Peak Bagging: Wainwrights: 45 routes designed to complete all 214 of Wainwright's Lake District fells in the most efficient way

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A walking trail based around public transport is great. But only if the public transport actually works. The Wainwrights are a group of 214 fells (hills and mountains) in the Lake District. They are all connected by featuring in Alfred Wainwright’s famous guidebooks: A Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells. The guidebooks have been in continuous publication since the first book was released in 1955 (the last was published in 1966 – they took him many years to write) and have sold over two million copies. While evening entertainment varies from house to house, the HF Holidays Big Pub Quiz held after dinner on Wednesdays is a weekly staple. Your HF Holidays Leader may be around for tips on guided and self-guided walking routes as well as visit-worthy local attractions.

While that might sound pitiful to some, for those that know of, or have indeed completed the Wainwright walks, you’ll be aware that this is no easy slog.I planned each of my Wainwright bagging routes in the komoot app. Primarily, I used the following resources to plan my Wainwright walks – This lovely little Wainwright route up Silver How is very convenient for Grasmere. You start in the centre of the village and pass through the grounds of Allan Bank (once home to William Wordsworth and now a National Trust property). The paths are easy to follow, and the only really steep section is towards the top, after which you’ll be presented with views towards the famous Langdale Pikes. The route down is mostly steps, which makes things a little easier on your knees! Furthermore, using our professionally produced walk routes, you can Walk the Wainwrights and avoid the potentially vertigo inducing arétes of Sharp Edge and Striding Edge if you want to.

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. The Eastern Fells – Walking The Wainwrights A bivvy wild camp on the Eastern Fells Walking The Wainwrights route Some will undoubtedly occasionally find the choice of what peaks fit with which route odd, perhaps because that's not they way they did a circuit previously. I know I was a bit like that sometimes but maybe that's why I now have isolated fells still to mop up. I really wish I'd had access to this guide before as I probably won't be left with these problem peaks. Still I've now got some great inspiration for new extended valley rounds, instead of just bagging these missed summits. First published in the Westmorland Gazette in the 1950's, Alfred Wainwright's Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells comprises seven volumes listing 214 mountains and tops - each with its own chapter. It is an ambition of many people to reach the summit of all 214 of these lakeland fells. You've also got Aira Force at the bottom, which is one of the most popular waterfalls in the Lake District. So it's a great place to go, both as a short walk, or as part of a longer trek. In the book we do Gowbarrow and then a couple of the other, adjacent lower hills - Great Mell Fell and Little Mell Fell. But Gowbarrow is the nicest in the area.

Some of the routes are logical, following horseshoes or classic ridgeline linkups, others a bit contrived. I’m not sure Id do the coniston round without including wetherlam, or do the under skiddaw route which includes skiddaw little man but not the main summit. These are like this to prevent summits featuring twice, but this is where you’re likely to use the book for inspiration and then start to deviate from routes. The best way to begin your Wainwright Bagging Adventure is to find a list of all the Wainwrights. Print it off or save it to your computer and then you can start recording your walks. If you prefer an online log of your Wainwrights, I log mine on Go4aWalk.com The North Western Fells – Walking The Wainwrights The summit of Rannerdale Knotts on the North Western Walking The Wainwrights route

Peak Bagging’ is a term that describes walkers trying to summit as many hills or mountains on a list as possible. Therefore Wainwright Bagging is trying to summit all 214 Wainwrights. For some people, completing the Wainwrights can take a matter of weeks whereas other people will take years. Sitting in the far eastern fells, the hill is part of a 15.1km Fusedale Circuit which features in Karen and Dan's book, with 860m of ascent involved. Alfred Wainwright documented the 214 ‘official’ peaks, and to summit all 214 fells is considered the ultimate peak bagging of the Lake District. Choosing the most appropriate routes was surprisingly difficult and took a great deal of time and effort to achieve. But the overriding emphasis is on the quality of each of the 59 walks we have chosen to ensure that you'll get the true flavour of the Lake District from every angle, every corner and every view point. As there are so many Wainwrights to explore, it means there is a real variety of fells in terms of terrain and incline level which is great as it means there really is something for everyone. Some of the more popular fells that people of an average fitness level can enjoy include Catbells, Hallin Fell and High Rigg, Binsey. Latrigg is one of the lowest fells, and so it's a great walk for almost everyone that still boasts beautiful views.Designed with your comfort in mind, Derwent Bank has 40 well-appointed guest rooms available in three categories: Classic, Premium, and Superior.

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. Classic Rooms are comfortable en-suite guest rooms, ideal for a peaceful night's sleep. Amenities include free Wi-Fi, tea and coffee-making facilities, toiletries (hand wash, shampoo, and shower gel), and a TV. 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: Getty The Wainwrights are a collection of 214 fells in the English Lake District. Collected together for no other reason than they were the favourites of Alfred Wainwright, a British walker, illustrator and author. The books fall into seven volumes, each featuring a specific area of the Lake District national park. My only issue with the book is the use of the Jones Ross formula for working out the timings, as an inexperienced walker will assume they’re in the ‘walker’ category. This however sets a pace of 5 kmph which is quite fast.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. If you work towards your half-way marker then the second half of the walk feels like the home straight and often goes a lot easier. Complete the Wainwright's in 36 Walks Thirty-six circular walks covering all the peaks in Alfred Wainwright's Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells. Three Men In a Boat (To Say Nothing of Another Writer Reading It For Bits He Could Quote In His Own Work) The book provides fascinating route choices for areas with awkwardly, scattered peaks where planning your route without local knowledge would certainly not be as efficient. I really loved the clarity with which the authors highlight the location of the Wainwright summit which is often not the fell's true high point. Not really seen that as clear in any Wainwright guide before.