Brackenthwaite Hows variant

A tiny 5km run to blow away the cobwebs on a wet and windy weekend..

Route: leaving the car at a surprisingly busy Lanthwaite Green NT car park and heading towards the lake but, on the spur of the moment, heading slowly uphill on a broad track to reach the usual junction at the bottom of the wall down from Brackenthwaite Hows and continuing in the usual way, parallel with a wall marking out the boundary, south, joining a bigger track and then diverting off it to drop down to the boathouse and then back to look at the flooded outflow. Retracing the route and then climbing through woods to reach a second slightly lower slowly ascending path to near the south end again and running back, parallel with the boundary wall, up onto the summit and down Robin's Steps to the start.

Condition: initially heavy rain, thereafter mainly holding off.

Pub? bottled Fyne Ales Jarl and a can of 4.7% Aegir Sumbel Porter at the cottage.

Outerside 11km run

A birthday run on the third, but final, dry day in a row.

Route: leaving the car at the eastern foot of Whinlatter and crossing the Buddhist bridge, passing the Coledale Inn and heading uphill on the road towards Stile End. Beyond the road and initial stony track, on open fellside, bearing a slight right uphill (at a walk) to a clear crossroads of paths. Turning right and following a more or less level but narrow and laterally sloping path along the side of the valley around the 300m contour. Despite the indication on the map that it gives up and descends, finding a clear enough path continuing to rise all the way under a sheep fold and then descending and crossing Birkthwaite Beck to meet the path climbing from the valley floor. Following this, at a walk, as it zigzagged steeply and snowily uphill to the pass but bearing left at a fork to climb Outerside. Descending carefully to the saddle before Stile End and heading right on varying paths to reach the main bridleway below Barrow to Stair and then keeping off the road a little longer on a grassy path. Finally climbing west of a wood to descend to Braithwaite Lodge and back by roads to the car.

Conditions: cloudy and chill on the top. Some frozen snow under foot at altitude but sadly the marshy terrain as yet unfrozen.

Pub: the Coledale Inn for a pint of Tractor Shed Mowdy Pale Ale and Alpaca Blonde and surprisingly large ‘light bites’ (to meet the Tier 2 requirement of a ‘substantial meal’ with any alcohol, although the lady behind the bar told us to 'eat as much as we liked' when we arrived).

Grange Fell, Great Crag and Castle Crag

A 16km walk with Ian Wilson on a day of shifting clouds and mist but also unforecast moments of sunshine and patches of blue sky.

Route: leaving the car at the Bowderstone car park (capacity 60 and empty at 9:30am) and heading along a path north above the road but below cliffs to the right to join a path coming up from the road and trend right/east descending into woods and a wall. Here turning right and ascending a path that soon became steep and stepped, slippy in the damp. Arriving at Long Moss, following a clear path right working its way round and then onto King’s How. Descending to the south and backtracking along Long Moss to cross a stile but ignoring the obvious route turning left to follow a wall onto the summit plateau and then across two walls to reach the summit of Brund Fell. Descending a clear muddy path to Puddingstone Bank and then following a marshy path - including the diversion round delicate peat bog - to climb beside Great Crag but turning right on a faint path to reach the summit. Descending south and here failing to take the less attractive (but correct with hindsight) left turn and hence getting a bit lost. On reaching the small unnamed tarn heading confidently to Dock Tarn on very marshy paths and then down the stepped and tricky but not slippy path to Stonethwaite. Along the Cumbria Way to Rosthwaite and by the river to Castle Crag. Descending from the summit again to join the path on the west to Grange and back along the road to the car.

Conditions: very marshy, muddy and occasionally snowy under foot but litttle ice. Clouds bubbling up and then dispersing below us in the valley.

Pub? C19, Tier 2, so two of us shared a large bottle of Fell Tinderbox IPA back at the cottage (and Ian drove back to Kendal

Bleaberry Fell, Low Rigg and the Keswick Railway Path

A nearly 20km walk/run in snow on the first day that the Keswick Railway Path officially opened.

Route: leaving the car in the B&B quarter of Keswick and running along Grizedale Close to Springs Road and along this bending left onto a stony track gaining height parallel to a stream, crossing it left to gain the road and then back at Rakefoot, climbing onto open fellside before taking a gate to the wooded path to Walla Crag. Then across boggy ground, partially improved by a Fix the Fells alluvial subsoil path and then on frozen snow steeply up to the summit of Bleaberry Fell. Continuing first south and then east in deep snow (occasionally sinking to our thighs) and descending just to the left of a stream. Then bending a little north to descend a grassy though stony shelf, finally descending very steeply and wetly to reach a T-junction of walls (where the promised sheepfold did not seem to be, this having always been the grey area of the route. Passing through a hand gate ('No access to Helvellyn') to continue on a welcoming path (finally!), unfortunately uphill of the wall below which the Wainwright route goes (to which no access seemed possible). A bit further on, tracking down the slope to follow the wall and then finding a section already-collapsed and so, without much guilt, popping through and making rather a clumsy business of passing Snipeshow Tarn and even descending Snipes How. Finally gaining the bridleway at ground level and thus the A591, having picked our way to this point painstakingly almost all the way down from the summit. (But made WELL worth it by the sighting of a small posse of magnificent deer at various points, making quick work of the same terrain - and bounding over high walls - whenever we disturbed them.)

