Big Days on Western Wainwrights

Big Days Out on the Western Wainwright Fells

This week we start to climb the Western Wainwrights – over the hills and far away – and, for us all, the exciting prospect of wandering over unknown territory. The massive monsters of Scafell, Great Gable, Yewbarrow, Pillar, Grasmoor and such, wait like slumbering giants over the horizon, waiting for our approach.

The longer days, and, unfortunately, the not so warmer weather, allow us to venture farther afield, and to cover longer journeys to the Wainwrights around Keswick and over the hills.

Last week I looked at our map on the wall and discovered – not surprisingly since we live in Kendal – that most of our walks have been centred around the Eastern and Southern fells.

There are a lot of empty spaces north and west, and a lot of hills we need to explore; so a visit to the library to swop guidebooks, meant an end to our wanderings over ‘local’ fells for a few months.

From now on, there will be no more ‘short’ walks, all our efforts will be focused on the distant mountains around Wastwater, Ennerdale, Crummock Water, Buttermere and the Skiddaw range.

I could see the danger, that come the end of summer, and the shorter days return, we would still be left with a lot of Wainwrights to complete that involve lengthy days out and good weather, something that will be in short supply after September.

So, faced with the depressing prospect of lengthy miles, big petrol bills, and distant journeys for just one or two hills we girded our loins and got ready for ascents of some big hills with big days.