Walk 99: getting ready as I’ll ever be

The summit of Green Pikes and the view of the Scafells that distinguishes the later stages of this walk.

Hot on the heels of my last walk a week ago, walk 98, I headed for Coniston again. Walk 99 took in the three new summits of Caw as well as a revisit to Walna Scar. All good walking with fine views.

As of today then I have bagged 314 of the 330 Wainwrights, thus have 16 to go. None of them are particularly easy to reach, so I am as yet unsure exactly when and how I’m going to do them. But before I do I have other things to worry about, namely getting up and down Kilimanjaro, where I head in just over a week’s time. Wish me luck, and check back here around 8th August by which time I will be back and doing my duty by blogging about it.

Walk 98 completed

Sheep near High Bethecar farm, near Brock Barrow summit

I didn’t mean to leave a gap of nearly seven weeks between my last walk on 23rd May and walk 98, but that’s what has happened. Never mind — the break is over. Walk 98 saw me bag five of my remaining Wainwrights that lie in the low country between Coniston Water and Windermere and are gathered into two chapters in volume 8: Top o’Selside and Carron Crag. The walk was done in very good weather again (I have picked my days well this year) and was worth it for some fine views of the Coniston fells, as you can see here.

The view of Coniston Water and the Coniston fells behind, from Brock Barrow.

As of today, then, I have bagged 311 of the 330 Wainwrights and thus have 19 to go. These 19 remaining summits fall into five groups, two of which are near enough together (and hard enough of access thanks to the culling of the Shap bus) to make a two-day walk feasible. I also need to get some proper training in for my walk of Kilimanjaro, which is now just over two weeks away. So unless the weather is very poor expect that two-day walk to take place next week.

I am walking up Kilimanjaro from 28th July – 4th August to raise money for Calder Valley Search and Rescue, to help them buy a new off-road ambulance so they can help those in trouble on the fells. If you would like to help me help them, even with just a small donation, you can do so online via my sponsorship page… thank you!