Journeys by hiking, running, cycling and touring
With my career break now over half gone and opportunities for trips disappearing fast, I took an 11 day trip to Cumbria to bag some Wainwrights and Nuttalls. Â Having done the majority of the convenient stuff in the easily accessible centre of Lakeland, this was always going to be about knocking off some of the … Continue reading A Lakeland Round (2011)
I'm well over halfway through my career break, and I'd originally planned to be doing the second half of the Cambrian Way at the start of July, having done the first half in early May. Â That plan changed when I realised that I didn't want to do it in two parts, which my Cumbria Way … Continue reading Planning a Lake District Round (2011)
A week after the end of the trip, I can now look at what went well and what didn't..... The route Overall, I did all of the key elements that I had planned except Black Fell and Blencathra & co, both of which were abandoned due to conditions. Although at the time I wrote that … Continue reading Cumbria Way – afterthoughts
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
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
Buttermere I went to bed last night clean, refreshed and with a new plan formed, that would see me claim 21 peaks between now and Sunday. Â So I woke in a more positive frame of mind and set out round the shops first thing to secure the kit that the whole plan relied upon - … Continue reading A Lakeland Round 2007: Day 3 – Wednesday 18 April
Let's start by adding a 5th lesson to last night's list: don't expect a good night's sleep in a tent. Â I know the first night in a strange bed isn't usually great, but you can multiply that by 10 when sleeping in a tent and on a very (too) thin mat. Â I probably did sleep … Continue reading A Lakeland Round 2007: Day 2 – Tuesday 17 April
I woke at sunrise which I considered good as that's what is probably going to happen whilst I'm sleeping in the tent. Â After final checks and packing of last minute items I set off. Â The first thing I noticed as I walked down the road to the station was that I somehow must have left … Continue reading A Lakeland Round 2007: Day 1 – Monday 16 April
After the week in the Peak District, I've spent the last few days having a "normal" family weekend and spent some time planning my Lake District trip, which starts tomorrow. I made an overall map to chart all 114 peaks so that I can visualise the route and plan accommodation etc. Â But having done this, … Continue reading A Lakeland Round 2007: Planning
Sunday 17 July 03:50 Â We arrive at Southwaite Services on the M6 for our Scafell Pike briefing. Â It's annoying to see people in sleeping bags, indicating that there's a fair chance they've had some sleep. Â I take the opportunity for a wash, a fry-up and, most importantly a cup of tea. 04:32 We set-off for … Continue reading UK Three Peaks (2005): Scafell Pike
My first ever mountain ascent was, like many other people's, Helvellyn in the Lake District. Having just graduated, my fiancée and I were on a week's holiday in Cumbria during the summer of 1992 - a holiday consisting mainly of visiting 'attractions' rather than being an outdoors type holiday. Nevertheless, one day we had the … Continue reading My first mountain