Wansfell and Wansfell Pike

A New Year’s Eve walk with Angie and Alistair, Andrew and Helen, Anton and Lois (C) but not Lois (S).

Route: leaving the cars on the top road in Troutbeck and walking north to find Nanny Lane, the walled track ascending onto the fellside. Walking up this until it levels and then on. Ignoring the left turn to Wansfell Pike and staying on the road to a bend and stream where the path has been re-engineered using alluvial material. Towards the end of the track, climbing a stile to the left to find a clear grassy path, initially close to the track but later diverging left and becoming steeper to reach the small cairn of the summit. Then on an undulating path, marshy, along the summit to reach Wansfell Pike. Afterwards descending to the observatory and an initially rising woodland shortcut to find Robin Lane, the main track looping round the bottom of the fell to Troutbeck.

Conditions: cloudy, dark and windy on the top but not starting raining until reaching the cars, again.

Pub: the Watermill Ings for Windermere Brewery Wruff Night.

Lord's Seat loop

A fine 15km walk on a wintry day, a last-minute change of plan given the ice under foot.

Route: from the cottage walking through the village to cross Whinlatter Pass and climb High How. Then along the clear track east, descending and then ascending but staying roughly level to enter the forestry plantation (Darling How Plantation) via a stile and to venture, for the second time in a month, along a very overgrown forestry track. Emerging onto a clearer track, climbing and then descending swinging right and climbing again to reach a T-junction. Turning left, then straight on at a four-way junction of tracks to head into the head of the valley below Ullister Hill. At a junction (NY 20513 26003) taking a slightly higher overgrown track through trees to emerge onto a saddle to find a well-made path, though under snow, heading left to the summit of Lord's Seat. Then following a largely snowy and frozen ridge past Broom Fell, Widow Hause, Graystones and Kirk Fell and descending towards Lorton. Sadly finding a hypothesised legal re-entry to the village to be a delusion, guiltily crossing fields to gain a tack past Fernwood and then across fields to the pub and then home.

Conditions: cold, icy on roads and snowy under foot but bright and sunny in a brisk wind on the top.

Pub: the Wheatsheaf, Lorton for Jennings Bitter.

Rannerdale Knotts

A 12km low level stroll/walk on a sunny, frosty day (after several warmer days of heavy rain) with a starting point dictated as much by a fear of icy roads as anything else.

Route: leaving the car at the car park for Grasmoor at Lanthwaite Green Farm and crossing marshy ground to the east to gain the higher lateral path below Grasmoor. Walking part way up an utterly empty Rannerdale to reach the footbridge to cross the stream and return to the pitched path from the road up Rannerdale Knotts. Along the summit with fine views south to Great Gable to descend into Buttermere and to the Bridge Hotel for a beer. Afterwards, taking a flooded path behind the campsite to reach the shore of Crummock Water and thence the rising path over the lower shoulder of Rannerdale Knots and then along the upper shoreline path to the car.

Conditions: cold and bright and sunny. Some ice but not much at these lower levels.

Pub: the Bridge Hotel, Buttermere for Jennings Sneck Lifter.

Fellbarrow

A short walk in wet and windy conditions with Mark (Sandra languishing ill in bed).

Route: from the cottage by roads to Low Lorton, across the Lorton Low Bridge to take the road, then green lane, up High Bank onto the fellside. After 1.5km, taking a clear track (though not a right of way) to the ruins at Hatteringill. Then steeply uphill by a wall and bearing right to reach Hatteringill Head and deafeningly windy conditions. Following paths and then a line of fence through cotton to the summit of Fellbarrow, stopping to put on over trousers as the rain came on like hail in the high winds. Deciding that it was foolish to continue, descending south and then turning half left on a clear path to meet the path down from Watching Crag, and then across fields to Thackthwaite and then, after a bit of discussion, walking 3km in pouring rain along the road to the Kirkstile Inn, later being rescued by Sandra in her motor.

Conditions: initially a dull grey day giving way to heavy wind and rain.

Pub: the Kirkstile Inn, Loweswater for Cumbrian Legendary Ales No1 IPA and Loweswater Gold, joined by Sandra.

Brackenthwaite How tootle

A tiny stroll after an impromptu pub lunch.

Route: Leaving the car at the National Trust car park and heading south but above the lakeshore path forcing a right turn and descent to visit the Boat House. Then retracing our steps up hill into the woods swinging left to take a wall side path eventually climbing Brackenthwaite How. Descending west, pausing to look, rather sadly and in vain, for a lost earring made by Mij, and then on by Roger's Steps to the National Trust car park.

Conditions: still, clear but cold.

Pub: (earlier) The Kirkstile Inn, Loweswater  for Cumbrian Legendary Ales’ Loweswater Gold and IPA No 1 (seen for the first time).

High How to above Spout Force ramble in the dark

A 7km walk at 4pm as the sun set to explore a path visible on Google Earth.

Route: from the cottage walking through the village and up the steep narrow road onto and crossing Whinlatter Pass. Entering right-to-roam land and rising with a zig zag track to the top of High How, exiting the field top right to find a path aiming gently downhill eastwards. (Initially trying for a higher course but turning back.) After a few hundred yards, perhaps foolishly following a signed path diagonally uphill and then across the hillside with no sign of a path in the lessening light. (It would have been better to stick with the more obvious track lower down.) Crossing two streams and in evening darkness entering the forest (deploying a head torch) at a stile and then along a clear but massively overgrown forest track (having to force our way through bushes) until it became a wide, obviously well-used forest road. Following this right round the end of the valley and then down to rejoin the Whinlatter Pass at the Spout Force car park. Down the road, home.

Conditions: a cool night.

Pub? Sadly not. Aldi G&T back at the cottage.

11km Loughrigg Circuit

An 11 km run on a cold, frosty but sunny winter day.

Route: from the upper Ambleside car park, running 200m on the road towards Grasmere, turning left down a side road to find a path 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. Part way along taking a footpath on the left across fields to meet a stony 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 cold sunny day though shadowed for the first half of the run. Some ice under foot but not as much as I feared.

Pub: Tweedies Bar, Grasmere for Brew York Brew York and Sadler's Hop Bomb and lunch.

Head of Kentmere 10km run

A 10km circuit amid mountain scenery, this time from Kentmere itself.

Route: Leaving the car parked in a field at Low Bridge (about 100m before Kentmere Church, £3 all day) and taking a steep road towards Green Quarter. On reaching the main road, and then after about a further 200m, taking a left turn onto Low Lane, a stony bridleway, drier than on the one previous occasion. Along this to rejoin the familiar route at Overend to follow the track to Tongue House. Then by a narrow grassy path, marshy in places, but repaired after flood damage in 2015, to reach the footbridge just south of Kentmere Reservoir. Back along the bridleway, first downhill and then rising above Hartrigg, descending and then, 1km before before Kentmere, turning left on a grassy bridleway uphill and then down to the church and back to the car.

Conditions: cool, still and with some sun.

Pub: The Hawkshead Brewery for WPA and Cumbrian Five Hop (and lunch).