The Lake District has always felt like home, but it’s only been for the last couple of weeks that I can actually call it that.
It always seems to be the case that everything happens all at once. After the most incredible week in Finland (more to come on this soon), I had one day to get myself sorted, before making my move to the Lakes. None of this was helped by the fact that my suitcase got left behind due to my short transfer time and only arrived the evening before I was moving. Things have felt like a bit of a whirlwind, with both moving and starting a new job all in one go.
I am terrible at putting pressure on myself and getting annoyed with myself when not doing things, but for also not being on top of everything from the get go. I have to keep reminding myself that it takes time to settle in, get to grips with a new job and start to feel at home.
But now, with two weeks under my belt, I am definitely starting to feel a bit more in control. This has meant that I’ve been able to spend more time getting out, whether it’s before work, after work, in between shifts or on my days off. The hardest thing has been adjusting my sleeping pattern. I have always been an early bird and I’m usually in bed by 9, so finishing shifts at 10:30 has been a huge shock to the system. I’ve been averaging around 20k steps a day though with both work and adventures, so at least when I do make it into bed, I’m ready to get some kip!
The Plan…
I thought that now I’m here, a good way to get out and explore a lot of the lakes would be through doing all the wainwright’s. I have done quite a few of them before, but have ever logged or tracked them, so I have decided to start over. A while back, I was sent a copy of the Peak Bagging Wainwrights book, which includes a map and checklist so I can log when I do them all and tick them off as I go. I’m planning on doing a mix of short hikes to tick one or two off when I’ve got a few hours spare, but also a couple of longer hikes to get a few in in one go. The book contains 45 routes which covers them all, so I’ll definitely be doing a couple of these when I’ve got a bit more time.
A few people have asked how quickly I want to do them, but the honest answer is I don’t have a goal in mind, I just want to enjoy it. I’m also keen to use them as a way to meet more people, so I’ll definitely be looking to plan the odd group hike to tick some off, as well as hopefully being joined by friends, both old and new. If you want to keep in the loop about any future group hikes, then make sure to sign up to my newsletter at the bottom of this page.
#1 Wetherlam
I wanted to get out on my day off and do something local. Having done a lot of driving to and from Yorkshire moving my stuff, I wanted to make the most of what’s on my doorstep. I’d already got a plan to do The Old Man of Coniston, so decided to do Wetherlam, I’d planned a 12km route from the door using komoot, with a couple of other fells included.
I’ve been struggling with sleep recently so hadn’t set an alarm and decided just to go once I woke and was sorted. My body clock as it is, I woke at 5:30 and was out the door by 6:30. One of the many benefits of being where I am, is not having to stress about travel time or parking, though this is something I will need to factor in when doing some of the Wainwrights a bit further afield.
With my headtorch on and very little visibility through the mist, I wasn’t hopeful for any views at the top. The initial climb was steep, but the higher I got, the clouds began to thin and I was greeted with the most beautiful cloud inversion and sunrise. It’s moments like this when it really hits me just how lucky I am. I had to just stand for a minute and breathe it all in, before getting out my camera and trying and failing to capture the incredible scenes in front of me.
It was certainly not a bad way to get them started, though I’m very aware that I’m not going to be this lucky with the weather and views for all of them. It’s been quite a while since I’ve done a decent hike and my fitness levels definitely aren’t quite back to where they were, but I’m getting there. I also didn’t take enough snacks and I was flagging a bit by the time I got home. Hangry Lisa is fun for nobody.
Somewhere on the top of Wetherlam, I managed to lose my necklace. I’d bought my wave for myself when I made the decision to move to Cornwall. I’ve worn it everyday since and felt pretty lost without it. I took it as a sign though that I’d made the right decision to move to the Lakes, and have since replaced it with a mountain instead. It seemed kind of fitting in a way that my wave is lost on top of my first Wainwright.
#2 The Old Man of Coniston
Two down in two days didn’t seem like a bad start! As part of his ‘Trial of 100 Nights’, my friend Russ (@amountainbivvy), was due to be camping on the old man of coniston and asked if I fancied joining him. Unfortunately I was due in work at 7am the next day, but decided to still join for the hike up. This is one of the Wainwrights that I’ve done before, but we did a different route up to the one I’d done previously. Unfortunately we weren’t greeted with quite the same views as I’d had the morning before at the top of Wetherlam, but it was a still a good hike nonetheless.
Russ also has several books documenting his nights camped on the Wainwrights throughout the seasons – ‘Fell Asleep’ recently won the title of outdoor book of the year 2022 from The Great Outdoors magazine. You should definitely check the books out, as well as his ‘Trail of 100 nights’ articles in Trail magazine.
My legs haven’t been very happy with me doing so much in such a short space of time, especially after having done very little for the past few months. But I’m really hoping my mountain legs will reappear soon. I had planned on joining a gym once I’d move, but that plan has been put on hold for the foreseeable.
I’m really excited for this challenge and to explore all corners of the Lakes. Though I’ve spent a lot of time here, there are still so many places I haven’t visited. Let me know your favourite hike in the comments below.
Happy adventuring x
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Lisa Outdoors 