ROUTE STATS (including map) The Mosedale Horseshoe What’s the best view in the Lake District? Take a straw poll from one hundred different people and you’ll get as many answers. There’s such variety out there that you can spend a lifetime in pursuit of the perfect one. So while I’m not ready to settle on my favourite just yet, it did get me thinking about the ingredients I’d throw into the pot when cooking up the perfect view. Close your…
ROUTE STATS (including map) Scafell Pike Scafell Pike is the tallest mountain in England. It could be a terrible mountain in every single way and it would still attract the crowds by virtue of being the biggest. Thankfully it’s not a terrible mountain. It’s a bloomin’ good one which has all the attributes you’d expect of England’s highest ground. It’s rocky for a start. A rugged mass in England’s otherwise green and pleasant land. There are many routes to the…
The mechanics of taking a single step are anything but simple. Each time our feet make contact with the ground, the impact creates a shockwave that erupts through our limbs. Our brains subconsciously anticipate each footfall and make tiny adjustments to ensure the energy efficiently dissipates through our limbs. And it’s not just our legs. Our head, spine, hips and arms all have a part to play in keeping us balanced. Hillwalking and running, although good for us, can increase…
Blustery days After the calm of Summer, we’re heading into that time of year where the reds, oranges and yellows of fallen leaves mirror the colours of weather warnings frequenting our forecasts once more. With the right equipment and skills, inclement weather doesn’t have to stop play. Rain, fog, a chilly nip in the air, even snow might make the day more unpleasant but shouldn’t necessarily prevent us from getting into the hills. But strong wind is a different beast….
ROUTE STATS (including map) Bowfell and Esk Pike Think of a cloud. Chances are you’re picturing something resembling a sheep with no legs. Those fluffy, cottonwool, cumulus clouds floating across the blue skies above Springfield in the title sequence of The Simpsons. All pretty idyllic. But a hillwalker’s relationship with the imagery of clouds is quite different. After all, clouds in a mountain setting rarely bring good news, right? They obscure the views for a start. And when they are…
ROUTE STATS (including map) Helvellyn by the Edges I spent a lot of my time as a youngster clambering over rocks. I think it started at some local castle ruins, quite rightly protected by all sorts of preservation orders nowadays. We’d scramble over the structures, reaching precarious ledges before stuffing our faces with sweets. As a gawky pre-teen, I remember a teacher asking the class about our favourite TV programmes. ‘Neighbours’ was a popular choice in the ‘90s. Some tried…
ROUTE STATS (including map) The Langdale Pikes The Langdale Pikes are the boy band of the Lakeland fells. Pike o’Stickle, Loft Crag, Thorn Crag, Harrison Stickle and Pavey Ark can’t go anywhere without having their picture taken. Even from afar, they are instantly recognisable by their adoring fans. Congregate around the north-eastern shores of Windermere on a clear day and you’ll see even the most disinterested visitor proudly posing for a selfie with the Langdale Pikes in the background. It’s…
ROUTE STATS (including map) The Kentmere Round When people learn that I like to climb mountains in the Lake District, they’ll often ask for a recommendation. And that presents a dilemma. Because while there’s no shortage of choices, committing to a single hill is not easy. It all depends on what you are after. If you haven’t done any hillwalking before, I might suggest something like Catbells. If it’s a nice day, you want something bigger and look capable, then…
A combination of COVID-19 restrictions and decent summer weather has seen loads of new visitors to the fells this year. And despite what the papers say, I like to think they aren’t all defecating, litter-throwing, inconsiderate-parking, fire-lighting yobs. Some, at least, are genuinely there to enjoy the beauty of places like the Lake District for the very first time. Perhaps being cooped up during lockdown has made them realise how much we all need time in the great outdoors. And…
ROUTE STATS (including map) The Coniston Fells We tend to think of places like the Lake District as typical natural environments. But look a little closer and you’ll see it’s not as unspoilt as we like to imagine. After tectonic plate movements, volcanic eruptions and glaciers had done their thing, it’s we humans that shaped the landscape we see today. For hundreds of years we’ve exploited the fells for minerals, the forests for timber, the lakes for water and the…