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My first Wainwright, more by accident than design. I was staying in the Lake District, but had no plans for any hill walks as my wife's not a keen walker. (Un)fortunately she came down with a stomach bug which gave me clearance to fit in a quick walk!
This was my first walk in England and all those coloured dots and dashes on the maps are awfully confusing as were the sheer number of paths and tracks on the ground. I was also very confused by the huge number of people out on the hill, every ten meters or so there would be a couple walking, admiring the view, stopping to have a rest or a snack. At times it felt like I had entered a hill walking theme park, all that was missing were the "you must be higher than this sign to attempt this walk" signs.
- Loughrigg Fell
Back to the actual walk. I set off from downtown Ambleside and headed out across Rothay Park and followed the access road to Brown Head Farm. Rather than head straight up to Loughrigg Fell I followed a path to the south to Todd Crag where I was rewarded with a superb view down Lake Windemere. From Todd Crag it was just a question of which of the many paths to take towards Loughrigg Fell and which couples I would attempt to overtake. The weather was great and the views across to the other fells were stunning. I can see why walking in this part of the world is so attractive.
- Lake Windemere
- Rydal Fell
- North to Grasmere
Once I'd made the summit (and queued to touch the trig point) I retraced my steps to Todd Crag and then followed the steep path down to Clappersgate and back into Ambleside for a well deserved pint.
I certainly enjoyed my first Wainwright and my first hill walk in the Lake District and I'd be tempted to return in the future, but are all walks that busy and with such a plethora of paths and tracks?