Walk 139 — first one of the winter…

Looking back to Raise, from White Side

In the two walks done at the start of November, I was out on the fells (admittedly fairly low ones) without need for an outer fleece or jacket. But not yesterday, 29th November — for as you can see I was up above the snowline in the Helvellyn range. Walk 139 was fairly short, at just 6.5 miles, but there was plenty of climbing needed to bag four fells: Glenridding Dodd, Sheffield Pike, Raise and White Side. The latter two were also done in the snow the first time round, making them the first fells in this project to be bagged twice in snow each time. Which, for White Side, is fairly appropriate I suppose.

View of Thirlmere on the descent. No zipwires, please (see commentary)

As of today, then, I have bagged 130 of the 330 Wainwrights on my second round, thus have exactly 200 to go. I hope to get one more in before Christmas, but it does all depend on the weather in the week of the 18th December.

One more thing while you’re here. I’m not against development per se but the idea that the worth of the Thirlmere valley will be enhanced by running zipwires across the lake might be one that, like me, you find faintly ludicrous. If so, it’s probably not a bad idea to register your objection to the scheme before it gets past the planning authorities. See this page from the Friends of the Lake District site for more information about the scheme and how to register your objection. Thank you.

Walk 138 around Kentmere

High Knott summit, through a rain shower

I said at the end of the last blog post that I hoped to get out onto the fells again within a week, and duly managed this on Saturday, when another mostly sunny and mild day (with a few rain showers admittedly — as pictured here0 saw me bag three fells on walk 138: High Knott, Sour Howes and Sallows. The walk was a little longer than expected (12.5 miles) but it’s worth doing thanks to some fine views of Windermere. But you will be deflected by fences and walls at various points, as I discuss in the commentary.

As of today then I have bagged 126 of the 330 Wainwrights in my second round, thus have 204 to go. Next walk…. who knows? Depends on good weather coinciding with one of my few free days between now and Christmas…

Walk 137 — for Withnail & I fans

The gate onto the open fell above Scarside: Withnail & I location, number 1 (see the text).

It feels like quite a while since I did any proper walking, even including the guest appearance of Tromsdalstinden at the beginning of October. Six weeks since my last Wainwright walk and only that one done since mid-August. Time to get out…

Half-term holidays therefore saw me take Joe to the east side of the Lake District for walk 137, which bagged two Outlying Fells, namely Knipescar Common and Heughscar Hill. Both are gentle green rises and no one is going to consider this walk a ‘mountain climb’ but nevertheless this is a fine hike through beautiful countryside, and with extensive views, particularly the one of Ullswater from Heughscar Hill (pictured). Read all about it and see more photos on the walk 137 page.

The view of Ullswater from Heughscar Hill

The bonus of the walk, at least for fans of the movie Withnail and I, is that it visits two of the locations, the gate pictured above (in the movie, where the duo confront the bull), and the phone box outside Bampton from where Withnail calls his agent — now supplied with a visitors’ book so pilgrims can record their presence at this hallowed scene. Well, we both like the movie anyway. Next time I will get Joe up to Crow Crag (Sleddale Hall, in Wet Sleddale).

As of today then, I have bagged 123 of the 330 Wainwrights on my second round so have 207 to go. As I type I hope my next walk is only 48 hours away as I do plan to go at the weekend, so fingers crossed for the weather.