Buttermere circuit

An 8km run on the Sunday before Christmas.

Route: leaving the car at the NT car park (free to members and almost empty at 11am, two days before Christmas) and running past the Bridge Hotel to the lake and then via the newly reinstated bridge to the path on the far, western, side of the lake. Along this to the head of the lake and then back first on the road and then, for the first time, on the newly re-engineered path on the eastern shore. Taking the higher path doubling back to cross over, rather than through, the tunnel and then back to the pub. Then, at a walk and gifted with rum butter for Christmas pudding, back to the car.

Conditions: a dry spell in an unpromising, cloudy day.

Pub: the Bridge Hotel, Buttermere, for Tractor Brewery Mowdy Pale Ale.

Stile End walking ascent and running descent

A 7km birthday walk/run from Braithwaite.

Route: leaving the car parked at the bottom of the Whinlatter Pass and running over the Buddhist bridge, behind houses and past the Coledale Inn to join the c-road heading up hill. At the end of the road, continuing on a clear path turning slightly right to continue, now very much at a walk, to the summit of Stile End. Descending southwest towards Outerside but taking a major but very marshy path left. Then taking a grassy short cut, crossing another path back to Stile End and then going on down to the main descending path just above and parallel with Stonycroft Gill, tricky under foot to begin with but becoming increasingly easier as it swept down and to the left. Just before the road, taking a grassy path on the left but eventually forced on to the road. Then gently ascending on a narrow signed path behind a wood and descending to Braithwaite Lodge just before which turning left into a wood to cross Coledale Beck and retrace the initially outward path.

Conditions: low cloud, breezy and drizzle but mainly dry for an hour or so.

Pub: the Wainwright Inn, Keswick, for Fell Tinderbox IPA and Magnolia Second Chance.

Buttermere evening stroll

A short stroll curtailed by a lack of light in a dry patch at the end of the day.

Route: leaving the car at the NT car park (free to members and empty!) and walking past the Bridge Hotel and then right on the path to Scale Bridge, encountering flooded paths. Once across the brook, turning left and along waterlogged paths and under a dramatic Sour Milk Gill to take the newly reinstated bridge back (dedicated to Lynn). Along the shore to the path along the east side of the lake as far as, and over, the cave, then back though the cave with head torches and to the Bridge Hotel for a beer and then back to the car.

Conditions: after a day of rain, a dry interval but brief because of the light.

Pub: the Bridge Hotel, Buttermere, for Tractor Brewery Moody Pale Ale.

Kirk Fell, Lord’s Seat and Whinlatter Top circuit

A solitary 16km walk on a bright day while Lois was at work.

Route: leaving the cottage and walking through the village to High How and then steeply up on a very rough path through gorse, and then pathless on easier ground to the summit of Kirk Fell. On to the subsidiary north sub-summit and then the main summit of Graystones. Descending to Widow’s Hause and up to Broom Fell and then somewhat marshily to Lord’s Seat. Joining a made path and then diverging on a very marshy path to Ullister Hill, descending to another newish made path, turning right and then later left onto a wide forest track. At a junction turning right and losing some altitude before finding a very overgrown forest track eventually leading to a stile out of the trees and onto the lower slopes of Whinlatter. Along to Brown How and then following a clear path round the end of the fell and then back right, descending to the edge of forestry land. Here climbing a fence and heading left down a very rough path to a lower, level forestry road, turning right and then left down through Christmas trees and then left back towards the Spout Force carpark. Taking the path right to Spout Force, crossing the river and visiting the waterfall and then following what may have been a path but if so easily lost back through the trees at a higher level. Eventually meeting the boundary wall and walking steeply up it to the stile and path back to High How and hence home (the possible path left before the end being overrun with brambles).

Conditions: a cold wind but bright sun.

Pub? No but a bottle of Lidl vintage cider at the cottage.

Troutbeck Tongue

A 12km run round and along Troutbeck Tongue with Steve M.

