Great Stickle and Stickle Pike

A 7km walk leaving a pre-birthday weekend in Coniston.

Route: leaving the car in a disused quarry car park (GR198 920) on the road from Duddon Bridge to Ulpha and ascending parallel with a stream to reach a clear diagonal footpath heading south-east and eventually zigzagging onto the plateau. Continuing to join a bridleway and then descending slightly to take in the summit of Hovel Knott, then Little Stickle and then up to Great Stickle. Following an obvious if small path due north to join a bigger track skirting marshy ground and then heading for the very obvious path to the east shoulder of Stickle Pike. At the top of the shoulder heading left, pathlessly, to climb to the summit eventually meeting a path that would have climbed here from just a bit further north on the saddle. Descending on tiny sheep tracks down the north ridge and after a bit of fiddling (but on paths) reaching the bridleway that descends to Ulpha and walking 1km back up the road.

Conditions: initially cold with some drizzle. Later, sun and warmth.

Pub: the Manor Arms, Great Broughton, for Townhouse Charter, Firebrick Brewery Stella Spark, Logan Beck Brewing Off Target and Fyne Ales Jarl. 

Black Crag

A 10km walk with Angie and Alistair during a pre-birthday weekend in Coniston.

Route: leaving the Yewdale Inn and walking north on the A593, turning left off it towards the Youth Hostel and then north-east on the under-fell lateral footpath. Turning off the path and crossing the road to Low Yewdale and ascending through Tarn Hows Wood to join the narrow road to Tarn Hows; here meeting A&A. Continuing on the path on the west of Tarn Hows then diverging left on the Cumbria Way, east to Iron Keld Plantation and north to Iron Keld on rough stony tracks. Here doglegging left and right to enter open countryside and follow an obvious path to the summit of Black Crag and the nearby fine cairn. Back the same way to Iron Keld Plantation and now heading south-east on a less major path through the woods, crossing a track and following a path across fields to the east side of Tarn Hows and back to the car park, accepting a lift to the pub.

Conditions: a cold December day with moments of warm sunshine.

Pub: the Coniston Inn, Coniston, for Tirril Ullswater Blonde.

An attempt on Rannerdale Knotts

A walk, cut short by rain, with Pete from Cadas.

Route: leaving the car at the Buttermere NT car park (still half empty on a dismal day) and walking down into the village and left along Mill Beck/Sail Beck stopping to look at perching heron that Pete had spotted in a tree on the far bank. Continuing up the valley and then left onto the hillside and steeply uphill towards the saddle. Deciding in heavier rain that discretion was the better part of valour and so descending to Grassgarth Coppice and round the edge of Great Wood on a muddy track, wet burnt orange bracken soaking our legs, before eventually descending to the road (aiming off the path for a solitary tree and then back down the main rising path). Round the lake shore to the north-east side of Nether How and to the pub for lunch. Then back to the car.

Conditions: low cloud and rain from the start, getting heavier and wind getting up

Pub: the Buttermere Court Hotel for Corby Lakeland Summit and Trooper, San Miguel and a light lunch.

Along the Cocker from Simonscales (Cockermouth)

A 5km autumn stroll before the rain set in.

Route: leaving the car parked in a 2 hour zone at the town end of Lorton Road, backtracking to Towers Lane and climbing and then descending to turn left on Simonscales Lane. Following this down over the A66 to turn right on a muddy path by the side of the Cocker back to Two Mills. Here the rain starting to get heavy so marching past the outdoor gym to the wooded path to the railway footpath. Turning left and then descending to the west bank of the river and heading to the footbridge to rise to the Swan Inn for a pint and then back to the car.

Conditions: dry to begin with some patches of blue sky but with fairly heavy rain towards the end.

Pub: the Swan Inn, Cockermouth, for Fyne Ales Jarl.

The slopes of Crosby Ravensworth Fell

A 10+km walk following that day's Guardian pub walks route.

Route: from the pub in Crosby Ravensworth (to access wifi to plot the route) walking back past where the car was parked opposite the village hall and on to a minor footpath south parallel to Lyvennet Beck across field to Holme Bridge. Crossing the road and the beck and continuing south some distance above the beck before descending again next to it and climbing up the access track to Crosby Lodge. Continuing across fields taking the left route near Hollins Scar to enter Right to Roam land and visit Robin Hood’s Grave. Returning then to track a wall west on a clear path eventually crossing a stream to rise past two large erratics. At a junction bending left to visit a modest limestone pavement and, at a post, turning right on an old Roman Road. Veering off this to the right to join a bridleway and then down Slack Randy to the road back into the village to the pub.

Conditions: a sunny autumnal day.

Pub: the Butchers Arms, Crosby Ravensworth, for Cumbrian Ales Loweswater Gold.

Circuit of Loweswater to Kirkstile Inn

An 8km sunny stroll with a pint in the middle.

Route: leaving the car at the layby near the phone box at Waterend and talking the path down across fields and up to Hudson Place turning left and downhill to walk alongside the lake and on to the car park at Maggie’s Bridge. Walking up the track to the road and down to the Kirkstile Inn, pausing at the village hall to admire the view. After a pint sitting in the sun, retracing the route but continuing on the road, briefly joining the lakeside path on the north side of the lake then climbing up the bank to reach the green lane ascending under Low Fell. Taking a sharp left to descend to Miresyke on a rough stony track and then down the paved track to the start.

Conditions: a cool air temperature but warm in the sun on a bright sunny autumn day.

Pub: the Kirkstile Inn, part way round, for Cumbrian Ales, American Invasion.

Raven Crag via Middlesteads Gill

An 11km walk partly influenced by the supposed closure of lakeside car parks (which turned out to be open) and an eccentric route suggestion from Mark Richards.

Route: leaving the car at Rough How Bridge (parking limited to 2 hours but surely not enforced) and taking the track to Shoulthwaite Farm and then the broad forestry track south-east to the road and along to the first supposedly closed car park. Taking the shoreline, once being pushed back onto the minor road, as far as the Armboth car park (south of which the road was closed). Taking Mark Richards' preferred route directly uphill to the right of Middlesteads Gill, keeping close to a fence on his advice, supposedly to avoid the shoulder-high bracken. This proving utterly false the fence was nevertheless helpful as a handhold given the loose but invisible path below. 

On reaching the gorge at the top of the stream probably getting a little lost and staying on (although well below the ridge of) the High Tove - High Seat grassy plateau. Eventually re-entering forestry land on a clear track to the main junction just north of Raven Crag and taking the stepped path to its summit. Continuing north on the forest track, afterwards, descending and, having turned east, finding a tiny path left back down to Shoulthwaite Farm and thence the car.

Conditions: a lovely autumn day with cool air though warm in the sun and while fighting uphill in bracken.

Pub: the Horse and Farrier, Threlkeld, for Tirril Ullswater Blonde and Dungeon Ghyll Stout.