This is the first of 4 walks on this visit to the Lake District this summer. The boys wanted to beat their previous highest mark (which was the Old Man of Coniston at 803m). We were staying in Braithwaite and the mountain of Skiddaw overlooks this village, it seemed an obvious choice. So 4 children…

Ok, before anyone shouts this isn’t quite the Newlands Round. I’ve done Catbells previously so this allowed me to park in Little Town and head up to Hause Gate and onto Maiden Moor, thus missing out a short part. Still this is still a pretty big walk and gives one of the best views in…

I’d been planning this walk for a while, I’d neglected the eastern fells, picking at the Mell Fells or Arnison Crag on one off walks that didn’t really do the area justice. The plan was to walk the Helvellyn ridge, Clough Head to Seat Sandal 10 fells in a line (11 if you venture off…

A week off work for me, usually means a packed rucksack and bag, followed by a 400 mile drive the the Lake District. The first week of April was such a week for me and I picked the right one to go up. The weather was good, just two cloudy days and a bit of…

The final walk of a week in the Lakes was up a fairly simple fell on the side of Thirlmere which takes me to 89 Wainwrights done. The tracks heading up through the woods are steep but the distance is pretty short and it doesn’t take much more than 90 minutes to get up and…

This was to be my big walk of the week and it didn’t disappoint. I’d neglected the Far Eastern Wainwrights during the 80 odd I’d done so far and decided this holiday to put that right. I’d fashioned two walks of 5 and 7 fells each, one that took in Steel Fell, Wether Hill, Loadpot…

Third day in the Lakes and the weather was just how you want it at this time of year, sunny and a nice nip in the air, with plenty of colour on the trees to give you some nice photos. To be honest I only took my phone with me but the walk itself was…

Another week in the Lakes, although this ones a bit different. I’m staying in Keswick this time, in order to take advantage of the pubs and eateries on the doorstep and I won’t be walking as much as I normally do when I’m up here. However my first day here and I’m doing a walk…

This turned out to be our last walk in the Lakes this week, the weather on the Thursday turned to heavy rain and Friday we were leaving. Still this is a fine ending to our week of walks. As many know this is the smallest of the Wainwrights, standing under 300metres it would normally be…

This was our fourth walk in 4 days, all of about the same length. Unlike the other walks though we didn’t stay dry on this one thanks to a heavy shower as we left Helm Crag. This is an iconic walk in the Lake District, the Lion and the Lamb (as seen best from the…

Third day of our Lake District week and we’ve plumped for an easier walk with some interest for the boys. There had been rain overnight and Aira Force has been on my list for a while. So it was off to the Eastern Fells for a look at the waterfall plus a walk up Gowbarrow…

As is tradition for our week in the Lakes we all walk together at least once. Some go all the way around the route, some stop at a certain point and head back. The only rule seems to be get to the point where the family photo is taken and then the day is yours!…

This is the first walk of our annual week in the Lake District, I make no apologies (to Dartmoor) when I say I love this place. Yes there are higher places, more remote places, however when I’m heading past Lancaster and the high fells come into view I feel happy, very happy. After a horrific…

I needed one walk in The Lakes before the long drive back to Devon, nothing too far in distance but enough to stretch the legs, some snow would be a nice way to round off a good few days in this lovely part of the world. Whinlatter fitted the bill, in that it was a…

Nearing the end of my stay in the Lakes and the weather has turned a little, meaning just two more short walks before I leave. Ling Fell is a very simple walk from any direction and is perfect for a day when cloud covers the higher fells, or you need a quick walk to keep…

Whilst in the Lakes I really wanted to do a wintry walk. Something with snow, cold conditions and maybe a need for some microspikes. Nothing that difficult that requires an ice axe and crampons but enough to give me a flavour and some experience in these conditions. Dartmoor can be bleak however lots of snow…

If there’s a better simpler low level walk in the UK than this one then feel free to let me know. A few miles, a bit of woodland, cascading streams, a large lake, a tunnel and a cracking village with a couple of pubs and a couple of coffee shops. It is a fabulous place to…

More time up in the Lake District this week and a chance for some winter walking. This first one however wasn’t full on snow, just a bit of frost and ice on the paths and a fresh wind. These three fells make an excellent round and the views from Crag Fell along Ennerdale are some…

The last walk of an autumn week in The Lakes and being the last day I always try to pick something easy and as easterly as possible to get on the M6 quickly. The 6 plus hour drive to Plymouth necessitates leaving late afternoon, so you miss the worst of the traffic around Manchester and…

Friday broke and the weather wasn’t overly kind, the cloud was down again however it said brighter things would be with the Western Lakes by midday. I headed out after lunch for something easy, something new and preferably something not boggy (after all the rain we’d had!). I decided on a little North Western fell…

The title Lord’s Seat sounds far greater than it actually is, the fact is that the area around Whinlatter and Lord’s Seat is a grassy, lumpy and sometimes boggy area of land in the North Western Fells. Now as a walker of The Wainwrights we know that at times he takes us to parts that…

A look at the weather for The Lake District for the rest of the week I was here, suggested Tuesday would be the best day that was left. With heavy rain on Wednesday and some rain each of the rest of the days. I decided therefore to hit a bigger fell whilst the views would…

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…

Day 2 of a week in the Lakes and being on the Western side for the first time it would have been remiss of me not to walk in this area. So today I decided to head for Loweswater for a trip around Gavel Fell, Blake Fell and finishing off with Burnbank Fell and a…

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.…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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.

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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 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…

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…

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…

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…

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.

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…

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…

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…

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.