Circuit of Mellbreak

A walk and swim with Mark and Sandra (staying at the cottage) on a hot sunny day.

Route: leaving the car at the Scalehill Bridge NT carpark and taking woodland paths to Crummockwater. Following the path along the west shore overshooting the intended westwards path under the southern end of Mellbreak. Gaining height to a saddle to take a slowly descending path then track along an empty Mosedale to reach the Kirkstile Inn for a pint. Then by paths via Muncaster House to swim in the lake near the pump house and then back to the car.

Conditions: hot and sunny enough to swim.

Pub: The Kirkstile Inn for Cumbrian Legendary Ales American Pale Ale and Loweswater Gold.

Grasmoor circuit

A surprisingly tough walk from the cottage on a sunny Bank Holiday Monday.

Route: leaving the car at the first of the carparks approaching Rannerdale Knott and heading up the ridge of Lad How rising steeply but on a well-graded path to the summit of Grasmoor. Then back down the broad path to the col and up Eel Crag, descending it on rough scree to Coledale Hause. Up Hopegill Head and along the ridge of Whiteside to descend to the main Grasmoor carpark. Here taking a path across fields and through woods to the shore of Crummockwater and along this back to the start.

Conditions: a hot and sunny though sometimes cloudy and windy day.

Pub: the Bridge Hotel, Buttermere for Hesket Newmarket Haystacks and Tractor Shed Mowdy.

Rannerdale Knotts

A short walk with Derek, Jenny and Simone after lunch at the Kirkstile Inn.

Route: leaving the car in the small carpark immediately underneath the end of the fell and walking north east to reach the open end of Rannerdale where the bluebells were just past their best. Up the gently ascending valley (rescuing a stranded Herdwick lamb on the way) to the col at the very far end and turning right to join the ridge. Following this to the summit and then descending on a pitched staircase-like path almost back to the carpark but then turning left to paddle in Crummockwater.

Conditions: hazy and cloudy but with hints of warm sun.

Pub: the Grange Bridge Cottage teashop, Grange – after some car difficulty near the top of Honister Pass – for cream tea, carrot cake, chocolate cake and Victoria sponge!

Kirk Fell from Lorton

A first walk from the cottage.

Route: turning south from the cottage to take the steep road up to the Whinlatter Pass road. Almost opposite, entering access land through a gate and following a track zig zagging up the field eventually directly ascending to the summit of High How. Exiting the field by climbing a short section of wooden fence in the top right corner and then following the line of a collapsed wall very steeply up through gorse before arriving at a more level grassy summit plateau. After reaching the unmarked summit, heading north west to a cairn marked 'pile of stones' on the map and thence down a gentler slope to join a track to the west of Harrot and past a herd of interested cows and calves to reach a C-road. Back along the B5292 to Lorton.

Conditions: cloudy and cool on the top.

Pub: Tweedies Bar, Grasmere for Brewsmith Bitter and Fyne Ales Hurricane Jack.

A 14km run into Kentmere from Ings

A 13.5km run mainly on good paths and tracks, for once run anti-clockwise.

Route: leaving the car on the road in Ings and running uphill on a quiet road to Grassgarth, where the road gives way to stony track, and then gently further uphill to a bifurcation of tracks. Unusually, turning sharp right to reach the top of a tarmac road descending into Kentmere. Just before Browfoot, taking a permissive path that leads round the farm to join the riverside track to its west. Along past Crofthead and Sawmill Cottage to reach the Hollingworth & Vose factory and then taking the green valley bottom path. After 2km in Hall Wood, bearing left off the right of way but on a track to pick up the southbund track. Rising up this to cross the moorland on a clearly artificial, only occasionally submerged, raised causeway across marshes eventually rejoining the outward tracks to regain Grassgarth and then Ings.

Conditions: cloudy, but with odd hints of brightness. Still in the valley bottom and with birdsong.

Pub: the Watermill, Ings for Watermill Wruff Night while waiting for Lois then the Hawkshead Brewery, Staveley for WPA and NZPA with lunch.

Whitbarrow 11km run

On a lovely day, a run with fine views but marred by increasing mud under foot.

Route: leaving the car with others in a layby close to the A590 near Mill Side, running uphill for 200m before turning right along a track (marked as a footpath) to Low Fell End, through the farm and across a field to a gate leading to a narrower stony path heading uphill in trees. After 100m, turning right onto a more main track and along this past Whitbarrow Cottage. 400m further on taking a sharp left turn to climb up hill and turn left again on a wide track. Following this under cliffs until it entered wood and turning right up a muddier path gaining the main plateau. The path turning muddier, heading along the obvious line to gain a first subsidiary summit with views over the Kent, the central fells, the Kendal fells and the Howgills. Continuing along the summit plateau passing wind-bent juniper trees and eventually climbing a long summit ridge to a well-built cairn. Continuing north to descend, taking the left-hand at a fork until eventually reaching a wall running east-west. Here beginning to descend to the west on steep scree to reach a permissive path in the woods and along this increasingly muddy path until it opened into a field. Here turning left on a track and over a stile to a track damaged by felling operations and almost impassably muddy. On reaching Beck Head, descending back to the car.

Conditions: very sunny and warm.

Pub: the Hare and Hounds, Levens for Bowness Brewery Swan Blond and Kirkby Lonsdale Red Radical.

Potter Tarn and Gurnal Dubs 13km run

A surprising tough and sometimes navigationally tricky run.

Route: exiting the Mill Yard over the footbridge and heading north east across fields past the sewage works to the track to Side House. For the first time, turning right and running slowly, and sometimes walking, up the steep hill to Potter Tarn and then in front of it to climb further up to Gurnal Dubs on grassy paths, sometimes muddy. Gently descending past Low Taggleshaw on a track to below Birk Rigg and turning right to lose altitude quickly down a long grassy field with huge views of Kendal and around. Crossing the (Potter Fell) road to take rather complicated paths (with all manner of gates and stiles and lots and lots of lambs!) through farms at Larchbank, High Underbrow and Beetham Bank to join a lateral path, much less clear on the ground than implied by the map. At Braban House joining roads to Bowston and then back to Staveley on the Dales Way.

Conditions: a much better day than forecast: cloudy but with hints of hazy sun.

Pub: the Hawkshead Brewery, Staveley for WPA and Sundowner and lunch joined by Ian Lyne who had completed the long route (66 miles up to Shap and back via Dent) in the Wheelbase Spring Classic.