Joined in 2023 
82 
63 About this deal
Important Note: I provide maps, statistics and route files in .gpx and Google Earth .kmz data forms for each walk in the compilation. Presently the 'Walking the Wainwright's' book is not available. Listed below are two alternative Wainwright's completion books, the first to be done in 45 walks and the second in 64 walks. Also included are overview details of Steve Birkinshaw’s then-record-breaking sub-seven-day Wainwrights run in 2014 – current record holder Sabrina Verjee completed the round in under six days. The routes are split into seven sections, reflecting Wainwright’s seven Pictorial Guides, and to simplify logistics, all of the featured routes are circular with an emphasis on making practical links between the summits. Though not easy, bagging the Wainwrights is a popular pastime in part because the majority of the peaks are relatively accessible. If you want to get started, here’s what we recommend:
A person who summits all the Wainwrights doesn’t have a special name, and in fact, Alfred Wainwright probably never considered that doing so would become a significant feat to others. However, it is a popular pastime and if you have completed all of the Wainwrights, you can apply to be listed on a register held by the Long Distance Walkers Association. There are some great ideas for collecting some of the more obscure summits, those small enough to be potentially rubbish walks. However, ideas like encircling Elterwater will link these up perfectly. Karen continues: "It's a good example of one of the fells that people probably wouldn't bother to go up if it wasn't a Wainwright. So it's great that it encourages people to get up something different." Wainwright Two: Blencathra (868m) Looking out over the Lake District from Sharp Edge, Blencathra. Photo: GettyIt's one of the quieter hills,” says Dan. “Even though it's in the heart of Lakeland, south of Ullswater and Borrowdale. So many people set off from Seathwaite and head up Scafell Pike, and don't really consider other options. You come up Thorneythwaite Fell from Seathwaite, and then you do a bit of a scramble up to the top. The descent, over Rosthwaite Fell, is also great. Again, it's a knobbly ridge.” Maybe I'm showing my age but I found the inclusion of the what3words locations (whatever they are) in addition to good old fashioned grid references annoying and made the text harder to read - perhaps a different type face could be used in future print runs.
Karen and Dan have been running, walking and orienteering in the Lake District fells for over three decades now. "It's been part of my whole life," says Dan. We caught up with the Parkers to ask for five of their favourite Wainwrights routes. Wainwright One: Gowbarrow Fell (481m) Despite being a low fell, surrounding views mean Gowbarrow can feel quite mountainous. Photo: Getty Look after the planet. Use buses or boats to make linear walks (Wainwright did most of his walks using public transport). Or if that doesn’t work for you, car share if you can and make sure you park your car considerately. Be happy to turn around or shorten a walk if the weather turns or you are not enjoying it. The fells will always be there. Walk the Wainwrights in 59 Walks - The huge cairn on Bleaberry Fell in the Lake District Central FellsOver fifty years ago, renowned British hillwalker and guidebook author Alfred Wainwright described 214 peaks in the English Lake District in his seven-volume illustrated Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells. Like the Munros in Scotland, bagging all the Wainwrights has become a popular and significant challenge for walkers and runners, often taking many years in fits and starts because of the absence of a clear plan for how to link them together. With this problem in mind, Peak Bagging: Wainwrights by Karen and Dan Parker features forty-five routes designed to link up these iconic fells so you can enjoy the challenge of completing them at your own pace – over years, months or even just a few weeks.
Great Deal 
New Comment