September double-header — walk 100 reached!

Devoke Water, Water Crag and some very cute little fluffy clouds

These last couple of days have seen me exploiting a) my last chance to get a break before the university term starts up again and b) some decent weather. In fact, yesterday, 16th September, was utterly glorious, one of the best days of weather I’ve ever had in the Lakes. Walk 101 saw me complete the Devoke Water circuit and Stainton Pike chapters.

Prior to that, on 15th Sept, I reached the milestone of walk 100 with a hike in the very westernmost fringe of the District, taking in Cold Fell and Ponsonby Fell. Not an exciting walk, but a decent one; the weather wasn’t quite as good but the sunshine and shadows made for some excellent views. I particularly liked this photo of Haycock above the valley of Worm Gill.

Haycock from Cold Fell.

As of today then, I have bagged 320 of the 330 Wainwrights and thus have ten to go. Eight of them are in the far east of the District, not exactly difficult to get to but requiring a very long walk, possibly even a two-dayer. Whether I will find an opportunity to do these before Christmas depends almost entirely on the weather. But if I don’t, I’ll get some more ‘second-round’ walks in, to get my fix that way. In the mean time, have a look at the walk 100 and walk 101 pages if you would like more details (and photos).

Two short summer walks

Loughrigg summit. Crinkle Crags, Bowfell and the Langdale Pikes in the background.

I haven’t been inactive since returning from Kilimanjaro. I’ve still got sixteen of the 330 Wainwright summits left to bag, these divide into four walks (one of which is a two-dayer). But none of them are easy to do logistically — basically they’re not day trips from home. They’ll get done, but need forward planning.

Hence the last three weeks have seen a little burst of ‘second round only’ walks, the first ones that get me solely fells I’ve bagged before (a few recent walks have bagged fells for the second time, but as part of walks which also bagged new ones). Three weeks ago on Aug 17th I took Joe on a walk up Silver How, near Grasmere, which I have now numbered as walk 1A. On that walk we did intend to do its neighbour Loughrigg Fell as well, a combination that I did (in the other direction) way back in 2009, on walk 8.

Walkers below Lang How, looking west from Silver How

But we never made it on the day for various reasons, so yesterday (Sept 5th) Joe and I returned to the area and bagged Loughrigg on a separate walk, which may as well get called walk 1B. Neither are strenuous or long — but they’ll do to keep things ticking over.

Hopefully a good chunk of the remaining first-round fells will be bagged over the next couple of weeks. In the mean time have a look at the new walk 1A and walk 1B pages if you like.