Turning right on the road to Dale Bottom, then left on a path through a small caravan site, across a path crossroads, then next right to cross fields to climb to the saddle between High and Low Rigg. Visiting St John's-in-the-Vale church and then turning left opposite to traverse Low Rigg and descend to Tewet Tarn whose perfect reflection of the snow on the hills across had caused an optical confusion. Right along the B road to find a path in woods to the Keswick Railway Path and joining crowds of walkers, runners, skateboarders and cyclists along this back to Keswick, leaving before the end to return to the car.

Conditions: a cold but brilliantly sunny day. Much of the day with extremely wet feet.

Pub? Back to the cottage for tea and shop-bought cheese scones and later the residue of the previous night’s Zoom CAMRA Roger Protz beer tasting beers (Shepherd Neame IPA, Adnams Tally-Ho, Traquair House Ale, Robinsons Old Tom) while talking to Paul and Katya.

Whitbarrow Scar 9+km variant

A 9km run with blue skies and some sun after 36 hours of drizzle and rain during the second coronovirus lockdown.

Route: leaving the car at the side of the quiet road which probably formed the original route of the A590 near the road to Raven’s Lodge and running up this, past the farm and then left along a track under White Scar gaining height. This time, the flat bed of ancient rock was dangerously slippy so progress was possible only at its left hand edge. Shortly after entering a wood and passing a bench, angling right uphill to climb onto the top of the plateau and then through and back through a wall to gain more height to enjoy fine views south over the Kent Estuary. Then taking paths rising gently, with views over the Winster valley and to the Lakeland Fells, to reach the summit. Further north and east to cross a wall stile and, where the marked path turned left, continuing forward to a T-junction. This time simply turning left on a track and descending, ignoring a track to the right, to reach a gate and a T junction. Turning right and following this clear bridleway to its end, very wet and muddy under foot. Once the sense of elevation to the right had passed, descending on a narrow path down to Rawsons farm and then on a track back to Raven’s Lodge and thus the car.

Conditions: blue sky and some sun after a lengthy period of low cloud and rain.

Pub? During the second C-19 lockdown, The Summerhouse for Hawkshead Route 606 and Eden Brewery Emperor.

10km Kentmere run

A 10km run on a warn sunny November Saturday. 

Route: leaving the car parked on the side of the road near the 

Hollingworth & Vose factory and running through the factory yard to take the green valley bottom path towards Kentmere Hall but at a crossroads in the woods near the end, bending slightly left to rise to reach the return path, climbing slowly onto the moors. At the crossroads of paths at a stream crossing, continuing straight on the alluvial soil path (passing bikers, runners and a family out walking with children, dogs and Mary, the 5-month old family cat) to reach a gravel track. Taking the first left but ignoring the second to continue to a footpath descending across fields. Just before Browfoot, taking a permissive path that leads round the farm to join the riverside track to its west. Along past Crofthead and Sawmill Cottage to reach the Hollingworth & Vose factory again and the car.

Conditions: a bright sunny cloudless day.

Pub? On the first week of the second Covid-19 lockdown, a delicious shared bottle of ‘What was and will be’ Brewing’s Patterns Seem to Form in The Summerhouse.

Dorothy Farrer's Wood and Craggy Plantation stroll

A tiny less than 5km stroll on the first (and decidedly undecided) day after polling in the US election 2020 but with lovely autumn colours. 

Route: leaving the Staveley Mill Yard via the footbridge over the River Kent and taking the muddy path towards the sewage works but, at the first flooded field, diverting left through a gate and then through gaps and gates across fields, disturbing several deer, to meet the road opposite the path into Dorothy Farrer’s Wood. Taking this very marshy path and turning left through the first hand-gate and keeping to the left of the woods on clear paths climbing and eventually exiting near Piked Howe, crossing part of Mike’s Wood in the process. Briefly descending the road but bearing right across marshy fields to climb to the corner of Craggy Plantation and entering through a partially wired-closed gate. Continuing along the top of the woods to descend fields to Barley Bridge and back along the road and then riverside path to the outward footbridge.

Conditions: a still (and thoroughly spirit-lifting) autumn afternoon.

Pub: the Hawkshead Brewery, Staveley, for final (£2 a pint!) pre-second lockdown pints of Hawskhead Red and Gold.