Journeys by hiking, running, cycling and touring
Breakfast by a log fire was a good start to the day and in contrast to the roaring wind and driving rain outside. Also congenial company around the common table meant that it was an hour and a half later that I rose. I can recommend Millbeck Farm - at £30, with tea and cake … Continue reading Cumbria Way Day 4
Today was an ordeal. Woken by the patter of rain on the window, and having seen the forecast last night I knew it was going to be damp. In the event it rained pretty much all day and I couldn't see anything above 200m for most of the day. Having been first down for breakfast, … Continue reading Cumbria Way Day 3
When I booked Fell End camping barn, I didn't have any other options given the route I wanted to take. Nevertheless it was an ok choice as it had all the basics (shelter, something to sleep on, a toilet and drinking water) and was only £8.50. Also my knee seems to have recovered overnight but … Continue reading Cumbria Way Day 2
I arrived in Ulverston afer a smooth journey and set off for the start point. I then promptly fell over in the main street almost in front of Stan and Ollie (who I'm sure were pointing and laughing at me) and had to be helped up by two old ladies (that's the wrong way round … Continue reading Cumbria Way Day 1
With time on my hands, now that I don't have to go to work for several months, and with (hopefully) an improvement in the weather on the way, it's time to start getting out and about. Â I'm scheduled to do the Cumbria Way at the end of this month, and after a winter's relative inactivity … Continue reading Training for the Cumbria Way
This is something I've flirted with doing for a couple of years now, but with very limited holiday allowance, I didn't really feel it was worth using my (likely) one Lake District trip a year for something so low level. I always said to myself that if I did it, it would be a modified … Continue reading Planning the Cumbria Way
Having a miserable time at work, I couldn’t wait to get away for my annual Lake District trip.  Black Combe and Eskdale were sitting there egging me on, and so I planned a trip to take in the far south west corner of the lakes. Genesis of the Trip I'd been staring at the bottom-left … Continue reading Escape to Eskdale
Imagine the scene - standing on the edge of a flat table of rock with nothing but a 2,000ft drop straight down to the fjord below... We were coming to the end of our two week cruise up and down the coast of Norway. Ahead of us lay Norway's oil capital, Stavanger, and we'd not … Continue reading Fottur til Preikestolen
After the 3 months I took off work last year, 2008 was never going to come close, but all in all I've not done too badly and I've managed to arrange things to optimise my use of annual leave. A quick trip up to the Lake District in April started things off. A wet and … Continue reading Review of 2008
My three month sabbatical was drawing to a close, but I had time for one last mountain binge. Having failed to achieve a family camp in Langdale during half term due to awful weather, it seemed natural a few weeks later to head to Langdale solo and see what I could do by myself. Monday … Continue reading The Last Hurrah
Having now given up all hope of completing half, let alone all, of the Hewitts by the end of my sabbatical, the focus has moved to enjoyment. Â Which is where it should have been all along, of course. Â To this end, my father and I spent a few days in the Yorkshire Dales, basing ourselves … Continue reading Walks in the Yorkshire Dales
Well this trip has been a bit of a journey. Â Not quite the journey, either literally or figuratively, that I was aiming for though. I've had some massive lows - on the first day when I realised I'd screwed up big time by travelling too heavy and being over-optimistic with how much I could do … Continue reading A Lakeland Round 2007: The End
Despair I sat on a rock and cried for my mummy. Â The rain was still sheeting down, visibility was zilch and I couldn't be entirely sure where I was - not that I could have seen through my misted up and droplet-covered glasses anyway... Â Ok, maybe I wasn't quite as much in the shit … Continue reading A Lakeland Round 2007: Day 9 – Tuesday 24 April
Washed Out The forecast for today was rain all day and I haven't managed to dry my boots from yesterday. Â Using the highly scientific method of comparing the weather outside my window to what it was like yesterday evening, I concluded that today was going to be worse than yesterday, and yesterday I'd only just … Continue reading A Lakeland Round 2007: Day 8 – Monday 23 April
A taste of things to come After two nights at the farm at Little Town, it was time to move on and the plan tonight was for a B&B in Keswick. Â But the day dawned cloudy and grey and so the joy of yesterday wasn't looking to be on the cards. Â But it wasn't until … Continue reading A Lakeland Round 2007: Day 7 – Sunday 22 April