Rannerdale Knotts run

A 9km run with Lois whilst Angie and Al preferred a scenic drive in their motor.

Route: leaving the car by the side of the road level with High Wood and running just inside the fields by the side of the road as far as the first Rannerdale Knotts car parks where bearing left to pick up a track towards the valley but descending through bluebells (too early for full effect) to ford the stream and run under the end of the fell to reach the pitched path. Walking up the path to the summit then running along the ridge to the far end and back down the valley. After a little while, crossing a small foot bridge to pick up a subtle (and empty) path eventually rejoining the outward track. This time taking a path to the east and 100m from the road under Grasmoor before running pathless across the field back to the car.

Conditions: warm, sunny but a little blustery on the top.

Pub: the Kirkstile Inn, Loweswater for Cumbrian Legendary Ales Mosaic and Loweswater Gold.

Kirk Fell, Great Gable and Fleetwith Pike

A 7 hour walk, though just 15km, with Angie and Alistair.

Route: leaving the car at the Gatesgarth Farm car park (£4 all day) and walking across the valley to the Scarth Gap path, descending to Black Sail Hut. Then up a surprisingly minor path to the top of Black Sail Pass and then a scrambly ascent of Kirk Fell (though happily for me no exposure). Descending on a rough scree path to Beck Head (where the tarns were dry) and then up a gently scrambly route onto Great Gable. Following cairns to descend to Windy Gap and then rather than descending further to join Moses Trod, ascending Green Gable and taking a diagonal to Moses Trod a little further on. On reaching Drum House, taking a minor undulating path up Fleetwith Pike and then descending slowly Fleetwith Edge to the car.

Conditions: good visibility, high cloud, occasional cold wind but also becoming stiller by the end of the day.

Pub: The Bridge Hotel, Buttermere, for Jennings Sneck Lifter and Tractor Shed Mowdy Pale Ale.

Red Screes from Ambleside

A fine sunny day's walk/run (walking the uphill sections and running the level / downhills).

Route: leaving the car in the main Ambleside car park (fairly empty on a weekend between Easter and the May Bank Holiday) and walking/jogging up Stockghyll Lane until the road gave way to track. Then on past Grove Farm on a clear track rising gently uphill eventually to join the Struggle half a mile from the summit. Walking through the car park to take the well engineered path to the summit of Red Screes at a walk. Then running down the glorious gentle ridge, for once quite dry. Making one navigational error by crossing a wall at a gap rather than descendng to the right to a ladder stile and hence having to rejoin the track at a gate later. Having joined the Struggle for half a mile taking the right turn on a path to enter Ambleside on Sweden Bridge Lane.

Conditions: a glorious sunny day.

Pub: the Hawkshead Beer Hall, Staveley, for Hawkshead WPA, Cumbrian Five Hop and lunch.

The Calf and Cautley Spout from Sedbergh

A fine Easter Monday 11 mile walk with Ian Lyne.

Route: having left the car in the central car park (£3.50 for 4 hours) and heading west through town to walk up Howgill Lane past a recreation field and out of town to find a track to Lockbank Farm. Passing through the farmyard to take a path through gorse initially left and then right rising diagonally and then almost impossibly steeply up hill to find a gentler north east path under Windertrack. Possibly mistakenly heading up hill to a col and then deciding to take a track slightly back left to the summit of Winder. Then on a clear route to the summit of Arant Haw. Then on a made path rising steeply to Calders and on an undulating summit path to the Calf. Taking the obvious onwards path to Hare Shaw. At this point possibly going slight wrong and picking a tricky pathless route to the top of a path beside Cautley Spout. Descending this and along the valley bottom to a foot bridge on the right and a long valley side path, then track, then minor road, then main road to Sedbergh.

Conditions: high cloud and some sun. Quite still on the top.

Pub: the Red Lion, Sedberdh for a half of Red Lion Howgill Hop. Then the Royal Barn, Kirkby Lonsdale for Kirkby Lonsdale Ruskin's, Singletrack, Radical and Taste of Cumbria Easter Brew.

