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Walking the Wainwrights: 64 Walks to Climb the 214 Wainwrights of Lakeland

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Alfred Wainwright listed Blencathra in his top six favourite mountains and, in particular, the Sharp Edge approach. “Blencathra,” he wrote, “is one of the grandest objects in Lakeland… This is a mountain that compels attention, even from those dull people whose eyes are not habitually lifted to the hills.”

You start the walk by skirting alongside Ullswater with fantastic views over the lake. The ascent is steady to begin with, as you make your way up to a viewing point, where you can take in almost the entirety of the 7-mile long Ullswater Lake. In his guide to the Lakeland Fells, Alfred Wainwright describes Little Mell Fell as little more than a footnote to the fells it is closely linked to, going so far as to suggest it barely merits inclusion in his books at all: Gowbarrow Fell is one of the 214 Wainwright fells in the Lake District. To count as a Wainwright, the fell must be included in Alfred Wainwright's monumental seven-volume Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells. This route to Gowbarrow Fell is from Aira Force, and is one of the most popular ways to visit the fell. Alfred Wainwright on Gowbarrow Fell The virtues of Helm Crag have not been lauded enough. It gives an exhilarating little climb, a brief essay in real mountaineering, and, in a region where all is beautiful, it makes a notable contribution to the natural charms and attractions of Grasmere”.

I have been drawn to the work of The acclaimed Lake District walker and writer Alfred Wainwright for as long as I have been visiting the Lake District. His 'Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells' are the most famous walking guide books ever written and they were an early reference point for me when planning my first walks in the National Park during the early 1990's. I use the Pictorial Guides to this day, the 50th anniversary edition of the original works.

A walk can be what you make it – you can walk the dog, walk the kids to school or simply go for a walk in your lunch break; whatever it is you’re always winning. For those who want to add that little bit more; a slightly more strenuous, time-consuming adventure, Alfred Wainwright has done the hard work for you. All you have to do is walk. It is a fell – its name says so – but it is not the stuff of which true fells are made. It rises on the verge of Lakeland but its characteristics are alien to Lakeland. It stands in isolation, not in the company of others. There is good in all, however, and its heathery top is a fine place for viewing the merits of other fells."When I first started winter fell walking with Dan and his family, we went up Fairfield,” says Karen. “It was actually the first time I had ever been out and about in the winter. I almost didn't know that you were allowed to go up proper mountains at that time of year. It was just very memorable for that! There was snow everywhere, and I think that changed my view of walking in the mountains.” This is a particularly pleasant walk from the centre of Grasmere village and is likely to be a quieter affair than the previous, popular Loughrigg walk. The views, however, are as just as impressive, and you may just get them all to yourself! The walk begins down a lane next to the Emma’s Dell café signposted “Allan Bank”. Continue down the lane and cross a cattle grid into Allan Bank and when you reach the fork in the road take the lane to the right and follow it until you see a signpost for “Silver How” on the left. Pass through a gate into a field and bear left to follow the wall. Climb to where the field narrows and enter the narrow stony gulley. After about 100m climb out and continue on up to another gateway. Go through onto the open fellside and bear left. Continue on the grassy path above a gill and past some spikey juniper bushes, (crush a berry to release the smell of gin!). Veer left and after around 200m you reach Wray Gill. Bear left on a narrow path to drop down into it and cross the river. Once on the other side follow the path across the plateau to the obvious hill ahead. Your destination is marked with a summit cairn. From here you can enjoy a beautiful 360-degree view of the Langdale Pikes, Grasmere, Helm Crag and the surrounding countryside. A full description of this walk and a route map can be found below. Part of the Southern Fells, Glaramara is a tranquil hill despite being in the midst of some of the Lake District’s busiest hotspots such as Ullswater and Borrowdale. Karen adds: "And you can run along the main ridge, the east-west ridge, and take a gentle route down. So it's a really good route."

