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.