Wetherlam to Waterlam: climbing the Old Man of Coniston in a summer heatwave

July 16, 2025 Trip reports britain, county tops, cumbria, hill walking, lake district, met office, old man of coniston, peak bagging, swirl how, weather forecasts, wetherlam 0 Comment

The whole of Europe is in the middle of a scorching heatwave. Here in the Cotswolds the grass is as brown as a hay bale and the thermometer has been touching 30°C. It seemed like a good time to go hill walking in the Lake District, where good weather seemed guaranteed for a change.

The Buttermere Round: an epic walk for sensible people

May 10, 2023 Trip reports alfred wainwright, britain, cumbria, dale head, high stile, hill walking, lake district, red pike, robinson 4 Comments

We live in an era of epic endurance challenges, where people believe there’s no point getting outdoors unless you do something bigger, longer or quicker than everyone else. But it’s possible to do a challenging walk while thoroughly enjoying yourself, and without running.

A Grasmoor and Grisedale Pike horseshoe via Grasmoor End

April 26, 2023 Trip reports alfred wainwright, britain, crag hill, cumbria, grasmoor, grisedale pike, hill walking, lake district 2 Comments

It’s been four years since my last visit to the Lake District. A return visit was long overdue and the Easter weekend offered a good opportunity. We set our sights on the Northwest Fells, an area of peaks that I’ve only explored in impenetrable hill fog.

The Helvellyn and Fairfield Horseshoe via Striding Edge

May 15, 2019 Trip reports britain, crib goch, cumbria, edita, fairfield, helvellyn, hill walking, lake district, st sunday crag, striding edge 2 Comments

After taking Edita up Scafell Pike, the highest peak in England, last year, it was a no-brainer to introduce her to a UK hill-walking classic: Helvellyn via Striding Edge. It would be fun for me too, because I hadn’t done it for 23 years.

Scafell Pike, the highest peak in England, from Wasdale

July 18, 2018 Trip reports britain, camping, edita, ennerdale, eskdale, hill walking, lake district, langdale, microadventures, peak bagging, rock climbing, sca fell, scafell pike, wasdale 4 Comments

I had only climbed the highest mountain in England once, from the east side 22 years ago. It was time for me to climb it from Wasdale on the west side, and it was time for Edita to climb it for the very first time.

The Ennerdale Horseshoe: a Lake District gem

June 13, 2018 Trip reports alfred wainwright, backpacking, britain, camping, cicerone guides, ennerdale, forestry commission, graham uney, great gable, high stile, hill walking, lake district, microadventures, peak bagging, pillar, scafell pike, wild camping 0 Comment

A sunny bank holiday weekend in northern England was the signal for a visit to the Lake District. As we headed out for a backpacking and wild camping microadventure in Ennerdale, I couldn’t quite believe that it had been five years since my last visit.

How Mardale came to be flooded and the Lake District drowned in silly names

June 12, 2013 Trip reports backpacking, britain, camping, coast to coast walk, haweswater, high street, hill walking, lake district, mardale, microadventures, mosedale, swindale, wild camping 3 Comments

In the 1930s the valley of Mardale in Cumbria was flooded to create Haweswater and supply water to Manchester. I imagine it was pretty shocking at the time, but 80 years later only a fool would let it spoil their enjoyment of a very pleasant Lakeland walk. It was glorious weather when I strapped on my rucksack at the start of a two day backpacking adventure.

In praise of Cumbria’s northern fells

May 5, 2011 Trip reports britain, camping, carrock fell, cumbria, fairfield, great dodd, helvellyn, hill walking, lake district, langdale, navigation, pennines, scafell pike, skiddaw, st sunday crag, striding edge, stybarrow dodd, wild camping, wilderness 5 Comments

I’m going to say something that I don’t believe many people say: some of my favourite hills in the English Lake District are the rolling grassy bogland hillsides of its northern fells. There are some impressive looking mountains in the

2010, a year of walks across Britain

January 11, 2011 Opinion and advice backpacking, black mountains, britain, cornwall, countryside, hill walking, lake district, munros, right to roam 0 Comment

2010 saw the 10th anniversary of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act, otherwise known as the Right to Roam, an historic piece of legislation which saw over a million hectares of open countryside in the UK classified as “access