Walking the Wainwrights

19/08/24

A couple of weeks ago I starting thinking about the Wainwrights in the Lakes, having eventually been 'influenced' by all of these wonderful content creators hiking and camping around there.

You can see a few of my favourites tagged below - check them out and if you like what you see give them a subscribe!

Longs story short Arther Wainwright was a prolific walker of the fells, hills and valleys of the lake district and published 7 books in the early 20th century. What really pops out from his books apart from the meticulous illustrations and routes are the fact that his favorites re not necessarily the tallest hills, or the ones that are most inaccessible. He was focussed on how they made him feel, the ones he gained to most joy from.

From these volumes we have 214 discrete peaks that make up his writings and in more modern times these have become somewhat of a challenge to bag them all.

There is a fantastic book from a series called 'peak bagging' which details the most efficient routes to walk on day walks to result in completeing them all in just 45 walks.

These walks range form 5 to 9 hours in length and can cover up to 20km in one go.

There is also another challenge for fell runners to run all 214 peaks in as quick a time as possible. I believe the current records is something like 5 days and 17 hours, which is quite literally mind boggling!

Anyhow, I digress. I intend to work my way through these walks, documenting and hopefully videoing each one as I go and releaseing he results onto You tube as I go, although likely with a bit of a delay (!) not least of all to try and finally work up the courage to share the first horror show.

That's been the hardest thing i've found recently. With some photography experience under my belt and quite a bit of viewing of similar subject matters, I KNOW that my first attempts are not good, but also that this is perfectly normal! I think what really challenges me is that I KNOW its not really good, but do not yet have the skills, experience and workflow to be able to resolve the issues. But again that will come in time and more importantly with experience.

So there we go - first one was completed yesterday - this is what happened

Walk #1 - Grasmere loop

After an early start to avoid traffic and get some parking, I cruised along empty roads along the fantastic A66 which crosses the spine of the country from Darlington to Keswick.

There is a gorgeous part when it opens up into a wide dual carriage way and there are moorlands to the left and right.

The road becomes seprated by 3 meter expanse of wild grass with a simple steel cable barrier and the widening of the road just reflects the beautiful surroundings as your ears pop and you get to the highest point of the road.

On a clear early morning the rising sun chases you towards the lakes and casts golden colours on the surrounding hills and valleys.

I had to stop off to snap a couple of pics, one of which was of the car because I do love that little thing, its such fun to drive, even if it needs some more soundproofing!

After a quick stop at a great service station (fresh cooked scotch eggs and pies - need I say more!) I eventually park up in the layby just before the turn off into Grasmere. At that time there was plenty of spaces, but still a good 8 cars already there. either earlier risers than me or overnight campers out enjoying the freedom of some wild camping.

A short walk into Grasmere and we make a right where the main road takes a left, taking a small road up past a gorgeous slate house on the left into a private road over a cattle grid and on to a very clear footpath.

After following this along and pausing to grab a shot of this wonderful old barn

I eventually come to a road which I followed for another half kilometre or so until the road forks and I saw a stoney path leading up into the hillside.

Following this up I come to a large cairn in a T junction and take the right path. Its pretty clear this is the one I need as its the only one heading up the hill to our first peak which is Helm Crag. After a short stetch of essentially stairs the path does become less steep and on the way up there are a number of vantage points where I was able to catch my breath and enjoy the slowly emerging view. With each stop I can see more of easedale tarn across to the west and Grasmere to the east slowly emerges from the horizon.

Like many hills, each peak hides the next until eventually I can see the jagged spur of Helm Crag jutting out at 45 degrees from the peak. this is a rather impressive spur that hides a cairn behind it which is naturally tagged and that's number 1 done.

A quick drink and its off along the ridge to the next. Its a lovely view along the ridge from Helm Crag and its is possible to make out the path winding away along the ridge, so navigation is not a problem. After a small descent along a narrow path through some thick patches of bracken I opened up onto a rocky and boggy path for the next few kilometres to Gibson Knott, again depicted by a Cairn. As ever the view up here were phenomenal with valleys to either side opening up a wealth of potential routes had I not already had one planned out.

After Gibson Knott I continued along the ridge for another few kilometres, the eye being tricked into thinking that its was not that far. I knew I was close to the top of Calf Crag when I saw some small tarns to the right and I started crossing some boggier ground. Calf Cairn is atop a small outcrop and has stunning views back long the valley to Grasmere. From here I can also see where the next peak is, and its technically behind me as I am already further west than Tarn Crag is.

