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Just idly musing about these. Anyone in the process of walking/running them, or have done so already?
I've kinda held off as, well, the Scottish Highlands are closer and better.
But, the Wainwrights are half way between friends in England and are often/sometimes more inclusive for SWMBO and the dog. Along with that having finally found a comfortable pair of walking boots I seem to have tuned in a bit to the idea of long slow walks recently.
I'd be interested to hear how anyone has found these hills as an experience.
I know it's a list of hills to tick off. But its not* really about ticking off hills and more about using a list to explore new places.
*well, maybe a bit
They're a bit different to say the Munros or Corbetts as AW just selected the hills he liked and not an arbitrary height.
I'm generally not a fan of doing tick lists of mountains. (I've been up so many dull Munros to teach me that is a pretty pointless exercise). Having said that, if you want to explore the Lakes and go to some less popular areas/peaks, the list is as good a place as any to start from. Once familiar with some his you can adventure away from the list
Barf is a good example of a nice smaller hill that could get overlooked were it not on the list. Ling Fell and Sale also
We'll, I did buy a map with a tick off list once, does that count?.... 🤔😃
I think being different is the point. Having more leisurely, sociable options is probably the biggest draw, well, when we’re allowed to be social anyway. And finishing a day/half day out in a pub is probably an essential part of the equation. Lots of pubs in the Lakes.
Whereas if I head out for the Mulladoch Round in a single day, there’s quite a limited number of people able to join me on that. And that definitely wouldn’t be leisurely.
We’ll, I did buy a map with a tick off list once, does that count?…. 🤔😃
I didn’t even know that was a thing. Are the maps collectible and is there a list of collectible maps?
GF is doing them which means I am
Gets you out to lots of hills you wouldn't normally bother with
Obviously suspended ATM
Do it, it'll be fun
Post photos!
If you do get addicted this book will help you quickly go through them (with some long days out)
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/dp/1850587531/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_Z59B2GCZDNTA6MKP2375
Did wainwrights route 2 up to Barf a few years ago and it's more of a scramble than a walk, agree with ElShalimo it is a nice hill and often overlooked
https://www.grough.co.uk/magazine/2015/05/05/rescuers-warn-of-tricky-wainwright-route-after-family-gets-stuck-on-barf#
I'm a committed ticker unfortunately. Munros, Tops, Corbetts, Marilyns done and a dozen or so Wainrights left to do.
As above, it gets you out to places you'd never visit otherwise. Eg Blaenau Ffestiniog in the pissing rain 😁
Not sure what comes next, maybe go round again. Or complete my round of 4000m peaks of the Western Alps. 45 in - unlikely to finish now 🙄
Whereas if I head out for the Mulladoch Round in a single day, there’s quite a limited number of people able to join me on that. And that definitely wouldn’t be leisurely.
Great day out though. 🙂
I'm doing them, but trying not to get too obsessed! As El Shal has said, they're very 'arbitrary'...some absolute shite in there....I've done Mungrisdale Common ffs!
Once I've done them, I'll do them all again via different routes, but miss that one out! I'm really enjoying it as it just makes me do a different route every time we visit. We've just had a motorhome and the plan was/is every other weekend in the Lakes.
I've got a really nice set of the Pictorial Guides, and my gf also got me and ticklist map for Xmas. I'm stuck on 46 for the time being!
Done many, and have many on my to do list, but certainly not a ticker off.
Several are some really good days out, but there are some that one wonders why on earth they are in the books. And some nice scenic walks (to fell tops) aren't even in the books.
Did Barf (cos it was a funny name) which was a good walk, but saw the bog slog over to Lords Seat (or was it from there to Broom fell? forget now), and thought "sod that!". Then there's another on a Blencathra walk that to me looks like a waste of time detour simply because it's in the book. But then there's one's like Kings How which are missed out even though it's a nice walk.
And then there's almost certainly a shed load of jolly good walks in the outlying fells, that probably get missed out because there's so much emphasis on the main summits.
Plus there's a load of other walks/hikes in the rest of England (numerous not all that far from the Wainrights), and a metric shedload in Scotland, that I want to do, and that's before Wales and Ireland (oh and IoM) even get a look in.
I have done a lot of them during days out but am tempted to tick them off for the reasons above just to get to places I may not normally go too. I think most of us have favourite routes and if days are limited doing a familiar route at least assures you will have a good day.
I have that book, its very good and sets out some good long days.
@boblo - just do them again.
Be careful not to fall into the trap of doing trig points, county tops , Hewitts TUMPS etc. That way lies madness
@elshalimo Aye there's a member of our mountaineering club who's got that bug bad... He's ticking Ultras currently (Covid allowing) and I caught him sniffing around in a local dyke (ahem) recently looking for benchmarks...
Then there’s another on a Blencathra walk that to me looks like a waste of time detour simply because it’s in the book
That'll be Mungrisdale Common. Pointless and thankfully, not to be repeated.
