The Wainwrights in Winter: my favourite 25 pics

[The English Alpinist]

Since finishing my Wainwrights in Winter campaign on March 25th I've done no walking, but lots of reminiscing on walking! Here I've picked my favourite 25 pics from all 40 of the walks. It's subject to updates, as I change my mind about some. Roughly in order of preference, here they are....

This moment left possibly the strongest impression on me. About to descend to the col between Thorthwaite Crag and Stony Cove Pike, the banks of cloud were drifting across in the late afternoon sun and I had to descend in and out of them. An amazing experience.

27th December 2015. Day 12.

Beautiful snow scene around Sprinkling Tarn, all the more appreciated because I had emerged from a damned scary crossing of Glaramara in a whiteout, and descended from the shelter at Esk Hause.

5th March 2016. Day 31.

The sentinel of Bowfell summit.

23rd February 2016. Day 27.

Green and Great Gable in classic winter form, seen from Seathwaite Fell.

5th March 2016. Day 31.

On Birkhouse Moor, looking down Ullswater towards Penrith. There'd been a heavy snowfall the day before (it was all gone in a few days), making for a very tough slog, but this rewarding view. I wrote at the time it felt 'Canadian'.

13th December 2016. Day 8.

An absolutely perfect winter's day (the first break in the weather for ages) on the day I did the Scafells. It also happened to be the first day of half term holidays, and there was an almost family atmosphere on the Pike! The crossing to Scafell held some serious snow conditions, though.

15th February 2016. Day 23.

The High Stile and Red Pike viewed from the summit of Pillar. Another ideal winter day. Love the way the tops look like they are topped with cake icing.

6th March 2016. Day 32.

'The lone walker'. Well, he wasn't exactly. That's Al up ahead, on the steady trudge up High Raise. The only day out of 40 that I had a companion with me, and it was the exact half way point in the campaign, giving me a timely boost.

10th January 2016. Day 16.

High Pike seen from Haystacks. Spring had truly arrived by this day, still pretty coolish up there but glorious walking over the High Stile ridge ahead.

20th March 2016. Day 38.

A view encountered by accident, forging an incorrect ascent up Glenridding Dodd, on the way to Sheffield Pike and ultimately Clough Head. No idea where the correct access path started, but I got this bonus pic full of character.

27th November 2015. Day 6.

Excellent cornice on the Wasdale Red Pike. A classic winter horshoe, leading on to Scoat, Pillar and back via Blacksail Pass.

6th March 2016. Day 32.

Tarn Howes in winter mode. I was taking in the 3 Wainwrights of Black Fell, Lingmoor Fell and Holme Fell this day, and it turned pretty miserable and bleak by the end of it.

21st January 2016. Day 21.

This day was a revisit to Dollywaggon Pike and Angle Tarn Pike (the north one), 2 summits which I thought I just missed the first time around. Dollywaggon I had, but Angle Tarn Pike north was probably okay all along. Never mind, I got to see the tarn on a glorious spring evening as my reward!

19th March 2016. Day 37.

This was day 1 of the entire venture, in my enthusiasm taking on a crazy length of walk which finished with a headtorch descent from Skiddaw House. This was the view coming down Bakestall, late in the afternoon.

31st October 2015. Day 1.

A day around Catbells and Dale Head, this was the final descent on the way back. I was quite taken by the picturesque Newlands valley, my first visit there.

3rd March 2016. Day 29.

View towards Crummock Water, just finishing the descent of Fellbarrow late in the afternoon, the last of 7 that day.

20th March 2016. Day 38.

The pillar on Bransfelll, en route to Selside Pike, last of the day. Conditions got very intimidating indeed with light fading, strong wind, and snow falling, rapidly building up to knee deep on the top. I was glad to get down.

31st December 2015. Day 13.

The view north from the end of Seathwaite Fell. A grim whiteout on Glaramara earlier, but it was okay at this level.

5th March 2016. Day 31.

A very early morning ascent of Bannerdale Crags, en route to Blencathra, gave me this stirring sight of the sun rising over Souther Fell. Still need a physicist to explain how the sun can be in front of those distant fells!!

20th November 2015. Day 5.

A zoom on the Scafells from Haycock. It would have been very unpleasant indeed to have been in those clouds methinks. Very fast moving. It turned nasty and wet for me later that day, icy driving rain by the time I finished.

16th February 2016. Day 24.

Awesome and very sad at the same time. A view of flooded Glenridding, on the day I did Fairfield and others from Patterdale. The road was open as far as the Patterdale Hotel car park,

10th December 2016. Day 7.

Crinkle Crags in their winter glory. Tricky underfoot in places, borderline crampon necessity.

23rd February 2016. Day 27.

The Sheffield Pike rainbow. I walked over the tops to Clough Head, it becoming very wet and hostile indeed from Stybarrow Dodd onwards.

27th November 2015. Day 6.

This was an amazing moment from day 1. Having spent all of it in clag and drizzle to this point, including a pretty grim experience on Skiddaw, the clouds broke in the middle of the afternoon descending Ullcock Pike along 'The Edge'. A spectacular route.

31st October 2015. Day 1.

On New Years Day I took in part of the Faiirfield Horseshoe, as far as Dove Crag, before heading for Red Screes. Here I am on the latter's summit. I called that walk 'A Winter Wonderland', but it was pretty cold and windy at times.

1st January 2016. Day 14.

[ChrisW]

Lovely shots throughout TEA, though tempted to say the 'Canadian' is the winner I really can't decide between that and ...well....all the rest Fantastic record of a great achievement, one you will no doubt remember for a very long time

[onsen]

Nice selection of pics in all weathers.....good effort.

[Mal Grey]

What a fantastic way to reminisce! A great thing to have done, and some wonderful memories captured in those photos. Lovely.