Walk 38 completed. Please sponsor me!

Pike o'Stickle, from Rossett Pike

After some deliberation I have now arranged a beneficiary for any sponsorship money I raise from this project. I would like to try to raise £2,500 0ver the remaining time to support the work of the Lake District Search & Rescue Associations. Have a look at the sponsorship page for more information. If you would like to help – and even the smallest donation is welcome – then you can visit http://www.justgiving.com/214wainwrights.

Today, in mixed but interesting conditions I broke a small Wainwright rule, which is that you wouldn’t do a walk that contains fells from different Wainwright volumes. But walk 38 today included two fells I’d missed out from previous walks for different reasons, so had to fill them in – Pike o’Stickle (pictured) and Rossett Pike.

As of today I have done 121 of the 214 Wainwright fells, thus have 93 to go. I have walked approximately 363.15 miles and ascended a total of approximately 108,246 feet.

Finally – you can sponsor me

After an age of deliberation, which has left me with the clear impression that no community organisation ever answers an email (ever), I have chosen a beneficiary of the sponsorship raised by my efforts. I have decided to donate any sponsorship received to the Lake District Search and Mountain Rescue Association and have set up a page at http://www.justgiving.com/214wainwrights/ for that purpose.

Mountain Rescue helicopter in front of Gimmer Crag, Langdale (Loft Crag summit at top of picture)

The LDSMRA serve as the umbrella organisation for all local fell rescue services in the Lakes, which are as follows:

• Cockermouth
• Coniston
• Duddon and Furness
• Kendal
• Keswick
• Kirkby Stephen
• Langdale and Ambleside
• Patterdale
• Penrith
• and Wasdale.

They also encompass SARDA, the association which looks after Search and Rescue Dogs. LDRMSA distribute all received donations equally to each of these separate associations, so by donating to them you are donating to all.

Mountain Rescue teams perform an absolutely essential service, and may be called upon in all weathers and seasons to help people who have got into difficulty upon the fells. Many lives have been saved by their actions – and all by volunteers, with a service propped up exclusively by donations and grants. Without people like these, none of us would be able to enjoy the fells as safely or with such peace of mind. They all deserve our support. I am doing my bit by this fundraising effort, small though it is.

There is no hurry: I have at least another 18 months’ worth of walking to do yet, I reckon. But my sponsorship target is reasonably substantial (£2,500) and it all starts now. Please support me! Remember; donate at http://www.justgiving.com/214wainwrights/, which is entirely secure. UK taxpayers, please also remember to ‘Gift Aid’ your donation. Thank you.

Getting the walk done in time…

Rannerdale Knotts, across Crummock Water

…before the rain comes down is always the best approach. It’s pretty much been raining since about 5pm yesterday (Saturday 11th June) but before that point I managed to add 11.54 miles, 2557 feet and 3 fells (Burnbank Fell, Blake Fell and Gavel Fell) on walk 37. Good walk – good views – crap bus connections, but that’s Stagecoach for you.

As of today then I have bagged 119 of the 214 Wainwright fells, thus have 95 to go. I have walked approximately 355.49 miles and ascended at total of 105,425 feet.

Weather and work permitting I should fit in another walk in the last week of June.

The hiatus ends: walk 36 finally completed

Windermere viewed from Great Rigg

After a 63-day hiatus since the end of the last walk, I finally move on with the project and bag six fells in one go, around the north side of the Fairfield horseshoe. Walk 36 was not blessed with great weather (or light) but it was worth doing, as all these walks are, and at least it got me moving again.

As of today, then, I have bagged 116 of the 214 Wainwright fells, so have 98 to go (Fairfield itself was the point at which I had 100 to go). I have walked a total of 343.95 miles and ascended an approximate total of 102,868 feet.