Walk 114 done, as the summer holiday starts

Tarn Hows, with the Langdale mountains behind

The weather still refuses to get particularly sunny, but although yesterday (Saturday 23rd July) was another cloudy one, it remained a pretty good day for walking. It was also my first day after finishing work for three weeks, which meant both that I did want to mark it with a walk, but, being tired, didn’t want anything too strenuous.

Hence walk 114, the first highlight of which was Tarn Hows, pictured here: an amazing 19th century piece of landscape gardening (albeit on land nicked from the peasants by an Act of Parliament in 1862). It also took in three summits, Black Fell from Wainwright’s volume 4, and Latterbarrow and Claife Heights from the Outyling Fells.

Conifers in (what remains of) the Claife Heights plantations.

A very good walk in its first part, the later bits were a bit less uplifting thanks to messy felled plantations, but still, all walks are worth doing in the end.

As of today I have done 54 of 330 Wainwrights in my second round, so have 276 to go. I plan a couple more walks before I have to go back to work, weather permitting, so check back… Meanwhile, more details about yesterday are on the walk 114 page for those that are interested.

Walk 113 completed

View of the Vale of Grasmere, on the descent from Seat Sandal

Distracted myself both from some personal cock-ups which have, let’s say, rather altered my timetable this week, and the broader, institutional cock-ups which presently affect the lives of everyone in Britain — and did what I usually do when I need the space, that is, went for a walk.

Walk 113 of my ever-extending project got me into the heart of the Lake District, from Patterdale to Grasmere via the summits of Dollywaggon Pike and Seat Sandal. Dollywaggon Pike was my main target as it was five years ago that I went up its neighbour Nethermost Pike from Ruthwaite Cove to the east, a climb I since rated as one of the best in the whole first round.

Dollywaggon Pike from Grisedale

The ascent was certainly adventurous and interesting even if it didn’t turn out as exciting as that of its neighbour. Good walk all round, even if the weather, once again, could have been better. Read the full details on the walk 113 page if interested.

As of today, then, I have reached 51 of the 330 Wainwrights in my second round, thus have 279 to go. With my summer break starting soon I do hope to get another walk in before the end of the month.