Wansfell Pike and Wansfell from Troutbeck

A 10km walk with Richard Gipps on a fine sunny day.

Route: Leaving the car parked at the T-junction as one first reaches the upper village lane in Troutbeck to take Robin Lane round to the south of the fell, keeping with the lower track round to High Skelghyll. On entering the wood, taking a path rising diagonally eventually to reach the observatory and the ridge to the summit. In the new tradition, taking a path to the left and higher than the previous normal route, gaining the ridge sooner. Thence along the occasionally boggy ridge to Wansfell and then down the path to the very stony Nanny Lane and back to Troutbeck, and back along the lane.

Conditions: sunny though a cooling breeze on the top.

Pub: the Hawkshead Brewery, Staveley, for Five Hop and WPA, joined by Anna Bergqvist.

Grit Fell and Clougha Pike

A short 6km walk with Andrew, Helen and Anton.

Route: leaving the cars at the Jubilee Tower Quernmore parking area and heading north-east parallel to a fence, gradually uphill on marshy ground, periodically forced away from the fence to cross patches of water. Near the summit of Grit Fell, at a substantial cairn, heading left and north-west to pick up another clear, wide muddy path trending slightly downhill to Clougha Pike. At the trig point (and view) following an initially clear path south and eventually crossing a fence at a stile. From here proceeding pathless but less marshy than before, initially following a direction from the OS mapping phone app and then later guided visually back by the tower.

Conditions: grey and cloudy with a faint hint of very fine drizzle.

Pub: The Fleece Inn, Dolphinholme, for Lancaster Brewery New Zealand IPA, Bowland Brewery Gold, Ennerdale Wild and lunch.

Kinn via the Heavy Sides trail

A 3.4km walk on a Forestry Commission walking trail and then roughing it up the hill.

Route: leaving the car in the free car park at Noble Knott and taking the Heavy Sides trail clockwise, descending slightly near the start and then rising in a circuit on a path, a wider track and then left on a path again into dark forest. Where the path emerged from forestry to pass open fellside, climbing a stout metal gate and heading pathlessly up to the approximate summit of Kinn (374m), but staying on the nearside of the crossing fence. Then descending to a distant footbridge to rejoin the path by simply stepping over a low wooden fence. Following the marked footpath downhill, still clockwise, to the start.

Conditions: chilly in the woods but surprisingly warm and sunny afterwards.

Pub: the Coledale Inn, Braithwaite, for Corby Blonde, sitting outside and talking to a couple about the rightness of early retirement.

Buttermere evening pre-church/pub stroll

A 2km evening stroll.

Route: leaving the car in the NT car park (largely empty even after a warm Easter Sunday at 5:20pm) and taking the path north-west through a gate to turn left onto a clear gravel path. Turning right off this on a fainter path to ascend slightly and then descend to the north of Long How and to the lakeshore. Turning left to cross a footbridge and ascend Nether How, descending to the path round it. Crossing another footbridge to strike steeply pathlessly up Long How watching 4 deer slowly retreating, descending back to the outward path and the car park and then continuing to St James’ for Festal Evensong (the pub).

Conditions: a cloudy evening after a largely sunny day.

Pub: a very busy Buttermere Court Hotel for Corby Summit, perching by the menus shelf.

Torpenhow Hill and St John’s Hill

An 8km walk on a sunny Easter Saturday.

Route: leaving the car parked on the Main Street of Bothel and crossing the A595 and then a footbridge across a stream and tuning left to follow muddy field edges to a C-road to Torpenhow. At the far end of the village taking a path across fields uphill and across dodgy stiles to reach the indistinct summit area of Torpenhow Hill (Hill-hill-hill Hill). Then right along a track to cross a C-road and doglegging right-left to pick up a farm track, eventually joining a right of way. Ignoring to the path right to continue on the track left (no right of way) to turn right (just before the track joins the road and now, again, on a right of way) but following this to the end to trespass to the ‘battery’ (a circular earthwork) on a subsidiary summit. Spurning the final summit (at Caer Mote) out of caution for T’s ongoing fatigue and backtracking, climbing a tricky wooden fence (much barbed wire) and then striding through two open gates to find a right of way descending the hill back to Bothel.

Conditions: almost completely still, almost constantly sunny with the scent of gorse in the air

Pub: The Mason’s Arms (for the first time), Gilcrux, for the pleasant surprise of re-encountering Hal as its landlord and also Farm Yard Hoof (‘sout’ (sic)) and Conwy Clogwyn Gold.