I wanted to write something about my Lake District journey, sharing what I’ve enjoyed and some bits that I’d preferred to have missed. This might be a long post but then again I am cramming 14 years and 92 walks into one post. This would include my favourite walks and fells, some of the underrated summits, best views and the fells I want to revisit as I couldn’t see anything when I got there. No doubt there will be some overlap as the best fells will likely feature in my best walks. My choices of ‘best places’ will likely be reliant on good weather, as that will always show a place off in its best light and I will throw in my low lights as well and some fells that perhaps some people like, that I didn’t. I’ll put plenty of photos in as well with some of my favourite views or moments, these will certainly highlight the differing quality of cameras through the years for sure. I add in some descriptions to sum up the fun I have had over the last 14 years bagging these fantastic places. Overall I have loved walking the Wainwrights and I hope to show Linda and my boys more of these places to add to their numbers, I have lots to thank AW for.

Best walks

Fairfield Horseshoe – A walk with my brother, our first ever Wainwright was a walk out of Bassenthwaite along the Ullock Pike ridge to Skiddaw (3 Wainwrights in total). We ran out of water and food half way and just made it back to the house, that we were staying in, it was around 1991-92 ish and we were both still in school. For this walk around the horseshoe, it was 2015, and it was great to do this classic walk with my brother in great weather, the only walk of my 214 that I managed with just my brother as company.

Middle Fell and Seatallan – Another 2015 walk and my first foray into Wasdale. I remember my jaw hitting the floor when I saw the view to the Scafells from the summit of Middle Fell. I also enjoyed Buckbarrow at the end of this walk and the chance to see Joss Naylor’s Cairn that he rebuilt on the site of an old tumulus.

St Sunday Crag – A walk with Linda to pick off the fells around Deepdale. The walk was in superb weather, the cloud lifted as we walked, and the ridge of Hartsop Above How was bathed in sunshine all the way down. The section from St Sunday around to Hart Crag is pure mountain scenery, a walk of different types and everything to enjoy.

Steel Fell and Calf Crag – Its very difficult to pick a favourite walk with the boys, but this one stands out by a country mile. The photos alone are ones that I have everywhere, on my profile pictures, hung in houses, and its my gravitar photo here on wordpress. Just so many memories from this walk, my boys were in form and the happiest the three of us have been. Plus the walk was in stellar conditions and views to match.

Great Crag & Grange Fell – Another walk with the boys this time from 2014, I remember that I wasn’t expecting much from these two fells, and had picked them as two easy one to bag from Watendlath, that the boys could do. The views are superb when looking towards Great Gable, and I remember thinking that you don’t always need to go high to get a great view. Brilliant little fells these two.

Barrow – One of our favourite houses that we stayed in has to be in Braithwaite, we went to the same house twice and loved the location. We loved our walks up to Barrow from there, only one has been documented on here but I have made this summit at least 3 times.

Scafell – Probably the best walk I have done in the Lakes, 14 miles, stunning views from Whin Rigg and Illgill Head, only reaching the top of Scafell at 5pm, on our own for 30 mins as the sun started to lower on a still evening. Then down to Slight Side and Eskdale bathed in late May sunshine, Burnmoor Tarn and two fighter jets scream over our head, then Miterdale, the waterfalls and a long walk out to reach the car as light faded. Just perfection.

Pillar and Kirk Fell – I’d read about Pillar and Pillar Rock for a long time, names such as Black Sails Pass, Shamrock Traverse and Robinson’s Cairn jumped out. For the only time on my 214 round I set out from Wasdale Head, heading for Black Sails and then Pillar summit, looking down on Pillar Rock I had goosebumps. Then we headed for Kirk Fell, a tricky fell from every way but our route up Kirk Fell Crags, was very tricky. Linda doesn’t like heights and she bravely ascended that route (photo lower down)

Bowfell and Crinkle Crags – It was 2012 that I did this walk and at this point I was picking off great places to walk. I read that Wainwright has called Crinkle Crags the best ridge mile in Lakeland, that would do for me, adding on Bowfell made this a perfect walk as it has the best view to the Scafells. Alongside the Scafell walk above this is my favourite.

Wetherlam – This walk was certainly the best walk I’d done after driving 400 miles to the Lake District from Plymouth. The fact that it was done on a damp and dreary November day, makes it unbelievable. It was also Linda’s first Wainwright for many years, as she hadn’t been walking in the Lakes for 20 or so years. Up Steel Edge and down Wetherlam Edge, fantastic stuff, the fact that Wetherlam Edge was unbelievably greasy made for some fun sliding down on our bums.

My recent Blencathra and Mungrisdale Common walk or one I did over Caudale Moor, Thornthwaite Beacon and High Street could also easily make this list, in fact if you ask me again next week then they may be on the list. But I’m happy with this 10.

Worst walks

Eagle Crag – It was my navigation at fault for this one, I missed the right hand turn at a rowan tree and left myself almost cragfast on the front of Eagle Crag, fortune favoured me and I descended a horrible drop before climbing up a different gully to the top. I doubt anyone else has ever made the summit the way I did. I was very very lucky.

Holme Fell – I just didn’t like this one, it was soggy, lumpy and just rubbish. Wished I’d have stayed down at Slater’s Bridge and gone back to the pub.