Wainwright, Martin (30 June 2012). Wainwright: The Man Who Loved the Lakes. BBC Books. ISBN 978-1448140718. It's one of the quieter hills,” says Dan. “Even though it's in the heart of Lakeland, south of Ullswater and Borrowdale. So many people set off from Seathwaite and head up Scafell Pike, and don't really consider other options. You come up Thorneythwaite Fell from Seathwaite, and then you do a bit of a scramble up to the top. The descent, over Rosthwaite Fell, is also great. Again, it's a knobbly ridge.” Karen continues: "It's a good example of one of the fells that people probably wouldn't bother to go up if it wasn't a Wainwright. So it's great that it encourages people to get up something different." Wainwright Two: Blencathra (868m) Looking out over the Lake District from Sharp Edge, Blencathra. Photo: Getty Such is the artistry of nature,” pens Wainwright in his characteristically poetic way, “such is the mellowing influence of the passing years, that the scars of disarray and decay have been transformed in a romantic harmony, cloaked by a canopy of trees and a carpet of leaves… Naked of trees, Castle Crag would be ugly; with them, it has a sylvan beauty unsurpassed, unique.” It’s possible to avoid some of the scramblings on the Hall’s Fell route, and the views across The Dodds towards Helvellyn from the summit are reward enough to keep you motivated.

Loughrigg Fell, Ambleside

Between 2005 and 2009, all the Pictorial Guides were updated for the first time, to take account of changed conditions on the fells. The revisions were made by Chris Jesty, and the publishers used an imitation font of Wainwright's hand lettering to make the alterations look as unobtrusive as possible. The most notable changes were the inclusion of photographs of the Lake District by Derry Brabbs on the front covers, rather than the drawings that were on the covers of the originals, and footpaths shown in red on the maps. These revised versions are titled 'Second Editions'. Revised editions of Wainwright's other Pictorial Guides, A Coast to Coast Walk, The Outlying Fells of Lakeland, Pennine Way Companion, Walks in Limestone Country and Walks on the Howgill Fells were published by Frances Lincoln between 2010 and 2014, with the amendments again being made by Chris Jesty. All is quiet here,” he wrote, “ and only the rising larks disturb the stillness. A pleasant place but- to those unfortunate folk with no imagination – so dull!”

Wainwright, A (1960). A Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells, Book 4: The Southern Fells. London: Frances Lincoln. ISBN 0-7112-2457-9. Summiting all of the Wainwrights is a popular form of peak bagging in the Lake District, along with the Birketts. Because both lists are based on historical books, unlike, for example, the Munros, their constituents remain fixed, regardless of revisions to height or other metrics. In this regard, they are similar to the Scottish lowlands, Donalds. There are 214 Wainwrights, of which 209 are also classed as one of the 541 Birketts. Wainwrights cover a wide range of heights, from major mountains such as the highest Wainwright, Scafell Pike at 978 metres (3,209ft), to Castle Crag, the smallest Wainwright at 290 metres (951ft). Wainwright did not state any rules about what should be included in his guides, choosing instead to note his walks according to his favour and their relevance in the landscape, never himself considering the summiting of all of them to be an important accomplishment for others. Wainwright Society Aims". The Wainwright Society. Archived from the original on 3 May 2015 . Retrieved 21 April 2015.Important Note: I provide maps, statistics and route files in .gpx and Google Earth .kmz data forms for each walk in the compilation. Presently the 'Walking the Wainwright's' book is not available. Listed below are two alternative Wainwright's completion books, the first to be done in 45 walks and the second in 64 walks. And that would be a real shame because the 59 Walk the Wainwrights walks we have selected visit some of the truly loveliest spots in the Lake District. Places where you should take time to linger and take in the stunning scenery. Places where perhaps you will get a little insight into what drew Alfred Wainwright himself to the area over and over again. First published in the Westmorland Gazette in the 1950's, Alfred Wainwright's Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells comprises seven volumes listing 214 mountains and tops - each with its own chapter. It is an ambition of many people to reach the summit of all 214 of these lakeland fells. Indeed, if you are really dedicated - you could easily complete all 59 Walk the Wainwrights walks in a single year - something very few people manage and an achievement to be truly proud of. Another gate later and you continue to your right and then left along a zigzag path. You’ll eventually come to some stone steps which you follow until you reach the summit. 7. Skiddaw

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