Finsthwaite loop

A 9km run from Newby Bridge to High Dam and back.

Route: leaving the car on the road to the west of the Sun Hotel and running north east towards Lakeside, for the first 500m on the road but then taking a rough narrow path roughly parallel to it. At a signpost turning away from the road on a forest track rising very steeply (walking) to cross the shoulder of Summer House Knott before crossing fields to Finsthwaite. Along the road to the High Dam carpark and up hill to circuit the dam anti-clockwise. Crossing the fields diagonally back to Finsthwaite and then by paths across fields to Wintering Park before a steep descent to the start.

Conditions: sunny but cool weather.

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

Twice over Scout Scar

A 20km evening cycle ride.

Route: into town, slowly up Gillingate and the Underbarrow Road over the Scar and down to the Punch Bowl at Underbarrow. After a pint, along the valley to Brigsteer and back over the Scar on Brisgsteer Road to the Riflemans, Greenside, Kendal. Then home picking up fish and chips.

Conditions: a rapidly cooling evening after a cloudless day.

Pub: the Punch Bowl at Underbarrow for ** and Lancaster Blonde. The Riflemans, Greenside, Kendal for Abbot and Adnams Mosaic.

Wild Boar circuit variant

A 10km run on a beautiful sunny day.

Route: from the Wild Boar Inn, taking the quiet country road opposite heading south west to a stony track branching half right and rising, gaining a view over the Winster Valley, and then descending, to cross the A5074 onto a bridleway across fields to reach another stony track. For the first time taking a left turn on a footpath through the very tended landscaping of Winster Hall between ornamental tarns to reach the road on the far side of the  valley and dog legging left then right to reach Crag Lane: a walled green lane back to the A5074. Then along a bridleway rising onto moorland before descending into a small valley at Thorneyfields to find an enclosed track northwards to reach the outward road and hence back to the Inn.

Conditions: a still warm sunny day with almost no clouds in sight.

Pub: the Wild Boar Inn for Wild Boar Inn Mad Pig and **.

Dow Crag and Swirl How

A walk on a suddenly blustery day with Ian Lyne (Lois on a tour of friends and relatives in the south).

Route: leaving the car on the road beyond the Ruskin Museum (free!) and walking back into town and out past the Sun Hotel and along the Walna Scar Road beyond the end of the tarmac and on past the Old Man to the Goat Water path. At the tarn, crossing the boulders under Dow Crag to the start of Easy Gully (which is invisible until the last moment). Up this, hand over hand, to scramble onto the ridge to be hit by the wind again and then to the rocky summit of Dow Crag. Descending to the saddle to take the well made gradual diagonal path to Levers Hawse and then on, in ferocious wind, to Swirl How. Descending to Swirl Hawse and then back on the surprisingly ill defined muddy path back to Levers Water and then back to the car.

Conditions: very strong very cold wind on the tops sufficient to curtail the walk before Wetherlam.

Pub: The Black Bull, Coniston for an exquisite pint of Infinity IPA.

Newlands Horseshoe variant

A stunning hot sunny Easter Sunday 20km walk.

Route: Leaving the car at Little Town Farm (£3 per day) and walking south along the road to the minor road past the church turning right 1km later and contouring on a footpath round the end of the hillside to join the road at Keskadale  Farm. 1km further south where the wall runs out, turning left to descend marshy ground and easily cross the stream, climbing up to the ridge. Then pathless, tussocky and steep up Dudmancombe Edge in accord with a Mark Richards Fellranger route. Sadly, finding the hillside at the top of the ridge ridiculously steep, comprising either slippery moss or greasy rock, after trying two approaches, discretion seemed the better part of valour. Crossing east towards an obvious saddle on Blea Crags and the ascending the two rock steps – again rather too smooth and wet – to reach the top of Robinson after two hours. Then along Littledale Edge but cutting a corner left to the summit of Hindscarth and then up to Dale Head. Descending a very steep partially re-engineered path to Dale Head Tarn and then a surprising slog to High Spy and along, in now-still afternoon sun, to Maiden Moor before descending via mine workings back to Little Town.

Conditions: surprisingly hot, cloudless, sunny and still

Pub: Little Town Farm bar/café for Jennings Golden Host. Later a half of Fell Tinderbox IPA at Middle Ruddings, Braithwaite (to change) and then supper with Angie and Al at Fellini’s, Ambleside.

Circuit of Capplerigg, Gamblesmire and Cunswick Fell

A very slow and, in places, boggy 10km run on Easter Saturday.

Route: leaving the car on the side of the dead end road at Toadpool and running north along the verge before eventually crossing the busy A591 to a footpath signed High Brundrigg. Bearing right across a field and then on boggy pathless ground to the south of a tarn to bend left, keeping a copse to the left, then right and left again round a knoll and thus onto the Crook Road. Taking the first path to the west and bending fairly sharply right to descend to a tiny bridge in the corner of a field. Then along a track towards Fell Gate Farm but turning right just before it to join a muddy track, which sadly involved wading a flooded section, to Capplerigg Lane. Then left, on familiar muddy tracks to cross a stream on a small bridge, climb to a signpost in a field and then following a narrow very muddy path to the road near Cold Harbour. Up Gamblesmire Lane to the ridge and then left to Cunswick Scar. Descending through woods, across a field to the Crook Road and then back past Bannel Head to the start.

Conditions: unexpectedly sunny but wet and boggy ground.

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