Midtown to Buttermere at mid-height

A 12km solitary run for Lois (Tim re-resting his sore foot at home) from the cottage to the Bridge with the promise of a lift home

Route: Leaving the cottage and running down the road south to the corner at Boonbeck to take the road up to the farm at Scales and turn right and then left up the much-re-engineered track past the cowsheds to the (waterlogged, naturally) balcony path to High Swinside. Running up the track from the farm to join the fell road and turning right to run down through the gate past the Hope and go through a gate on the next bend in the road to head south, pathlessly, through more gates (and over a puddle filled with frogspawn) across two soggy fields to join the bridleway heading south-southwest all the way to Lanthwaite Green above the intake wall. (Detouring mistakenly a little further on on a higher path leading across but not out of two walled fields and having to retrace steps back to the beck crossing and the narrow walled corridor above Miller Place and High Hollins to continue.)

Contouring on for several kilometres, opting for higher and drier paths where possible, to reach Lanthwaite Gate, Lanthwaite Green and Cinderdale Common and there cross a final beck (Cinderdale Beck) to join the main path into Rannerdale. Crossing the footbridge to keep with the bridleway path up the west side of the valley, eventually crossing back over Squat Beck to rise to the saddle between Low Bank and Whiteless Breast and running down to the road under High House Crag, bearing left (east) to keep out of strong winds. Turning left along the road to run down to the Bridge (and struggle to call home for a lift - no phone signal and Bridge wifi pathetic!).

Conditions: Very wet, muddy and flooded paths in places but also stretches of dry path amazingly. Brief hail shower shortly after starting out, following by odd moments of sun, closing in with an extended heavy, sleety shower just before Rannerdale and strong winds on emerging from the valley.

Pub: The Bridge, Buttermere, with Tim, for Tractor Shed Mowdy and The Bridge.

Under Talkin Fell

An experimental 8km walk to test T’s foot post (unsuccessful, it turned out) treatment and to visit Mark and Helen.

Route: leaving the car outside the Blacksmiths Arms, Talkin, following a pint and heading south east, bending right to pass Talkin Head Farm and then uphill on a stony track with views over Geltsdale. Taking the first right hand turn down hill on another clear track to arrive at Low Hynam for coffee with Mark and Helen. Afterwards, continuing along the river past High Hynam and then climbing on a sometimes very muddy track onto open fellside, bending left to pass the Greens and return underneath the summit and down a better, straight track downhill to rejoin the outward route.

Conditions: surprisingly dry with some sun though a cold wind on the top.

Pub: beforehand, the Blacksmiths Arms, Talkin for Hawkshead WPA and ITI.

Over the pass to Braithwaite

A nearly 9.5km solitary (Tim resting his injured foot post hydro-cortisone injection) run/jog  before (or perhaps during?) Storm Jorge.

Route: from the cottage running down to the beck and turning up the Boonbeck road to run all the way to Blaze Bridge and Whinlatter Pass. Joining the pass across Blaze Beck to run the couple of kilometres to the Visitor Centre (closed for the severe weather but cars still parked along the road). Running up the road to the Centre and on past to join the Two Gills Path - (disappointingly!) climbing a wide forest track in the snow for about a kilometre to reach the head of the comb and turn down right on the excellent reinforced path running steeply down the narrow wooded valley with the first gill/beck, crossing another wide forest track and dog-legging right-left to continue down to follow Comb Beck down to Thornthwaite on wider but flooded paths, with trees newly fallen (in recent storms) across them.

Reaching Thornthwaite and running down through the village to turn right in the centre on the track running south out of the village to come to a minor road. Crossing this to pick up the trail on a much smaller, too muddy to really run, footpath and follow this through various sets of gates and past Woodlands and the Hope Memorial Camp (by this point more of a track but still pretty flooded) and eventually rejoin Whinlatter Pass again. Turning left to run along the new flood-defended bottom of the pass and cut through the village to Hobcartons cafe (sadly shut for refurbishment).

Conditions: some bright sunshine to begin with, followed by snow and hail but nothing too hard or cold somehow, very wet and muddy underfoot from the latter stages of the Two Gills Path until getting back to tarmac at Hope Memorial Camp.

