With my career break now over half gone and opportunities for trips disappearing fast, I took an 11 day trip to Cumbria to bag some Wainwrights and Nuttalls. Having done the majority of the convenient stuff in the easily accessible centre of Lakeland, this was always going to be about knocking off some of the more peripheral fells. A difficult one to plan as it needed to be put together as a trek from base to base in order to access the target fells.
When I sketched out the walking I hoped to do during my sabbatical, I’d always expected it would involve more than one Lake District trip, just as my break in 2007 did. So with an empty slot to fill in July, and a realisation that in every one of the last 5 years I’ve been to the lake District at the end of June or start of July, it seemed clear what I need to do.
Now just one day until I go, and it feels like a long time since I had a walk. I’ve not been out on “terrain” for just over a month, and despite best intentions, haven’t done the amount of flat walking I’d hoped to do in preparation for this trip…Continue reading->
Arriving in the Lakes, time for a quick afternoon leg stretch before the serious walking begins tomorrow.
Dodd and Skiddaw
Travelling up today, meant a short walk in the afternoon, with the only sensible choice being Dodd, an odd leftover fell and within easy range of Keswick. But it turned out to be much harder than planned…Continue reading->
A linear walk to pick off the Whinlatter group of fells.
Barf
There are few things more annoying than busting a gut to meet a deadline, successfully meeting it, and then finding the deadline moved earlier and no one told you. That’s what happened today…Continue reading->
A walk through the north western fells to my next 2 night stop in Buttermere.
Contouring around towards Buttermere
Today was a day of comparisons with past trips, in particular my long Lakes trip during my sabbatical 4 years ago. After some overnight rain, the day dawned relatively fine, with Skiddaw looking colourful opposite my bedroom window…Continue reading->
Today didn’t turn out as planned, but could prove to be one of the best days of the trip. An overnight weather forecast for strong winds, risk of lightning and the chance of solid rain didn’t bode well on the day that I had my longest walk planned…Continue reading->
After yesterday’s lack of energy, I was worried about the big walk I had to face today – over 1000m of ascent in heavy mode. And with limited escape routes…it was either going to be a triumph or a disaster.…Continue reading->
Today started slowly and at one point I thought I might not make it to the top of any fells, but ultimately I achieved everything I’d planned…Continue reading->
Just as I thought I’d gained some fitness, it all seemed to desert me today. Or maybe I overdid it yesterday. Or could it have been being woken by a Hungarian at 4:48 this morning…Continue reading->
Having weighed up whether to do the walk over Lingmell or chicken out and just take the easier option straight over Sty Head Pass from Wasdale, there was a certain irony in me ending up doing both. Here’s how it happened…Continue reading->
Lanty’s Tarn – apart from the Red Squirrel, a bit disappointing
After my exertions of yesterday, this morning I laid my maps, route card and bus timetables out in front of me on the bed and worked out what to do.…Continue reading->
Despite me saying last night that I’d do today’s original planned walk and tack yesterday’s omitted walk on the end of it, I never thought I’d actually do it. But I have the aching feet to prove it…Continue reading->
I feel awful. An early night was a waste of time as I couldn’t get to sleep, and with the 4 bunk dorm full, anytime someone moved on the uncomfortable beds all 4 were aware of it. And the banging and crashing upstairs didn’t help.
I woke with raging hay fever, courtesy of the location and a window wide open all night. Breakfast was pretty bad too, and I’m sitting here not really wanting to get on with the day…Continue reading->
This has been a bit of a strange trip, and I have to say after 15 trips to the Lake District, I didn’t expect to still be learning lessons about my walking capabilities…Continue reading->
