Wansfell Pike

A walk with Steve and Tom Woodcock. (Tom’s third ‘mountain’ of his first ever hillwalking weekend.)

Route: From the Ambleside car park near Organico’s through the town to join the Skelwith Bridge road past Stockghyll Force and then steeply up to the summit. Down the south ridge past the observatory and then Jenkins Crag and back to the car park.

Conditions: Cloudy but warm and muggy.

Pub: The Eagle and Child at Staveley for Loweswater Westmorland Gold and apple beer.

Kentmere Horshoe variant

A birthday walk on a day's holiday (and the first UK outing for the Inov8 lightweight boots).

Route: From the church at Kentmere, following the road past Hartrigg and then, eventually, Kentmere reservoir. Then steeply up Ill Bell's NE ridge to the summit and on to Froswick. Spurning Thornthwaite Beacon, High Street and Mardale Ill Bell to take, instead, the path round the edge of the valley, dropping down to Nan Bield Pass and then up to Harter Fell and Kentmere Pike. Dropping down to the valley to cross the stream and back to the church.

Conditions: Warm and sunny.

Pub: The Hawkshead Beer Hall at Staveley for Hawkshead Gold and a half of the new NZPA.

Mammoth Mountain (attempt)

An attempt on Mammoth Mountain while based at Mammoth Lakes.

Route: From Twin Lakes (via a shuttle bus from Mammoth Lakes) along the Dragon's Back trail to a ridge leading towards the summit. Route impeded by snow on the trail, after Seven Lakes View and the start of the Dragon's Back proper, which could be crossed or bypassed. Finally at 10,600 ft, 500 feet short of the summit, the route was blocked by an exposed band of steep snow right across the summit cone. After descending, a run from Horseshoe Lake down to Mammoth Village down the brand new cycle path.

Conditions: Very hot and sunny.

Pub: Tamarak Lodge for bottled Fat Tire then later, post-run, Clocktower Cellar Bar for Green Flash Hop Head and Lagunitas IPA.

Rainbow Falls and Devil's Postpile

A largely level walk in the Devil's Postpile national park while based at Mammoth Lakes.

Route: From the Rainbow Falls trailhead (via a shuttle bus from Mammoth Lakes) to a busy Rainbow Falls and then back on clear paths to Devil's Postpile. Then on the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail), wading across the bottom of Minaret Falls, to reach Agnew Meadows for pick-up by the shuttle bus.

Conditions: Very hot and sunny.

Pub: Hyde Lounge for Mammoth Amber and Pale Ale.

Mammoth Pass and Panorama Dome

A walk hampered navigationally by snow while based at Mammoth Lakes.

Route: From Horseshoe Lake via initially clear paths to Mammoth Pass where snow obscured the route. From the pass back to McLeod Lake and then back to Mammoth Village via Panorama Dome.

Conditions: Hot, clear and sunny although snow remained on the trail at altitude.

Pub: The Clocktower Cellar Bar for West Coast IPA and Mammoth Pale Ale.

Cub Lake, Colorado

A short walk at around 9,000 feet, with James, while based in Boulder, Colorado.

Route: From the Cub Lake trailhead near the Moraine Park visitor centre to Beaver Ponds, thence to Cub Lake and up and over a saddle and down to The Pool before joining a larger path back to the Fern Lake trailhead.

Conditions: Hot and quite humid with a hint of rain at the end.

Pub: Estes Park Brewery for their Red, IPA and Pale.