week and a real privilege to be back. Everywhere was incredibly quiet as the hotels hadn’t opened, people were friendly and the weather had been kind to us. Just the tonic we needed.

Looking forward

As lockdown leeches into a third month now, I am still on furlough until further notice. I have been using the time productively and, amongst lots of other things, one of the jobs that I have being doing is sorting and editing photos. I have also completely re-vamped and refreshed this website, adding an orientation section to some of the national parks in the UK.

All of this has meant trawling through hundreds, if not thousands, of photos and hundreds of those are of the Lake District. It’s all made me fairly “homesick”, and I thought I’d address that by listing some of the places we’ll be visiting as soon as we’re allowed back out properly and safely.

1. Buttermere

Our absolute favourite valley and favourite place to walk. In Wainwright terms, we’ve climbed everything around the valley except for Hopegill Head, but we will be back to walk round Buttermere itself and just enjoy the village, the atmosphere and scenery.

Buttermere Valley from Fleetwith Pike

2. Glenridding

I adore this village and the whole Patterdale area in general. Ullswater is stunning and the Ullswater Way is another plan once we’ve finished climbing the Wainwrights. I love the fact you can get up high and enjoy the views with very little effort.

Glenridding from Birks

3. Wasdale

Almost half of the 28 Wainwrights we have left to climb are in Wasdale, so we’ll be spending a couple of weeks in this beautiful valley eventually. It’s very remoteness is what appeals, and it really feels as though you’re in ‘proper’ mountain country here, surrounded as you are by all the highest fells.

Wast Water

4. Thirlmere

I’ve just read an article by Bill Birkett as he explored the eastern shore of Thirlmere and the surprising amount of things of interest there. We have done bits of it, but I’d like to walk it completely. It’s such a lovely quiet, perhaps slightly unterrated place and the views are stunning.

The Thirlmere valley from Brown Cove

5. Ennerdale

This is an area we really haven’t been to but we’ve looked down on Ennerdale Water from several of the high fells that surround it. I’d like to explore the circuit of the lake and revel in the peace and quiet that its remoteness offers. No roads round the lake helps!

Ennerdale

Until such time though, I’ll have to content myself with looking at photos and I also have Terry Abraham’s DVDs of Scafell Pike and Blencathra which will help, but in the meantime, stay safe and well and keep focusing on the light at the end of the tunnel.

28 Wainwright summits to go…..

Well, we spent two weeks in the Lakes from the middle of October, and it would be an understatement to say it was a good trip. It was one of our best.

Firstly and most importantly, Bro’s knee held up brilliantly. As a bit of background, he had had a flaring up of his knee three times since December last year meaning it swelled horribly, he couldn’t walk and it took a week to settle down. After this had happened three or four times he went to a specialist who diagnosed a torn meniscus.

Keyhole surgery in June fixed the knee, but he then had several bouts of terrible achilles pain meaning the same sort of swelling, great pain, inability to walk and a week to settle down, so he was eventually prescribed some seriously strong ibuprofen for acute tendonitis which immediately took the inflammation and the pain away. So far, so good.

We set off with a little trepidation about how he was going to be. Brilliant, that’s how. We did some big walks, but always with a day to rest in between. He was meticulous about stretching and strapping his ankle and using an ice bag in the evenings.

How was the weather? Brilliant, that’s how. Day after day of beautiful, warm sunny weather. Hardly a breath of wind on the summits. Perfect walking conditions, perfect views. We had a day of rain on one of our rest days and our last walk was drizzly which turned heavier and a little colder, but we still had the views.

magnificent views from causey pike

How were the walks? Brilliant, that’s how. We did 14 summits in 6 walks. We stayed in Buttermere for the first week which is most definitely our favourite area to walk in, and climbed Great Borne, Starling Dodd and Red Pike in one walk, Whiteless Pike and Rannerdale Knotts in another, and the sublime High Crag and High Stile ridge which we think is our favourite walk so far.

Utter perfection from High Stile

The second week was based in Keswick, and we tackled Causey Pike, Scar Crags and Sail on such a perfect day it could have been late summer. The views were staggering and Causey Pike is definitely one of my favourites. The next walk was Grasmoor which was very windy on the top with Wandope and Crag Hill (formerly Eel Crag), from Force Crag mine which was a wonderful day and fairly straightforward. We met some interesting people who’ve since become Facebook friends, and a young Canadian girl wearing a hat saying Canadian ski marathon team, so naturally she was up and down Grasmoor by the time we were half way up!

Our last walk was Seathwaite Fell which in all honesty, we weren’t going to tackle, but it meant we would end the year with less than 30 summits to do. It was a damp day which got wetter and colder, so thank goodness for the open fire at the Glaramara Hotel, where we thawed out with hot coffee and sandwiches.

Beautiful views from Crag Hill

On our rest days we wandered round Buttermere and Crummock, sat in the sun, explored Keswick, walked in the temperate rainforest that is Great Wood in Borrowdale, and enjoyed the wonderfully warm weather. We felt fit and healthy, tramped over 55 miles and really achieved much more than on this trip than others of late. Hopefully, we’ll finish the Wainwrights in two more weeks of walking. How good would that be? Brilliant, that’s how!

Such amazing weather

Sublime