A while ago I spent some time creating a wall map of the Lakeland Fells. I wanted something I could hang on the wall, something that would help me track my progress through all the Lake District hill lists and above all, something that looked good. In short, something that...
I’m old enough to remember that catchphrase, but I guess many people reading this will not be and many who do will not remember it’s origin. So answers on a postcard, in your own handwriting, or append a comment if you can tell me who made it famous and what...
I’m a huge believer in coincidence – not during a murder investigation or while uncovering a spy-ring of course – but generally during normal life, coincidence plays an important part in what happens to us. I was shown a prime example of it a few months ago while I was...
Increasingly that’s how I’ve come to think of myself, a slave to the list. “The List” in question being the 214 Lakeland fells described and documented by Alfred Wainwright – known colloquially as the Wainwrights. Beloved of many fell walkers, myself included; the Wainwrights are a collection of the best...
Back to the Lakes for me and joined by one old friend and one new one. I’d agreed to meet Rambling Pete and his friend Steph (recently back from living in Canada and eager to get back in the UK hills) at Honister to have a wander. Route Description: Honister,...
Route Description: Bridgend, Brothers Water, Hartsop Hall, High Hartsop Dodd, Little Hart Crag, Dove Crag, Hart Crag, Fairfield, Cofa Pike, Deepdale Hause, Deepdale, Bridgend. Notes: Beautiful day, only slightly spoiled by the high winds. Biting cold on tops with -19C wind chill recorded. I can feel my fitness waning as I walk...
Two more Wainwrights have been dutifully ticked off this weekend. Two of the lower fells, as I didn’t think my legs or lungs were truly recovered from the Man Flu of the past few weeks. As it was I got a splendid walk in, with some fantastic views and the...
Route Description: Armboth, Thirlmere permissive path, Sippling Crag (The Benn), Castle Crag, Raven Crag, Forest track, Middlesteads Gill, Armboth Fell, Fisher Gill, Armboth There is a car park at Armboth (along with one at the Thirlmere dam) and it has toilets, but it also has a pay and display machine,...
Route Description: Scawgill Bridge, Spout Force, Darling How Plantation, Graystones, Kirk Fell, Widow Hause, Broom Fell, Lord’s Seat, Barf, Ullister Hill, Seat How, Tarbarrel Moss, Whinlatter Top, Whinlatter, Scawgill Bridge A rather odd walk, quite contrived to bag all the summits in the area, but as a result I was...
I had the pleasure of spending some time recently with Matthew Hillplodder, during which he spoke of his idea to create a topology map for the Lakeland Fells. He has started the project, which currently covers the Far Eastern Fells, and provides him with an “at a glance” idea of...
Friday 24th June – Ennerdale Bridge to St. Bees Today I shall mostly be trying not to embarrass myself by dancing to “Walk On Water” by Otis Taylor. The job’s done, holiday complete, I’ve tramped from one coast of England to the other; about 200 miles and 40,000 feet of...
Thursday 23rd June – Stonethwaite to Ennerdale Bridge Today I shall mostly be pretending to surf to “Walk, Don’t Run” by The Ventures. Day Twelve I had another cracking nights sleep, the double bed helped I’m sure, but the people sharing the bathroom with me did not. They were in...
