Grizedale Forest

This was a walk in Sept 06 to Grizedale Forest- our first walk in the lakes and one of my favourites. It was a great day for walking. You can basically choose different paths around the forest all colour coded and make the walk as long and hard as you want. We chose the hardest walk to the top point of the forest at Carron Crag - just over 1000 feet up. It is only 3-4 miles all told but it seemed much longer and it was quite steep as the path curved around to the top. There are sculptures around the forest too and mountain bikers flying past on the way down. Great views from the top and a great walk. ps. these are two of my favourite pictures of Henry and Amy :)

Downham - near Pendle Hill

Another walk I did over a year ago..

This walk started off in the very picturesque village of Downham in the shadow of Pendle Hill. We skirted around the smaller hills surrounding Pendle and despite the cool looking hills on here the walk was actually fairly flat. This walk was very muddy and we had some cattle to dodge which always makes me nervous when you have a dog with you.

Some great scenery, we even scrambled up a grass slope to find a couple of goats there already!

This is a place that is perfect for a slow walk on a nice summers day and I want to come back again :)

Warton Crag -Warton - near Silverdale

I thought I would add a few 'older' walks on here. This was one of our 1st walks together back in Sept 06! Warton Crag is only some 500 feet high but as the land around is so flat it seems bigger. It is steep and you walk along some pretty big drops. You can see Carnforth and Warton village from the hill and on the top there is a Beacon that they used to use to burn to warn of invaders! Once you get to the top the walk changes into a scenic walk through long lanes and by nice ponds and lakes. Only problem is I must have took a wrong turn and the walk ended up taking about 5 hours and at least 10 miles long! We came out eventually and walked the last 3-4 miles along the road passing through small villages that seemed to take forever as by now I could barely walk my feet were hurting so much. Still Amy rates it as one of her favourite walks so I reckon we will come here again.

Crinkle Crags - from Wrynose Pass

This was our biggest walk yet. Right in the heart of the Lake district we decided to walk the 'Crinkle Crags' and if we had the time and energy the neighbouring higher peak of 'Bowfell'.

We ended up walking for over 5 hours and 8 miles to the 2800 (850 metre) foot top of Crinkle Crags from the car park at the top of the narrow and winding Wrynose Pass and back again.

We had fells all around us including the long green ridge of the Old Man of Coniston (pictured), on our right as we walked towards the crinkle crags was the pointy shape of Pike O'Blisco (also pictured) and I have also included a picture of Bowfell which is at the end of the Crinkle Crags ridge.

When the Crinkle Crags do come into view in the mist they appear as several black humps (pictured) and are an awesome sight. The path steepens here and you scramble on the slippery wet rocks to the first 'summit'. The 2nd of the 5 crinkles is the highest and is also home to the 10 foot rock wall known as the 'bad step'. To say that it was dangerous in the mist, with no grip and no foot/handholds was an understatement. Only gary got over it and me and Simon had to go around.

We went off course in the mist and came to the end of a ridge with a valley below and Scafell Pike in the mist the highest point in England a few miles in front of us. To the right was Bowfell but by now my ankles which were already painful were in agony. We decided to give Bowfell a miss this time knowing we still had about 3 miles or more to walk back to the car.

All of us slipped over at some point (me in the mud) as it was very slippery and you had to watch your feet most of the way on the rocks that were everywhere. We eventually got back to the car and I could barely take my boots off. I think my ankles have swollen and my boots are now useless. Think that will do it for this years big walks!

Beacon Fell

This was just a small walk for a couple of hours around Beacon Fell. A nice chill out and admire the scenery while stopping to stuff our faces kind of walk ;)

It was a nice day but neither me nor Simon had the time or the energy for a tough walk so we went to Beacon Fell. it is no kind of challenge but it does have some great little woods and some cracking views over to Parlick and some cool sculptures around the place.

And we brought plenty of grub including the now compulsory pistachio nuts of Simons and my Giant can of Pringles ;o)

oh yeah and we got asked the way by Two Park Rangers!! that cant be right!

Nicky Nook - Scorton

What a gorgeous day this was! I thought I had better take Gary to Nicky Nook as he was missing out for not having gone there. This turned out to be an 8 mile walk in 3 hours so we were walking quite quickly and half of that was road walking on the way back.

