Variant circuit of Loughrigg

A 12km run on a suddenly beautiful autumnal day.

Route: from the lower Ambleside car park, taking the path through the graveyard, round the church and then left through Rothay Park to cross the River Rothay and turn right onto the Under Loughrigg road. Turning left, before the road re-crosses the river, onto a rising road then shady track to reach views of Rydal Water. Picking the upper, increasingly stony, path, eventually rising to reach the caves and then keeping to higher paths to reach the start of Loughrigg Terrace. Along this and then the higher track, at the end, through trees to reach the summit of Red Bank. Descending, left, to reach a track round the north of Loughrigg Tarn. Near the end of the track, but before reaching tarmac, taking a sharp left onto a stoney walled track rising and turning to circumnavigate the hillside rising to reach a spur and following a grassy path, right, to reach Lily Tarn. Descending on a grassy, muddy path to reach the main track over Loughrigg and thence back over the bridge over the Rothay and back to the start.

Conditions: a cool but cloudless sunny day.

Pub: the Hawkshead Brewery, Staveley for WPA and NZPA.

Brock Crags

A short out and back with a circuit of Angle Tarn with Mike and Janet Hornby followed by 90 minutes looking for Janet who wasn’t actually lost.

Route: leaving the car in the Hartsop car park (still spaces at 10am but full shortly after) and following a footpath sign a little further back into the village to gain the hillside. Then climbing across tussocky grass and bracken to reach the start of a lengthy substantial diagonal path north east to climb onto a marshy plateau and reach the Coast to Coast path under Satura Crag. Following this towards Angle Tarn (where Janet turned back) and circuiting the tarn anti-clockwise, across very wet and marshy land to climb onto Cat Crags and then reach the cairn at Brock Crags. Continuing the circuit round to reach the outward path and turning back the same way.

Conditions: a still, cloudy autumnal day with a uniform cloud base of 2,500ft.

Pub: the Brotherswater Inn for Barngates Brathay Gold.

Red Screes

A wet walk in low cloud and rain with Steve and Tom Woodcock but Tom's highest fell so far.

Route: leaving Steve’s car at the Kirkstone pass car park and heading uphill on the paved path to the summit. Then down the ridge as far as the Struggle for Steve and Tom to be picked up and returned to their car, Lois picking me up tantalisingly close to the Golden Rule some minutes later.

Conditions: low cloud and no views. Varying rain. Very wet under foot.

Pub: the Hawkshead Brewery, Staveley, for Hawkshead WPA and Cumbrian Five Hops.

Arnside Knott

A circular route diverted by a high equinox tide with Steve, Kathryn, Tom and Alex Woodcock.

Route: leaving the car on the promenade at Arnside and setting off on the coastal paved path but, on discovering the path to be flooded, heading inland to Red Hills Road and continuing on New Barns Road to approach the coast at New Barns. There taking a path across fields on the left to rise through woodland and, eventually taking a path through a gate signed Arnside Knott. Here, turning steeply left and a little later recrossing the wall to reach a viewpoint with panorama. Then following paths to the summit and diverting right to the trig point before continuing down hill in the direction of the viaduct and, by minor roads, reaching the car.

Conditions: very high tide, some light rain, cloudy.

Pub: No 17, Milnthorpe, for Lancaster Red.

A 12km variant circuit of Spy Crag and Millrigg Knott

A 12 km run on roads, tracks and muddy paths.

Route: leaving the Staveley Mill Yard via the foot bridge over the River Kent and taking the muddy path over south east field in the direction of the sewage works. Turning right along the road and then left 400 yards later on a steep drive before crossing a stream below a small waterfall at Side House and rising gently onto the edge of the fellside. Then turning left through Birk Field farm to join the minor road north and descending onto the upper reaches of Hall Lane. Gradually gaining altitude again on a stony track before taking a grassy path first rising and then descending, and becoming rough under foot, through the HP Plantation. Back along the road to Ullthwaite Bridge and then by track and then a quiet road to recross the river at Scroggs Bridge. Along a path to join the start of Hall lane and then back to the footbridge into the Mill Yard.

Conditions: a still, sunny Autumnal day.

Pub: the Hawkshead Brewery, Staveley for Hawkshead WPA and Cumbrian Five Hops.