Austwick and Feizor loop

A 6km run, rather than the intended longer one, before meeting Mark and Sandra for a post-birthday pint.

Route: leaving the car on the road near the church in Austwick and running south east over Austwick Beck to take a left turn on a track - Wood Lane - before turning right to take a path across a field, across another track and heading gently uphill taking stiles through walls to near Feizor. Here turning left to cross onto a track over the hill. By mistake turning too sharply left along a path unmarked on the map but very clearly marked by posts on the ground through Wharfe and the Oxenber Woods and hence failing to descend to Wharfe but later descending to emerge on the outward route and hence back to the car.

Conditions: high clouds and some blue sky but cold and very windy.

Pub: the Gamecock, Austwick, for Thwaites Wainwright and, joined by Mark and Sandra, a light birthday lunch.

8km run south from Alvechurch

A Sunday morning run while staying with Ian, though leaving Ian (and Helen) in bed.

Route: from the house heading south down Bear Hill and Station Road towards the station but taking a shortcut footpath left across fields to arrive in the scruffy yard by the station and taking a path in a narrow gap between the tracks and a building, heading further south across, and round, fields to reach the road at Grange Farm. Turning right along the road, crossing the railway, then the canal, and climbing then descending to turn right through a farm and along a clear track to Wheenley Farm. Turning right along the road and left on a footpath at Gorsey Lane Farm, past Foxhill House and down into Withybed Green and thence back through Alvechurch, past the church and back to the start.

Conditions: cloudy and misty.

Pub: after breakfast, the Junction Harbrone with Ian and Karen Newbigging for lunch and Purity Brewing Pure Ubu.

A 7.5km run round Lorton Vale

A Sunday morning run while L was at church.

Route: from the cottage, along the road past Boonbeck and Scales to the track to High Swinside Farm and down the gated road past Hopebeck and back north on the quiet road towards Lorton. Turning right just before High Whitbeck Bridge on an enclosed track to the outskirts of the village but immediately doubling back on a path by the beck back to the road, along which to the mid-Lorton crossroads, nearly to the church before turning east on a path across a field, crossing the road and then taking another path across a field to the start of Whinlatter Pass. Turning right up this as far a green lane and descending on this back to the corner cottages and thence home.

Conditions: low cloud but the rain holding off to the very end.

Pub: Tweedies Bar, Grasmere, for Cumbrian Legendary Ales Pacific Voyage and a lunch of Welsh rarebit.

Circuit of Swinside

A 10km run on paths and roads round Swinside.

Route: leaving the car opposite the Holiday Property Bond cottages in Braithwaite and running back into the village, along the path east of the pub to find the path between the brook and caravan park heading south east to Little Braithwaite. Joining the road as far as Ullock and then taking a clear dry path across fields towards Portinscale climbing to turn right along a rather posh private road to pick up the Cumbria Way heading south. Along this to the end of Catbells and under its western flank, rising consistently on a road to Skelgill and descending to the adventure centre where picking up a poorly indicated path to Uzzicar, along the road and then taking the balcony path behind the wood to reach Braithwaite Lodge and descend to the start.

Conditions: low cloud and intermittent gusty rain.

Pub: the Royal Oak, Braithwaite, for Jennings Sneck Lifter and Cocker Hoop.

Ingleton, Burton and High Bentham

A 12km triangular run in very soft conditions on the 'final' (well, plus one) day of Christmas.