Pub: the Wainwright Inn, Keswick, for Fell Tinderbox IPA and Hawkshead Table Beer.

Under Scout Scar's scar

A nearly 8km run on a cold sunny morning.

Route: leaving the car on the road north of Levens at OS Grid Ref: SD 48908 87585 at a junction of paths (space for 5-6 cars) and running north west, gently uphill on grass, following occasional posts to reach the track to Helsington Church. Then continuing onto Scout Scar, staying to the left and, at the obvious geological fault, descending under the scar on a rather trippy path (in virtue of roots and stones, though obviously recently pruned back of brambles) to Barrowfield Farm. Heading south on the track, then right onto the footpath, and then back on the track under an impressive looking Burnbarrow Scar to cross the road to Brigsteer and proceeding on a bridleway past Wells Garth. There, turning sharp right and descending, with some complaints from the ranks, crossing a field to Parkend Farm. Crossing the road and descending further, diagonally, before turning left into the woods of Brigsteer Park. Flat along the valley bottom until, eventually, climbing laboriously, via a track to the left, back to the start.

Conditions: 2C, sunny and cold, frosty and muddy underfoot by turns.

Pub: the Hare and Hounds for half pints of Cumbrian Legendary Ales Loweswater Gold.

Craggy Wood 6km run

A short run so as not to over-stress sporting niggles.

Route: leaving the car in the Mill Yard and heading over the footbridge over the river and then the middle path to Staveley Back Road and up to the gate into Craggy Wood. Round to the right and up and swinging left at altitude, looking out for, but finding only one of, the survey posts mentioned in a recent Guardian article. Exiting the woods and tuning right up sodden fields, over the ridge and down to Littlewood Farm. Right along the road to the walled track along the edge of Mike’s wood and picking up a metalled track turning right to descend to Staveley Back Road turning right and then left back to Staveley across fields.

Conditions: blue sky, bright sun, cool but very wet (and deeply muddy and slippery) under foot.

Pub: the Hawskhead Brewery for Hawskhead WPA, NZPA and lunch.

Whitbarrow Scar

A 7km run on the last day of the Christmas holidays.

Route: leaving the car in a lay-by opposite the Lyth Valley Inn and running uphill on a muddy snickleway, forking right and then along a track to reach the green road exiting Row. Turning right then left following a footpath sign but actually then following a track up the field, through a gate and then onto the top of the Scar bending left, past a cairn and over a stile. Here, following a more rocky path roughly parallel with a wall but bending right and climbing to a substantial well built summit cairn. Back-tracking to where a ridge of grike joins the wall and taking a stile to descend, bending left at a fork and then tracking north on sometimes very muddy paths before descending to Row and then back to the outward path.

Conditions: low cloud and drizzle.

Pub: the Lyth Valley Inn for Lakeland Gold.

The environs of School Knott

A 10km run to the east of Windermere.

Route: leaving the car in the Booths car park (free for customers for 2 hours) and running through the shop and out onto the pavement of the A591 and then east to reach a footpath to the right. Crossing surprisingly marshy farmed fields and then over the railway line before heading left past garages and then left on a narrow road. At the end, turning left at a footpath signpost and then right through a gate marked 'no camping' into Schoolknott Plantation and across grass, rising slowly and selecting middle ways at subtle path junctions to exit onto open land and thence, at a walk, up to School Knott. Descending to a tarn behind and then cutting a corner to rejoin a previously taken path ascending to reach a high-point with a good tree and views back to the central fells. Descending to cross through Hagg End, turn right on a road and then the second left path to Crag House. Descending a shallow valley and re-ascending, climbing a gate to avoid local flooding. At a signpost, taking a novel left turn to Borwick Fold, across a road and then on another footpath through a small wood before joining an open road. Taking the second left turn onto a path back through Schoolknott Plantation and then back through the housing estate, right up Thwaites Lane under the railway line and back to the start.

Conditions: surprisingly wet under foot but a sunny day.

Pub: Pie and Pint/The Crafty Baa, Windermere, for Barngates Red Terrier and Oakham Citra.