Loughrigg

A 10km walk to celebrate Angie’s birthday with her, Alistair, Andrew and Helen.

Route: leaving the car at the southerly main car park and walking through a children's park to the path through Rothay Park to the bridge over the river, north along the c-road and left up the steep paved track. Turning off this left and then later left again to take a path by a wall up a sort of ridge to pass a smaller tarn and then Lilly Tarn. Along the ridge to the main path and across this to follow obvious paths to the summit. Descending almost due east turning right at a large cairn and left along the side of a marshy valley to the caves. Back along the track and down to the shore to cross the footbridge to the Badger Bar for a pint and hot chocolate. Then, leaving the others, running along Under Loughrigg Road to the start.

Conditions: surprisingly dry throughout, until reaching the car at the very end.

Pub: the Badger Bar for Bowness Swan Blonde, generic cider and a hot chocolate.

Kendal to Staveley 13+km run

A 13.5km run over Cunswick Scar.

Route: leaving the house and running down Oxenholme Road to cross Romney Bridge and pick up the riverside path and then along the pavement. Taking Kirkbarrow Lane aka T’Crack to Buttery Well Road to Captain French Lane and then the snicket to the Revolution Obelisk on Castle Howe and then along Serpentine Road to the Tramway. Walking various parts of the ascent across the golf course (pathfinding not going exactly according to plan), running down to cross the A591 on the footbridge and then directly across Cunswick Scar to the descent (on stones and roots covered with shifting leaves), across a field, through a wood and then left towards Cunswick Hall. Turning right on a muddy footpath to Fellgate farm and Cappelrigg lane and across the Crook Road. Then on damp paths past Knott Hill, detouring left to avoid marshes, and descending boldly to cross the A591, go under the Lakes Railway Line and reach the Brewery.

Conditions: some surprising sun at the start but a slight spit in the air by the end.

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

Keswick Railway Path and Brundholme Wood

A 7km gentle stroll out along the railway path and back on minor paths through Brundholme Wood.

Route: leaving the car parked in the B&B quarter of Keswick on Brackenrigg Drive and walking through a housing estate (Millfield Gardens to Windebrowe Avenue to Trinity Way) to find a snickleway beside the primary school to a ramp onto the Keswick Railway Path and proceeding in an easterly direction over three bridges. Immediately after the third, descending to the left to scale a wooden fence and take an obvious path rising over a field to a stile on the left and thence a narrow but clear path above the river in woodland. After a while, ascending significantly on wooden steps to follow a high level route with views over the river, eventually crossing a track seen earlier leaving the Railway Path. Thereafter, things being a little more informal with the path first crossing a narrow plank ‘bridge’, then edging round a landslip and then requiring crawling under a fallen tree. Descending to the riverside and then climbing to pass under the A66 huge concrete bridge to spurn a tiny bridge over the river. Taking steps rising to the right to work round to Windebrowe and join a c-road. Then a track towards Calvert’s Bridge but continuing on the north side of the river, past the Keswick Hotel (and former AA garage!) to cross Fitz Park, along Station Street to the Dog and Gun.

Conditions: initially feeling chill in a breeze in Keswick but thereafter a warm and dry day for October.

Pub: the Dog and Gun, Keswick, for Greene King Abbot Ale and Carlisle Brewing Co La’al Clarty Jewkle.

Circuit of Ennerdale Water

A 12 km run round Ennerdale Water

Route: parking the car in the free car park at Bleach Green car park and taking a path out to the east to join a wider path to the weir at the end of the lake and then proceeding to run anti-clockwise. Proceeding often slowly on a tricky, rocky but always clear path rising significantly in a couple of pitches underneath Angler’s Crag before returning to the lakeshore. Continuing onto a wide grassy path at the end of the lake through a gate but spurning the obvious left path to a first bridge to take, instead, a first right and then a left in woods a little later to join a faint path across a field to a narrow footbridge and thus reach the familiar broad forestry road west. Shortly before the Bowness Point car park, taking a narrow path by the shore, again tricky under foot, until joined by another path from the car park where it becomes a mobility scooter accessible track on gravel round the end of the lake and back to the start.

Conditions: cloudy with an initial stiff breeze and feeling cool though with faint sun later.

Pub: the Fox and Hounds, Ennerdale Bridge, for Bowness Swan Blonde and a modestly priced pub lunch.

Walla Crag to Rosthwaite via Watendlath

A 12.5km jog, walking the ascent to Walla Crag and steeper late sections but running the alongs and downhills (except the unrunnably rocky ones).

Route: leaving the car at the Great Wood NT car park (fairly empty on a Monday in late October at 11am) and running and then walking north on forest paths towards a transmitter. Turning right and ascending a path by the stream, crossing this to a road, and then back to climb steep fellside to the summit area of Walla Crag, taking a rocky path round its edge to the summit. Heading initially towards Bleaberry Fell but almost immediately turning off right to join a large sometimes rocky bridleway, slowly descending towards the Ashness Bridge road. Just before reaching it, taking a footbridge and then a permissive path unmarked on the OS map through Ashness Farm (the path being poorly marked but going through the farmyard) to strike the road a bit higher up than otherwise. After 50m of walking turning right onto a faint path to another view of the lake and continuing on this path (again, unmarked on the map) all the way to join the main path to Watendlath. Following this across a footbridge and then parallel to Watendlath Beck, very gently uphill on rocky paving, eventually ascending right on steep rock steps to a path higher up but still parallel with the beck to Watendlath. Following the bridleway past Puddingstone Bank and down, very slowly because of the rocky terrain. About 1km before the end, turning right impulsively to lengthen the route on what turned out to be a tricky descent (leaves on loose stones). In the valley, turning left on a faint (unmarked!) path within the woodland to reach the route we had left and hence to the Scafell Hotel, Riverside Bar. Afterwards, taking the 2:25pm bus back to the start.

Conditions: initially cool and cloudy but becoming sunny.

Pub: the Scafell Hotel for Carlisle Brewing Company Cumbrian Bitter and Corby Blonde.

Windermere to Staveley jog (non-Dales Way)

An 11km jog, walking the up-hills and running the ‘alongs’ and downhills.

Route: talking the 10:21am train to Windermere and taking the Orrest Head path but keeping left and level towards Elleray Bank. Taking a right turn at a signpost, climbing through woods and then across fields, before descending to another path junction. Then following a route marked by low posts to join the road near the Causeway Farm. Turning right and running along the road through a crossroads to dogleg left-right onto Borrans Lane. After High Borrans, taking a muddy bridleway slightly left to cross fields and then join wet tracks towards Williamson’s Monument. Taking a left turn onto a footpath down through fields with much ochre bracken to join the road south-east. Crossing Scroggs Bridge to take the path through Scroggs Farm and thence to the foot bridge into the Mill Yard.

Conditions: after a 2.5C start to the morning, a beautiful sunny though cool day.

Pub: the Hawkshead Brewery, Staveley for WPA and Five Hops