Starting Our Wainwright Journey
It wasn’t exactly a conscious decision at first. We weren’t sitting over a map one evening, plotting out the grand challenge of ticking off all 214 fells in Alfred Wainwright’s Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells.
Instead, it just… happened. One walk here, another there, and before we knew it we’d climbed a handful of Wainwrights without even meaning to. Somewhere along the way, we realised how much we were enjoying exploring these iconic hills and decided it was worth keeping track.
This blog is our place to document the journey, the well-known peaks, the hidden gems, the good weather days (and the soggy ones), and all the little moments in between.
We’re not in a rush. There’s no stopwatch and no strict order. Just a love for the Lake District, a pair of walking boots, and a growing list of summits we’ve stood on. Here’s to seeing where the trail takes us.
We don’t live near the Lake District, so this page won’t be updated every week. Instead, it’ll grow bit by bit, whenever we manage to get up there for another adventure. No rush, no pressure – just a love for the fells.
Our latest adventure took us up Latrigg, one of the smaller and most accessible of Alfred Wainwright’s fells, but no less rewarding for it. At just 1,207 feet, Latrigg is often described as the “family fell” of Keswick. It’s a popular choice for those looking for a shorter climb with a big payoff at the top.
Some fells in the Lake District feel bigger than their height suggests. Haystacks, at just 597m, is one of them. Surrounded by the high peaks of Fleetwith Pike, Great Gable and Pillar, it looks modest from below, but climb it and you will quickly see why it was Alfred Wainwright’s favourite mountain of them all.
Our First Wainwright – Cat Bells
High Seat and Bleaberry Fell – A Wild Night in the Central Fells
Stepping onto the summit of Bleaberry Fell was like arriving at a natural vantage point waiting for us to breathe it in. At 590 m (1,936 ft), this Wainwright fell marks the northernmost tip of the Central Fells ridge
High Spy via Rigghead Quarries – History and Heights
Maiden Moor – A Gentle Descent with Big Views
Castle Crag – Small Fell, Big Character