That’ll be Mungrisdale Common. Pointless and thankfully, not to be repeated
yeah that's the one. not to be done at all imho.
I'me doing a few via every main route up (Helvellyn so far), and for every new route I tick off I can remove one from the pointless end of the list.
Best ones so far though are some of the lower Wainrights. Castle Crag, Catbells (just go early before it's rammed), the one in the Buttermere valley whose name escapes me right now (because the views are stunning), etc.
Isn't Mungrisdale Common on or just off the Bob Graham line?
Dunno but its it's basically a damp field....the 'summit'is full of water! How its classes as a summit at all still makes zero sense to me.
Aye Catbells before the hordes arrive is a cracker....turns into a good horseshoe too
I think that Mungrisdale Common looks like it's own hill from certain angles, say from the NE.
Isn’t Mungrisdale Common on or just off the Bob Graham line?
Yes, on the way up to Blencathra from the Caldew.
I've done about a quarter of them, all but one of those with the bike (I can't be arsed to walk down mountains). I've actually done more Wainwrights than I have Munros. They do have an advantage that some of them are very easy to access from a road or village and they make a shorter day out. THose are naturally busier than any munro but there are some areas where you never see anyone, even though there's a car park right at the bottom of the hill. There's very little with a huge hike in that requires a stop overnight. And some of them are really small so if you want a casual walk you can do one of them.
They're also stunning. There's a lot less dross than the munros. However, the best Lakes view will never be as good as the best Highlands view.
Yes, on the way up to Blencathra from the Caldew.
I have run that leg and can remember the small pile of stones on a featureless flat bit. I’m claiming that one.
Yep. Small pile of stones in a puddle, and over a mile back to the nearest path of an interesting route!
Did about 160 of them when I lived in the Lakes. Having moved away I'm slowly ticking off the remainder, I'm down to six left and there's only two of them close together.
When I started doing the ones I'd not done when a local I realised that there's a large number of "book fillers", yep, Mungrisdale Common and Hartsop above Howe I'm looking at you.
I can't say I'm rushing - currently 51 years and counting to get where I am!
Worked my way round them during the winter of 1991-92 as a way of making myself explore parts of the Lakes I wouldn't otherwise visit. Resulted in some great days out, and some spectacular epics. There were some unexpected gems, and some insignificant lumps. I quite like Hartsop above Howe though!
Hartsop above Howe is really nice. Descending down it on an lovely autumnal day is a joy
My god Mungrisdale Common, I remember doing that so many times as that way my support leg on my brothers Bob Graham attempt. Never again.
Had a year a couple of years back when I was broke living back home in Penrith.
Walking/ running out in hills was my only enjoyment during that time, so ticked a lot of them off that year.
Get a set of his pictorial guides as well, there fells like Mungrisdale and Armboth which are treated with a certain level of disdain. Then there are also surprising little fells which you'd never really think of visiting which have great views or interesting routes. It definitely gets you out and around the Lakes and off the beaten track.
I'm down to my final two, have been for a few years, might get round to doing a social finish at some point.
Yeah, some of the small outlier (not Outlying) fells are great viewpoints - Great and Little Mell Fells, Rannerdale Knotts and similar.
Not done Armboth Fell, it's one of my recalcitrant six, but some really are just pimples on a ridge. Watson's Dodd is another - looks as if it should be amazing from St John's in the Vale but in reality is just a flat spur away from the main ridge.
A bit of an aside: I knew one of the old printers at the Westmorland Gazette who worked on the original printing of the pictorial guides, he said that figuring out the page order for them was a nightmare. Each fell has its own chapter with numbered pages but there's no overall page numbering so they couldn't use the normal sequencing to lay out the press.
I've probably done 80+ of them without trying to tick them off. Probably 70+ Munros too.
The problem with the more popular lists are their arbitrary nature. You don't see Stac Pollaidh on many lists but it's probably the best small mountain in the UK. The more obscure lists are really just lists for people who've finished the other lists.
Having said that, after lockdown I feel the need to go and explore more Wainwrights as they're only 2 hrs from home.
Aye reading this has made me think about doing em again once I've finished this round as a 'project'. That's is, in a oner or mebbies in a season something like that. Not exactly against the clock but with a bit of injected constraint for added fun.
Obv once the apocalypse settles down...
Get a set of his pictorial guides as well
Just arrived, and they’re definitely not acting as a home office back drop.
Well, having taken a bit of time to look at the terrain involved I'm really looking forward to this.
Theres a lot of days out suitable for the dog and mixed ability group walks and a number on some harder ground too. Good mix of solo and sociable.
Just need Covid to move to a place where it's ok to get started! I'm not holding my breath.
It's a long way west but Fellbarrow and Low Fell (start at Low Lorton or Thackthwaite) are lovely ones to get you started.
They're not very high nor difficult but the views are amazing.
e.g. http://www.walkingenglishman.com/lakes18.htm