Silloth cycle loop

A 70+ km cycle expedition on a day of low cloud and a forecast of later heavy rain.

Route: starting from the cottage and heading directly to Cockermouth on the B5292, then out on the A594 to take the first right to Tallentire past Bullgill and Crosby Villa doglegging across the A596 to reach the Solway with views across to Criffel and then north past Allonby and by the (mainly) coast road to Silloth for coffee and cake at Mrs Wilson's Coffee Shop. Afterwards, leaving the town initially by the B5302 but taking Causewayhead to join the B5301 and following this over gentle inclines to Aspatria and then via Arkleby to the Barn Bistro at Glicrux for a pint. Afterwards, taking the direct route back rejoining the outward course just before Tallentire.

Conditions: some surprising sun giving way to cloud and then light but persistent rain on the return trip.

Pub: the Barn Bistro, Gilcrux for Eden Brewery Eden Best and Yates Solway Spring.

High Rigg

A short post prandial walk with Mark and Sandra.

Route: leaving the car in the Legburthwaite United Utilities car park and walking west on the unmade road to strike the A591 and cross the river. Then taking a gate onto the flank of High Rigg and walking along its spine on a clear path on an undulating ridge to the summit. Descending towards the church and turning right and down the road to find a very clear walled path heading along the lower slopes of the hill all the way back to the start.

Conditions: despite rain threatening, the day remained dry but cloudy.

Pub: before the Horse and Farrier, Threlkeld for Jennings Sneck Lifter and Cocker Hoop (and lunch). Afterwards the King's Head Thirlspot for Jennings Cocker Hoop.

Shoreline circuit of Derwent Water

A surprisingly tiring slow run round the lake after a morning of rain.

Route: leaving the car at the National Trust car park at Great Wood, crossing the road and taking a path to the shoreline. Picking a way along this, the water being sufficiently low, joining a raised path approaching the Kettlewell car park where crossing the road to follow a woodland path to the Lodore Falls Hotel. Joining the road as far as a gate onto a path on a man-made causeway across the marshy headland of the lake to a bridge over the inflow and then boardwalks to reach the stony path back along the west side. The route rising gently near Hawse End Outdoor Centre and then by wooded tracks to Portinscale. Crossing the Derwent on a foot bridge to reach Keswick and across town to the Theatre by the Lake where joining throngs of vocal vulgar strollers to take the more or less lake-side path back to the start.

Condtions: grey skies but high cloud and dry.

Pub: Middle Ruddings, Braithwaite for Independent Lakeland Breweries Entente Cordiale and Pure North Cider Press Sweet Union (cider!).

Lorton, Keswick, Cockermouth cycle loop

A modest expedition on a cold and low-cloudy day.

Route: leaving the cottage and heading over the Whinlatter Pass for the first time since the C2C 20 years ago and finding it surprisingly easygoing (steep only between the Spout Force footpath and the later Forestry Commission Spout Force car park). Descending into Braithwaite and following the C71 route to Keswick under Swinside and via Portinscale for a pint at the Wainwright Inn. Then detouring off the A591 first along the under Skiddaw road to look at the old Red House Hotel building (now apartments) and then via the road to St Bega's church. Rejoining the A591 as far as Bewaldeth and turning left to follow straight and rather rough roads up hill and then down through Isel to cross the River Derwent and then into Cockermouth for coffee and a hot cross bun. After shopping for supper, books, beads and benches, home via the Lorton Road.

Conditions: cold and windy with grey cloudy skies.

Pub: the Wainwright Inn, Keswick for Fell Brewery Tinderbox and Ekuanot.

From Rosthwaite to Buttermere via Castle Crag and Dale Head

A Honister Rambler-based walk on a day that defied the pessimistic weather forecast.

