hike | camp | paint
After a couple of weeks in which preparing for and holding my first art show proved to be pretty much all-consuming, I was keen to get out into the landscape again, and to do so before winter started to rear its ugly head. By which I mean not the winter of crisp days on snow-covered … Continue reading Above the Clouds
Daylight’s fingers crept over the surface of the tent and the wind that had blown malevolently all night finally disappeared. It wasn’t supposed to be especially windy according to the forecast, but it seemed that it must have been funnelled in such a way as to enhance its force. Either that, or it’s just out … Continue reading And Then There Were None
I stood watching the black silhouette of the Scafells against a redish glow gradually infiltrating the sky above. As more light spread across the land, the glow became an intense orange concentrated behind Great Gable. A time for contemplation of the walk so far, and the walk ahead. Today was forecast … Continue reading The Valley of Sluggishness
The whistling and roaring sounds from outside that I heard whilst safely tucked up in my YHA bunk were all the confirmation needed that I’d made a good call last night. I didn’t feel a bit bad about taking the easy option this time. A deliberately leisurely breakfast took place before I went off to … Continue reading More Jam Than Hartleys
I woke knowing I had a little head start on the day’s walk, by virtue of my camp at High Nook Tarn. I was a bit slow packing up and it was nearly a quarter to nine before I was away. But it didn’t matter – it was likely to be quiet being midweek and … Continue reading Fog, fences and forests
A mere two sleeps after getting home from Dartmoor, and I was off again, riding my by now “usual” trains up to Penrith. With a flexible return ticket in my wallet, that was about the extent of the formal planning for this trip. Nearly at the end of the Wainwrights, maybe it was time for … Continue reading A Little Bit of Misadventure
...I'll be heading north to do battle with the last dregs of my Wainwright round. With 10 Western fells to do to complete the 214, plus another two nearby Southern fells that I want to redo as I used a car to get to them, I'm hoping that by the weekend I'll be celebrating the … Continue reading By the time you read this…
The first thing I saw as I stepped off the bus at Rosthwaite, a stop short of where I ought to, was Eagle Crag, one of my most favourite fells, peering out from behind Rosthwaite Fell. This just reminded me that it's ages since I've been to Borrowdale. Quite apart from the challenge itself, it … Continue reading The 10-in-10 (ish)
In between a busy couple of weeks where my current client project has reached a critical stage, I've not had time to do much outdoors and with miserable weather and feeling shattered from work, not much inclination either. But one thing has been drifting in and out of my thoughts - my project to complete … Continue reading Wainwrights update
Quite simply, Yewbarrow is the best fell in Wasdale. But before you Great Gable or Scafell lovers shoot me down, let me explain my reasoning. Yewbarrow's principal asset should be obvious to anyone looking up Wastwater, or indeed looking across from, say Whin Rigg or Illgill Head. It looks great. A number of times I've … Continue reading Favourite Fells – Yewbarrow
My first ascent of Mellbreak took place last year on the day that I finished the north western fells, by making it a circular walk from Buttermere around Crummock Water, also taking in Rannerdale Knotts. And it's ironic that the day I started the north western fells, was also the day I first saw Mellbreak. … Continue reading Favourite Fells – Mellbreak
The title's probably a touch dramatic, but in my post New Year's zombie-like state of mind, it seemed to do the trick. Of course, if you believe the Mayans we've just had our last New Year's Eve parties (no loss there really) as the world is due to end sometime this year. Video by CGP … Continue reading A Day of Judgement
Whilst everyone else is starting the New Year with positive thinking (that is apart from the effects of last night's drinking), I thought I'd take an opposite tack and talk about failure. In my walking career I've notched up a few failures and whilst I've not let them get to me too much, I'd be … Continue reading Failure
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 … Continue reading A Lakeland Round (2011)
Not everyone is interested in the stats, so let's keep the analysis in a separate post. Summits bagged The 29 Wainwrights "bagged", in order, are: Dodd (Skiddaw) Whinlatter Barf Lord's Seat (M) Broom Fell Graystones Ling Fell Sale Fell Barrow Outerside Mellbreak (M) Rannerdale Knotts High Crag (H) High Stile (Wainwright summit) Red Pike (Buttermere) … Continue reading A Lakeland Round (2011): The Stats