Route: leaving the car in an obvious if scruffy layby on the first road south of the A65 east of the bridge in Ingleton and running north to the A65 and across the bridge over the river. Turning left onto the signed footpath at the end of the bridge, down steps and along the riverside. Running across flat fields from stile to stile until a footbridge into woodland beside the River Greta. Crossing a fence stile and turning right following waymarkers along the top of an embankment. Slightly suprisingly, turning right over two stiles then left to pass between Coppa Hill Bungalow and Lund farmhouse, across two fields and stiles, over a rise then three further stiles and aiming for the church spire in the mist. After going through a field gate keeping left along the edge of a field to a stile next to a gate. Turning right along Barnoldswick Lane then left at the top of the slope onto the path signed Burton in Lonsdale, still heading towards the spire and passing to the right of a ruined cottage to enter woodland and cross another footbridge. Now in Burton in Lonsdale, turning left at the A687 and left down Duke Street, which bends right onto Low Street. Passing the Punch Bowl Inn and turning left at the junction onto Burton Hill. Following the road down to the bridge then uphill, taking a signed footpath on the left after the first bend across a field to a ladder stile in the right corner. Following the line of overhead power cables to cross a double stile and continuing to a stile in the corner, heading towards glasshouses. Keeping left of the pond on marshy ground and along a fenced path to cross a road onto a hedged grassy track. Going over a stile next to a gate then heading towards High Bentham. Descending into the valley going below power lines to a stile. Turning left, crossing Ellergill Beck then uphill to the edge of the High Bentham. Turning left near houses with a hedge on the right to a stile to the right of a barn. Turning left at the road then right onto the driveway for Wenningdale Escapes golf course. Forking left at a yellow post then following the line of posts across the golf course, to cross Dumb Tom’s Lane and run over the field to the outside corner of a hedge on the right then descending past gorse bushes to cross a footbridge over Aspland Beck. Going uphill, across a fence stile and continuing in the same direction to a stile by a metal gate then to a stile through a short (6 yards long) section of wall. Heading towards Ingleton (again guided by overhead power cables) past Foredales House then along the lane to meet a minor road at which point turning left on a footpath through a caravan site to reach the initial road and turning back north on this to the start.

Conditions: no visibility, low cloud and spectacle-fogging drizzle. Soft under foot.

Pub: the Masons, Ingleton, for Three Peaks Brewery Fellwalker and Handsome Stranger.

Easedale Tarn from Tweedies

A short post-lunch walk with James and Nathan (Emma nursing illness in the residents' lounge of the Wordsworth, Tim at home working on the McDowell updates).

Route: leaving the car at Tweedies Bar and Lodge and walking through Grasmere, along College Lane and up the Easedale Road, over Goody Bridge and up to the slate bridges over to the bridleway up Easedale. Following the main track all the way up to Easedale Tarn, where using the stepping stones to cross the outflow and follow the path back east under Tarn Crag, boggy at times, until it bent round under the crag to the huge erratic with heather on top marked GRASMERE to the left. Then ignoring instructions by turning right to follow intermittent paths down beside the wall and round to the lower, wooden footbridge over the beck and crossing over to the route out at a corner wall-stile. Following the bridleway home until after Goody Bridge and then taking the path parallel with the road and staying with it as it bent away from the road to reach the drive up to Allan Banks, where turning left to walk down to the village, emerging by the green and heading down College Lane to retrieve Emma from the Wordsworth and walk back to the car.

Conditions: dry with thin, high cloud and late sunshine picking out the surrounding fells with huge clarity until it set - walking back down the valley in fading light and reaching the car in darkness.

Pub: earlier, Tweedies Bar, Grasmere, for Brew York Viking DNA (smoked porter), Titanic Plum Porter and Manchester Brewing Company Elephant Juice (New England IPA) and lunch with James, Nathan and Emma.

Reston Scar

A short post lunch walk on New Year’s Day with James and Jo, Helen, Andrew, Lois and Anton.

Route: leaving the cars at the start of Brow Lane, Staveley and taking the track bending left and uphill and becoming a grassy path to a path crossroads. Turning left and following the track as it switch backs uphill becoming muddy and then grassy near the top. Returning the same way.

Conditions: clear skies and bright sun.

Pub: earlier, the Watermill, Ings for Windermere Brewing Company: American Black Dog IPA, Ruby Ruby Ruby Ruby and Collie Wobbles and lunch with Nathan and Emma.

Staveley 8km run

An 8km run on New Year’s Day with Nathan.

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 following this up the valley on road and track to Ghyll Bank, turning left descending over fields doglegging left-right across a road, to reach Elf Howe and then the bridleway and farm track to reach the road to the rear entrance to the Mill Yard.

Conditions: clear skies and bright sun.

Pub: the Watermill, Ings for Windermere Brewing Company: American Black Dog IPA, Ruby Ruby Ruby Ruby and Collie Wobbles and lunch with James, Jo, Andrew, Helen, Lois, Anton and Emma.