Route: Leaving the car in the lay-by just before the bus stop just before the church at Troutbeck and running through the Limefitt caravan park, past its Haybarn Inn and thus onto the bridleway towards the head of the valley on the eastern side. Ignoring the first footbridge at the end of the Tongue and continuing to the second and then along the valley floor until it rises. Here taking a land-rover track across marshy ground to the top of the low ridge at the back of the Tongue. Turning left onto a narrow path across the marsh and then on a track to a stile. Continuing, rising slowly on marshy ground to the summit cairn. Descending a steep muddy path, at a walk, becoming steepest and muddiest at the very end before turning right, south, on a bridleway, and then left off it on a pleasant grassy path to the valley-bottom road. Along this for 2km and then turning left onto a walled track rising to cross the A592 onto a minor road. After 200m, turning left onto a track at a crossroads and along this back to the church.

Conditions: low cloud and misty but no rain.

Pub: the Watermill, Ings, for Windermere Collie Wobbles, Black Dog IPA and Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, Ruby and lunch.

Carron Crag and its environs

A 17km run, (increasingly) walking the (steeper) uphill bits.

Route: leaving the car where the road widens 200m north of High Nibthwaite and running back through the village to take a left turn to pick up the stony track slowly ascending onto the fellside, with improving views over the lake to all the Coniston fells. Passing Low Parkamoor and shortly afterwards entering Grizedale Forest, first on a narrow path later on wide forest roads to reach a crossroads north of Carron Crag. Turning right and immediately right again off the right of way along another forest road. After a left turn taking a stony path uphill to the (today crowded!) summit of Carron Crag. Descending onwards eventually to reach another forest road, turning right and then right again onto a path roughly parallel with the road, then joining it to a crossroads. Here turning left and following the road generally gently downhill, spurning two left turns, and turning left, over a bridge over Farra Grain gill, passed by two large, enthusiastic but apparently owner-less, hounds. Rising at a walk and then descending more steeply down the road, joined by a right of way, to turn right on a softer track that became a path through a wall and then rising, again at a walk, on what seemed a very old footpath eventually emerging from trees, descending damply then climbing under Old Parrock Hill and descending now quite slowly. Just short of Low Bethercar turning right within the Right to Roam land and climbing over a final spur, then down to High Bethecar and then descending on a treacherous path next to Caws Beck to High Nibthwaite and thence back along the road to the car.

Conditions: high cloud, dry and a surprisingly balmy 9C.

Pub: the Ship, Greenodd, for Greenodd Brewery Wanaka Light, Kiln Bitter, Caskade and Greenodd Roundabout.

Circuit of Wythop Valley

A fine 16km circuit of the Wythop Valley on a bright sunny Autumn day.

Route: leaving the car at Brunston Bridge (space for 10 cars) and walking up and along the quiet road almost as far as the farm house at Kelswick, there turning sharp left at a signpost to traverse a gently rising grassy track back to the wall at the end of the ridge, just before which turning right to follow the right hand variant of the path to the summit though switching to the left near the top for views over Bassenthwaite. Downhill in line with the Dodd to a gap in the wall and up to a subsidiary summit and then down to a subtle saddle turning right to take a scratchy path through gorse doglegging right-left to follow a path to Sustrans Route 71. At the edge of the forest plantation (currently felled) taking a path just inside the plantation but exiting to the right on a level path horse-shoeing round the ridge protruding south-west from Ladies Table. At a gate taking an initially subtle path slowly gaining height over the valley through the oak trees of Hagg Wood and targets for woodland archery dotted around. Climbing to a stile on the hillside and then descending on a narrow path to reach the forest road at Beck Wythop. Turning right and following this to gain altitude turning left, right, right and, just before the road re-enters thicker forest to the left, taking a faint track forwards to cross a fence onto the hillside at a stile. Turning left along the fence and then after a while heading half right, pathless uphill to gain the ridge and find the path from Barf to the summit of Lord’s Seat. Descending and taking the ridge to Broom Fell and then down to Widow Hause - where the forest to the left had been felled - and then up to the northern subsidiary summit of Graystones (ignoring the proper summit). Descending almost due north on the left of a collapsed wall, crossing a stile and then an easily climbed fence, staying on the left on a clear path through marshy ground. On the wide valley bottom turning right through an open gateway and then left now on right to roam land easily traversing Tom Rudd Beck to reach dry land under Ling Fell. Taking an initially steep path on the right hand side of a fence, and never far from it, to the summit right where right to the cairn. Descending north-west to find a grassy track leading on to the corpse road and thence back to Eskin and then by road to the car.

Conditions: bright low sun and a cool breeze.

Pub: the Pheasant Inn, Bassenthwaite, for Cumbrian Legenday Ales Loweswater Gold and home-made crisps.