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…
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…
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…
ROUTE STATS (including map) Crinkle Crags My favourite rollercoaster is The Big Dipper at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. It’s a classic wooden attraction which has been thrilling riders for almost 100 years. Unlike modern rollercoasters, there are no loops. You don’t go backwards or wear virtual reality goggles. It’s hardly a smooth ride either, as your train clatters along the dips and bumps of the rickety track at what feels like warp speed. It’s the simplicity of the experience I like….
ROUTE STATS (including map) Tiptoe Woods Northumberland is perhaps best known for its fantastic coastline. With beautiful beaches, incredible wildlife and magnificent castles, it’s arguably Britain’s finest county for those who like the sea. But apart from its rugged coast, Northumberland has its fair share of tremendous walks inland. And while the crowds seeking peace and quiet flock to the Lake District, Snowdonia and the Peak District, those in the know head to Northumberland. While there are some truly wild…
ROUTE STATS (including map) Great Gable Speed. It’s a way of life these days. Getting things done quickly is the name of the game. Racing around to achieve as much as we can in as short a time as possible. Life in the fast lane. The corporate world is partly to blame. Management’s answer to the more-for-less conundrum often being to push their staff to breaking point with ever increasing targets and tighter deadlines. Sustainable only for a short time…