For various reasons I already had Tarn Crag as a favorite, not least of all because it was the scene of my first wild camp. I need to write up about hat experience but it was over a month ago now so that ship has likely sailed. Tarn Crag looks out over Easedale tarn and is at the end of a number of undefined paths that are little more that sheep tracks. Essentially I descend from calf crag on a clear path and come to a crossroads. There are old iron fence posts here and the row of them indicate the beginnings of the trial I need to take south to head towards the next peak.

After a little climbing past a small water fall its time to take a 90 degree turn and head off across the wilderness, watching out for deep boggy ground. I have found the trick here is to look at what is growing. Thick moss indicates VERY wet ground. Thin grasses and reeds and it will be soft and occasionally I can see what appears to be pure peat which again is to avoided.

Stepping across there is a climb until I crest a ridge and the whole spur is laid out before me with tarn crag there at the end. It can be seen clearly from almost a kilometre away and after some near misses and a scary moment where I neary fell into a deep hole, I was there. This peak is such a great place to sit and just enjoy the view as it falls away under your feet. The whole valley was laid out before me and I could see not only where I had come from but where I was going.

Now the return path is as undefined, but there is a tarn to the sound called codale tarn which is a great landmark to go off. I headed back west along the southern sheep paths that skirted a few bogs and alighted upon a path that headed down the ridge towards the tarn. A large rectangular sheep fold on the right as I descended was another clear landmark and before I knew it I was on a clear path along the east side of the tarn. Boggy and wet feet aside, my legs felt ok and I was enjoying the walk.

A little further along and I came to a cross roads just after a small stream which was the main feed into Easedale tarn. This was one of the main turn back points where I could decide on a steep climb up to a ridge and to take on the remaining 2 Waintwrights, or the long descent back to Grasmere. Legs felt ok and determination was high so off I went following a steep rocky path that moved to zig zag up the steep slope, heading away from Grasmere and up to the top of the ridge.

After a short climb the terrain levelled off and I was met with what for me was quite a surprise. Having not really studied the topography of the maps I thought that I would be walking a ridge similar to that from the morning. Not razor thin but rather 20 meters or so wide. When I look out across Blae Rigg the rolling undulating landscape spread out for a good 200 m and al the way down to the edge of the range. No small ridge but rather a wide and open landscape of small boggy tarns, rocky out crops with spottings of sheep here and there.

Being able to see the route ahead I continued on for another hour or so when I came to a small Cairn which I took to be the summit of Blea Crag, although I think Blea is actually the full ridge. After a quick drink break I continued along the path and was met with a very steep descent down a gully.

Dropping what must be 20 m along what must almost be a scramble. Certainly had I been walking up I would have to have used my hands to help me up, so trust ski poles were essential as I made my way down. After that the undulating landscape continued.

Every time I made it to the top of one of the small hills I was met with a view consisting of more of the same, but as I went on the numbers of tracks seemed to increase, arcing to either side of small hills or heading along smaller sub ridges of the landscape, so maintaining the right path was a little challenge.

I lost the path a number of time but eventually a cairn emerged in the distance which became my main focal point. There were also a number of small tarns, filled with reeds and heather, which provided a good landmark too as I knew that I had to keep these to my right.

The slope up to the Cairn is gentle and the top reveals the whole valley for a rewarding view.

There are a number of options from here but I decided on the direct route back which from the map involved a footpath that skirted around the cairn.

From what I could see it was almost a shear drop but after a steep scramble down I saw a Red stone paved path working its way up the gulley I was in.

The going was steep and my knees were beginning to complain at this point but onwards I went until I was deep in the bracken line and came to another footpath that runs alongside a wall. Turning left his was the home stretch and within another couple of kilometres I was on the small road into Grasmere.

Wild camping under Tarn Craig overlooking Easedale Tarn. Image out of focus so will have to go back and do it again sometime for better images!

Overall this was a great walk, challenging and long but really rewarding in terms of views. My favorite peak remains Tarn Crag. I have wild camped there previously on a failed attempt for the same loop (too much heat and weight to do the last 2!) and it provides a fantastic place to wake up on the top of a steep ridge looking down on Easedale tarn and further down onto Grasmere

Whilst not hugely technical it IS a slog so one to build up to if you are not used to walking regularly, but with a number of turn back points shorter routes are easily followed.

The start of a Major Challenge

Walking the Wainwrights

19/08/24

Walk #1 - Grasmere loop

Work Blog Contact

The start of a Major Challenge

Walking the Wainwrights

19/08/24

Walk #1 - Grasmere loop

Wainwrights Walk #2

Work Blog Contact