Route: taking the bus from Lorton to Rosthwaite (almost an hour but still finding the Scafell Hotel sadly closed at 11:45am) and then heading west to walk alongside the River Derwent crossing the New Bridge. Thence taking the second left turn to climb a pitched path to gain Castle Crag and descending to pick up the main northwards path towards Grange. Shortly before the village, taking a track left past Hollows Farm to reach a left turn across grass with a wood on the right to a water works (apparently!) and heading uphill on a clear path to top Cockley How and then by a lovely subtle path over Nitting Haws to reach a gentle upward slope (though it felt like a tedious slog on almost-pathless rough terrain) to reach the ridge and then on to High Spy. Descending to Dalehead Tarn and then by a well-pitched path to the summit of Dale Head. Along the ridge but diverting north to the summit of Hindscarth and then via a diagonal to a surprising final slog up up Robinson. Leaving the summit to descend steeply to Buttermere Moss: often pathless and akin to the Grimpen Mire. Fortunately joining a fine (ex-industrial?) path descending to Buttermere from High Snockrigg and watching the arrival and departure of the 4:24pm bus home as we did so.

Conditions: despite the forecast hail and 0C, at times a hot sunny day giving way to bitter winds on Dale Head

Pub: the Bridge Hotel, Buttermere for Mowdy Pale Ale and Jennings Sneck Lifter (alleviating the frustration of a 2-hour wait for the next bus).

Fellbarrow, Low Fell and then returning via Swinside

An arduous run and walk (running only the level and downhill sections as far as the pub and largely walking home afterwards) in two atmospheric halves (here and here).

Route: from the cottage to Low Lorton via fields, across the river and rising past Low Bank Farm and High Bank on a green road rising onto the shoulder of the hill. Taking a track south at first muddy and then grassy to reach open access land. Then steeply uphill to reach Hatteringill Head and descending and ascending to reach Fellbarrow. Keeping to the (undulating) summit ridge to Low Fell and then descending into the comb to the south. Following a sheep track becoming a clear - perhaps ex-tram - track to reach a partially tarmac track down to the road and thence to the Kirkstile Inn. After a pint, along the road to a right turn on footpaths gaining the under-fell path back to Swinside and then home via footpaths and roads.

Conditions: a day of two halves. To the pub: hazy but high clouds with a breeze. After the pub, much stiller with lower clouds covering even Fellbarrow.

Pub: the Kirkstile Inn, Loweswater for Cumbrian Legendary Ales Pacific Voyage and Esthwaite Bitter.

Cycle ride to the Pheasant Inn and back via Cockermouth

A first evening cycle jaunt on arriving at the cottage for a week (Lois having cycled to the Calvert Trust for a meeting and then back to meet me at the Pheasant Inn).

Route: cycling from the cottage north on the Lorton Road to Cockermouth but turning right near Hundith Hill and keeping on minor roads above the A66 including a spurious detour at Wythop Mill north towards Eskin and back eventually descending to the Pheasant Inn to meet Lois. After a pint, foolishly joining the A66 before escaping onto the road from Embleton and thence to Cockermouth for a quick grocery shop. Then back along the Lorton road home.

Conditions: a warm summer evening.

Pub: the Pheasant Inn, Bassenthwaite, for Cumbrian Legendary Ales Loweswater Gold and Coniston Bluebird Bitter.

Arnside cycle ride

A 40km trip out on the day of a choir concert at St James’, Arnside.

Route: from home to Natland and then at Newlands taking the rising road along the ridge to Crosscrake, crossing the canal and hence via Viver and Woodhouse to Heversham on the lower road passing, by chance, Helen and Keith from Lancaster also on bikes. Then crossing over the A6, taking the flat roads near the estuary bypassing Milnthorpe to join the road to Sandside and thus Arnside for lunch at the Albion. After lunch, leaving Lois for a rehearsal and later concert, exiting Arnside to the south east, crossing the railway and passing Slack Head and Beetham. Along Paradise Lane past Ackenthwaite and Woodhouse. This time taking a left turn immediately after going under the railway line to reach Sedgwick and home via Natland Road.

Conditions: a beautiful sunny day with occasional chill winds.

Pub: the Albion, Arnside for Thwaites Lancaster Bomber, Ossett White Rabbit and lunch.