Middle Fell and Seatallan

This was arguably the one walk I did want to do whilst staying on this side of the Lake District. Yes there are higher walks and better paths, but few better views of the Scafells and surrounding mountains than from WastWater and also from Middle Fell. I’d seen plenty of pictures of the panorama from…

Binsey

Another fantastic week in the Lake District last week and it started here in the Northern Lakes on Binsey. I’d driven up from an overnight stop in Wigan and into rain, it was forecast to brighten in the afternoon so I took time to stop in Keswick, grab some lunch before heading across to Binsey.…

Murky Great Mell Fell

My last walk of a fantastic week in the Lake District and I guess eventually it had to rain, forecast said it would stop just before lunch, so I figured a bit of shopping and a bite to eat in Keswick and a quick walk before the long drive to Plymouth. Great Mell Fell was…

Knott Rigg and Ard Crags

After a tough walk around the Fairfield Horseshoe yesterday I felt like a much easier walk and a visit to Buttermere, which is a lovely part of the world. Unfortunately walking the Wainwrights rarely means an easy walk, the torture on my legs, straight up the Knott Rigg ascent from the Newlands Pass, wasn’t much…

Fairfield Horseshoe

There’s something about bagging a large amount of Wainwright’s in one go that gives great satisfaction at the end of a day. The horseshoe walks in the Lakes do just that, 5, 6, 7 or more fells can be climbed in a day, putting you so much closer to that magical 214. The classic Fairfield…

Hard Knott and Border End

Fourth walk in the Lakes and a chance to catch a glimpse of the highest points in England, The Scafells, as well as look at the fantastic Eskdale. It also meant a trip across one of the toughest driving roads in the land, with first the Wrynose Pass and then the Hardknott Pass to be…

Holme Fell

After two days of fantastic sunshine the inevitable happened with rain most of the day on the Sunday and some again Monday morning, thankfully it brightened nicely in the afternoon allowing a nice walk from the house up to Holme Fell. I have to say our route up wasn’t conventional and we certainly lost the…

Lingmoor Fell

Second day in The Lakes and a second walk already! This time straight from the rented house in Little Langdale up to Lingmoor Fell with its fantastic views of Bowfell and the Langdale Pikes. My dad joined me and to make a circular of it we headed down to Blea Tarn before walking back along…

Red Screes and Middle Dodd

As always a week in the Lake District is much anticipated and goes with plenty of planning, this year the house was in Little Langdale. However, this walk was not really on the agenda, but after 6 or so hours in a car from Plymouth and an hour or so before being allowed in the…

Dodd

Our last walk in The Lakes before the long drive home to Plymouth, a decision was made to attempt a bit of a bogey hill for us in Dodd. Previously we had attempted an ascent and been monsooned off the hill by heavy rain!! We started out in sun knowing by tea rain was due…

Wansfell

Staying in Troutbeck it would have been daft of us not to have a walk up to Wansfell via Nanny Lane, the weather looked as though it would cover the tops in low cloud, however as we reached the summit it cleared enough to give us some views.

Sallows and Sour Howes

After a couple of damp days in the Lake District we finally woke to a clear day and the prospect of a fantastic day in the fells. The weather turned out to be better than it should have been and warm for late October and these two little fells provided a fabulous walk. These two…

Arnison Crag

We have come to The Lakes in autumn for a week to sample the changing colours and weather at this time of year, with that there will hopefully be less bracken than in the summer as well!! We were staying in Troutbeck, so whilst waiting for the house to be ready, we popped over the…

Great Crag and Grange Fell

I have to say I wasn’t expecting much from this walk from Watendlath. The road up here is narrow but once at the end a little oasis opens up with high ground all around. Both these two fells have many lumps on their summit vying for the highest point but it is the views that…

High Rigg

An evening walk up a smaller fell but giving it a bit of respect. Rather than just and up and back from the church at the bottom of the hill we decided to park in a layby beside the A591 and walk along the base before ascending from the church as normal. Weather was warm…

Coniston Old Man

I think it’s fair to say that the Old Man was the first mountain I knew the name of. I don’t know why but it was. So this was a bit of a pilgrimage for me and parking at the end of Walna Scar road I was excited. We set off in good sun but…

Little Mell Fell

A much derided little fell this one, however for me it has its place. For those of us that have to drive hundreds of miles to get to The Lakes, fells such as Little Mell have something that loftier mountains cannot offer and that’s a quick walk to stretch the legs whilst bagging a Wainwright…

The Langdale Pikes

Talk of the Lake District and walking mountains and inevitably The Langdale Pikes will come up eventually. For a large number of visitors that head to The Lakes only to stay around Lake Windermere then The Langdale Pikes sit high dominating the view to the north of the Lake. Starting up Stickle Ghyll we headed…

Catbells

Catbells is a classic walk in the Lake District, arguably the most popular fell in this particular part of England. It attracts families, those on route to higher places and those out to bag a Wainwright! The views back to Keswick grab the attention however the vistas into the Newland valley in the opposite direction…

Silver How

If your in and around the Grasmere area of the Lake District, then Silver How is a superb walk for those not wanting to head out to loftier heights such as the Fairfield Horseshoe. This route also makes a nice round loop giving good views especially from the summit. The walk could easily be extended…

Scafell Pike and Great End

When you look at climbing mountains inevitably you will look to the highest and want to climb it. Scafell Pike is that such a mountain in England. This route was out from Seathwaite Farm and up to Styhead Tarn and then via the Corridor Route to the summit and back over the boulder field to…

Latrigg

Cooler walk than yesterday when we were on Barrow (here), unfortunately the warm sunshine is replaced by cloudy, hazier conditions. The views to Derwent Water however are just as good from this glorious viewpoint and the layering of fells to the south is superb. This has to be the best view in the Lake District…

Barrow

Family walk up a cracking little fell near to our base in Braithwaite. The views down to Derwent Water were spectacular, especially on the way down, and it was a fine way to spend a couple of hours. Topped off with a nice pint in the pub to finish.

Hallin Fell

We had spent a week near Fort William in Scotland and the long drive back to Plymouth required a stop off and some leg stretching. This fell, not too far from the M6, provided a perfect walk before tea in Windermere. We could have picked any of the Mell Fells or perhaps Gowbarrow Fell but…

Crinkle Crags and Bowfell

Second walk of this holiday and a classic one at that. Wainwright claims the mile of walking across the Crinkles to be the finest ridge mile in Lakeland. That’ll do for me, with the bonus of Bowfell at the far end and a fantastic descent by The Band. The walk was a tough one, and…

Loughrigg Fell

After getting a taster for Lakeland fell walking last summer with our Helvellyn walk (here), this was our second Wainwright and a much more sedate family friendly walk and the boys first attempt at a fell. Rain threatened later in the walk as we reached the summit but thankfully stayed away, although it did cool…

Helvellyn via Striding Edge

Our first major walk in the Lake District and one of the classics to boot, The weather was tricky across Striding Edge due to the drizzle and as a result we used a mix of staying to the ridge line and dropping occasionally to the path just below. Once the cloud cleared a bit on the summit the views were superb.