This little 700 foot hill is not a long climb but its steep enough for your body to know about it.

We started off the walk having to negotiate a herd of cows who were walking up and down the path and blocking the way and also a bull who thankfully was a bit dopey and somehow didnt even see us.

We then descended down the steep steps past the lake and through the picturesque forest. This brought us out towards a car park with fells on either side. It turned out to be 4 miles on the long winding road back to Scorton but although my feet were on fire it was well worth it :)

Ingleborough - Ingleton

This walk was cool! I was joined not just by Gary but by Simon too, and the fantastic three set off early morning to Ingleton for our biggest challenge yet... Getting Gary to go to Yorkshire! well that was a challenge but we were also here to climb Ingleborough which at 730 metres (2350 feet) was easily the highest place we had been.

To say it was misty up there was an understatement. we couldnt see the peak at all until we were on it! and the wind.... well 'Gale Force' doesnt do it justice on top!

We walked at a steady pace not able to see much at all really, the mist came and went in seconds and then came back again. The path on the way up was fairly steady but got harder as time went on and then you suddenly start climbing the mountain itself.

You go up lord of the rings type stone steps over ridges thinking you are there only to look up and see another ridge towering over you! By this time i was getting tired. We hadnt stopped too much to refuel with grapes, pistachios mustachios and BBQ pringles but my feet were hurting and I was slowing and so was Simon. Gary pressed ahead loving the steps and scrambling over rocks.

Its hard to describe the spookiness and desolation of a place like this, in this weather but I loved it! Gary loved it less when he reached the top in thick fog and found himself on his own!

a couple of mins later we arrived for group photos and for a slice of Gary's wifes chocolate cake!

luckily there is a wind shelter up there or else the cake could have blown back to Lancashire on it own!

The next question was 'where do we go from here?' tough SAS trained commando Gary Lunn decided the best way was to march off into the thick fog in a random direction straight off the side of the mountain. Grizzled veteran climber Simon Owen agreed ;)

Sense eventually prevailed when the reality of certain death or glory awaited and we retraced our way back to the car with aching limbs.

Top walk! and yep Gary now wants a bigger challenge! Everest will surely follow!

Pendle Hill

This was the first walk in our proper colour coordinated walking gear ;0)

Gary had pestered me so much about going here that I was beginning to hate the place! ;)

Not a bad walk, with a steady climb twisting up the side of the hill. then some steep climb and finally a steady walk on the plateau to the top. You get some great views for miles around, and then you walk down the stone steps and back to Barley village and your starting point.

Pendle Hill is 1850 feet (560m) high and an imposing sight when you drive past it. Its more of a slog than anything though with no scrambling needed. oh yeah this was Yoda and Gordon T Gopher's 1st walk out to though I am sure not the last!

Gary left Pendle wanting bigger challenges... :O)

Catbells - Keswick

This was a tough walk!!! me and Gary set off on a long drive up to Derwent Water near Keswick to walk one of the lakes most popular fells 'Catbells'.

It aint all that high at 470 metres (1450 feet) high but it seems much higher! We got a boat accross the lake which was a cool way to start and then started ascending the fell.

And ascend we did! i was knackered after about 10 mins! as not only do you climb immediately but also its bloody relentless! not a bad of level ground! all steep climb! like climbing stairs for 10 mins!

The winding path eventually leads you to the plateau of the fell but that is only half the job. Next you have another 2 smaller 'tops' of the hill which require careful walking and scrambling. Not easy when its wet,misty and slippery. And then you see the daunting final peak! me and Gary looked at each other as if to say 'is that possible?' it looked almost vertical! these little ants were climbing up it so I tried to be braver than I was and tiredly pressed on..

By the time you are at the top you have only walked about a mile and a half and only walking for less than an hour but in that time you have climbed over a thousand feet from the lake.

The hill is bloody crowded too! too many people around, and Gary was like a kid in a sweet shop climbing and scrambling to the top.

After that it was a steep descent down and an easy walk back through the woods to the boat. probably little more than 5 miles in total walked but my feet hurt and I was pretty knackered!

The pictures tell you all you need to know!