Our First Wainwright – Cat Bells
Our Wainwright journey had to start somewhere, and for us, it began with Cat Bells. Standing proudly on the western shore of Derwentwater, it might look like a gentle stroll from below, but don’t be fooled.
The climb surprised me in more ways than one. The path winds upwards with a steady pull, but twice along the way I found myself with hands on the ground, scrambling up short, steep sections. Nothing too scary, but enough to get the heart rate up and remind me that the Lake District has a way of making you work for the views.
And those views were worth every step. From the summit, Derwentwater stretched out below us like a silver mirror, with Skiddaw towering in the distance and the fells rolling away in every direction. The feeling of standing there, knowing this was the very first tick on what might eventually become all 214 Wainwrights, was pretty special.
Cat Bells may not be the tallest or toughest, but it’s a fantastic introduction to the fells – a proper “welcome to the Lakes” in both effort and reward. One down, many more to go.
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