Great Calva – We got absolutely drowned on this walk, Linda kept everything zipped and locked up, me not so much, the rain got in the front of my jacket and I was shivering as I made the summit. I took off my soaking wet t-shirt as I came down, my merino baselayer dried quickly after that and I warmed back up. From Dash Falls we were treated to a November sunset as the sun tried to warm us up. The fire was on with lots of wood that night to dry our gear.

Green Gable and Great Gable – You might ask why is Great Gable on a worst walk list, well it is actually due to its smaller neighbour, Green Gable. My youngest tripped on the summit of that fell, and stuck a pointy rock into his knee. The gash would require stitches in hospital that evening/night, in fact we visited both Penrith hospital (3 hours to be told to go to Carlisle) and then 4 hours in Carlisle. I got back to the house at 4.20am. My youngest didn’t manage to finish Shrek 2, that I’d put on for him in the waiting room as they called him in. It was bad all round. He did however walk/hobble up Great Gable from Windy Gap with bandages covering his knee, which to this day I find astonishing.

Most difficult

Longsleddale Round – 12 miles and 6 of those are on some of the boggiest ground in the Lakes, from the moment I stepped on the bottom of Branstree it was wet, Mosedale is always wet, as is Tarn Crag. In fact the section between Tarn Crag and Grey Crag was the bit that I wasn’t wet, and that was because I took the Dartmoor approach of following the higher lumps of ground and therefore stayed dry through some soggy ground. It was a great walk, but was very tiring.

Scafell – The longest walk I did on my 214 adventure, 14 miles but its in my best walk list above as it was just sublime.

Esk Pike and Glaramara – I remember making this walk up and thinking I was a bit daft, almost 12 miles around some of the highest points in Lakeland, lots of ascent and some rough weather closing in. It started to rain around 4pm as I descended to Seathwaite, it didn’t stop for 3 days as the Lakes flooded everywhere. It picked off 5 fells in one walk that I needed, gave me another chance to look at Piers Gill. The view off Rossett Pike is superb and I remember scooching down on Esk Pike to avoid the very strong winds, the descent off Glaramara was unreal as I went off the front, not knowing there was a path around.

Underrated Fells

Sale Fell – I’ve been up this fell twice now and it is just lovely, I love the grassy path down in the direction of Ling Fell and there are other little top to visit to lengthen the walk if you want to. Perfect for 2 hours in any weather. Wythop Church is a little gem nestled below this one.

Barrow – Doesn’t get the Instagram photos that Catbells will get, and all the better for it. Its the same height as Catbells and 10 times better, much quieter than Catbells and heading up to Barrow Door from Braithwaite is a lovely way up this one and you get the views to Skiddaw on the descent. Great pubs at the bottom make this a fell to keep quiet about.

Lingmoor Fell – I only did two walks with my dad, my first to Helvellyn and this one where it was just me and him. It was superb, the views to the Langdale Pikes from Lingmoor Fell are the best, and the only place to view those fells

Rampsgill Head – The U shaped valley of Ramps Gill gives a superb view from this fell, the fact that 3 or 4 more fells are within easy reach from this point make it one that you will visit 2 or 3 times on your round.

Bonscale Pike – I love the cairns (towers) on this fell, and the view down to Ullswater and Hallin Fell

Slight Side – The view into Eskdale is one I wanted to see for a long time. I waited until fell number 201 to bag this one and see that view. That it was 6pm on a glorious May evening made it just the best experience.

Revisit needed

There have been fells that I know, as I leave the summit, that I need to revisit. Some are great fells, some covered in cloud and others due to your youngest falling over. Firstly we have the cloud covered ones, Great Mell Fell, Yoke/Ill Bell and Froswick and Robinson all fall into this category. Next is Dow Crag where it was too windy to enjoy it fully, the same for Great Gable where my youngest fell over on Green Gable and I was more worried about him to enjoy this one. Finally we have Crinkle Crags which needs a revisit to enjoy it properly, alongside Bowfell.

Favourite Fells

In this order Bowfell, Scafell, Blencathra, Barrow, Pillar. That’s my 5. With a nod to Mungrisdale Common, which I loved, because it reminds me of Dartmoor so much and everyone else dislikes it so much.

Funny things

So I’ve seen lots of things that I’ve loved, done things that have made me laugh when I look back and others that have left me stunned to have experienced it. One was on Ard Crags, where I sat to have something to eat, before descending to Sail Beck below, its a steep way down and then I felt for my camera, which I then realised was still at the top, where I’d stopped for a bit to eat, I win the reascent of Ard Crags time from Sail Beck.

A walk in snow is joyous, the Back O’Skidda area is quiet enough normally, in snow it is bereft of life. Except me as I attempted to walk from Brae Fell to Great Sca Fell, the snow at the side of Little Sca Fell was deep, and a ploughed through it laughing and falling over as I went. The snow angel I left on that fell was a high point.

Seeing wildlife in its natural place is a real treat, now I’m not sure of the deer in the Lakes counts in this way, but in autumn around the Far Eastern Fells there are lots of them. The male deer make it known they are there. The sound is very impressive, seeing lots of them running across the fells is just awesome.

Best places, memories and photos

So to the final part, this has taken the longest to pull together as I have gone through every walk, all 91 of them, looking at the places. Some I knew about before writing this section, others have jumped back to me as I read the post again. These are all about the feeling, the place, the moment. And there will be a fair few of them.