Highs and Lows

ROUTE STATS (including map) The Fairfield Horseshoe It’s not hard to see the appeal of horseshoe walks. After the initial effort of reaching high ground, that’s where you’ll stay all day until it’s time to come down again. Look around and you’ll see the route that’s gone before you, plus what’s on offer later in the day. And whether you are an ardent ticker of hill lists or not, there’s no denying people will be impressed when you tell them…

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ROUTE STATS (including map) Skiddaw Some well-known mountains in the Lake District go by more than one name. Which one you go for could depend on the map you read, the people you talk to, or even just the one you like the sound of. Let’s start with Blencathra. You might know it as the more descriptive (but less poetic) Saddleback. While you’ll still find both names printed on Ordnance Survey maps, Wainwright made his opinions on this very clear,…

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ROUTE STATS (including map) The High Stile Range November is another month of 2020 we’d all rather forget. A second national lockdown brings challenges and pressures for everyone, be they economic, health, lifestyle or even just the boredom and uncertainty of sitting around at home. On the eve of this difficult month away from the fells, a special walk was definitely called for to get me through. Introducing the High Stile Range. A classic and somewhat underrated route. It has a bit…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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