ROUTE STATS (including map) The Deepdale Round I have never understood potholing. Why anyone would want to head underground in their wellington boots, in the dark, to squeeze through tight passages filled with water is beyond me. I’ve visited a couple of show caves in my time and can appreciate the beauty of a delicate stalactite or stalagmite as much as the next person. But I’d still rather be standing on a lofty ridge knowing I can always get back…
ROUTE STATS (including map) The Swindale Fells It was all going so well. Two summits in the bag. Two more to go. Despite the fog, cold wind and distinct lack of views, this is my kind of walking. Striding out beside a dry stone wall, I am guided reassuringly through the gloom. My lockdown legs are injected with new life. This is the first walk of 2021 I’ve not had to start from my front door. I inhale the damp…
Making Plans Making any sort of plans at the moment seems futile. Lockdowns, new variants and ever-changing rules and regulations beat back our objectives with the stick of disappointment. Many of us are resigned to taking each day as it comes, while living our lives takes a back seat. It’s why I’ve held off posting my aspirations for 2021. But despite the potential for knock backs, it’s still important to make plans. Having a focus for when this miserable period…
Like many of us gathered around the wireless on Monday evening, I felt a range of emotions. Despair, sadness, fatigue, fear, anger. This tiny virus certainly seems to have us by the short and curlies with no signs of letting go. I’d ordinarily turn to the mountains to escape. But even they are closed for most of us right now. ‘The hills will still be there waiting when this is all over’, I hear you cry. That’s right, of course,…
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…
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,…
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…
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…