My Favourite Mountain They say that familiarity breeds contempt. No it does not when you talk about my favourite mountain. Blencathra is magnificent. I have climbed Blencathra over 30 times. It is now a pilgrimage I do once a year (at least). I have climbed it on every possible route. I have twice slept on the summit (once… September 9, 2019 2:48 pm
A walk up Snowdon Climbing Snowdon is the most popular mountain challenge in Britain, upwards of 400,000 walkers head for the summit every year. I have only climbed Snowdon once before, that was the full Snowdon Horseshoe over 20 years ago. Therefore I was looking forward to my next visit with the family in which I planned to walk… August 22, 2019 5:39 pm
Walking with Children Walking with children is fraught with difficulties and concerns for many. It does not have to be. Get over the initial ‘I don’t want to go’ and once they are out and about it can be extremely satisfying. I have based this on primary aged children, in fact mine. Once a child gets to the… August 5, 2019 5:00 pm
A “Challenge” Walk I have never completed an organized Challenge walk before. Yes I have walked enough ‘challenges’, day walks including many Yorkshire 3 Peaks, the 44 mile Lyke Wake Walk but nothing which had the size and scale of a “Challenge” walk. However Sadie and Michelle persuaded me to put aside any reservations about being ‘organized and… July 17, 2019 4:42 pm
5 Reasons to take a Charity Walk If you’re thinking about whether you should go on that charity walk or run, the answer is to just go for it. Walking is one of the most effective cardiovascular exercises you can do. And if that’s not enough to convince you, here are five more reasons why you should definitely go on a charity… April 24, 2019 10:25 am
My Favourite Mountains (in the UK) How many times have you sat around and discussed the best mountains or hills in Britain? Certainly I have. My favourite mountains are not necessarily the ‘best’ but more a personal view. They are the mountains and hills that I have enjoyed clibing more than others for a variety of reasons. They cover most of… April 1, 2019 10:59 am
Blencathra in Spring The light was perfect as I completed a short walk along the slopes of Blencathra from Threlkeld. I have taken a number of photos along this walk but none in Spring. It completes the set! The walk itself starts and finishes from Threlkeld and involves very little climbing although the daunting bulk of the mountain… March 20, 2019 10:15 am
Access Land, Explore it, Enjoy it I have just spent a pleasant half day walking and exploring the rarely visited western flanks of Whernside. I was only able to complete this lovely walk because in Britain we have a Right to Roam on our country’s Access Land. Heading up from the col between Kingsdale and Deepdale to the summit, I then… February 16, 2019 1:20 pm
Enjoyable Snowy Walks There is surely nothing better than a winter’s walk on a clear day, with snow on the ground. The low sun creates an excellent light which even an amateur photographer can make look good. The walking is easy on the hard ground (as long as the snow is not too thick) and a cosy pub… January 31, 2019 6:00 am
Book Review of ‘The Top 500’ “BOOK REVIEW” a Lifetime of Hill Walking is a high quality book which describes Barry’s 50 years of climbing mountains in Britain & Ireland. The challenge is to climb the highest 500 mountains in Britain & Ireland which have a 500 foot drop on all sides. The 340 page, hard back book is professionally put together… January 9, 2019 3:18 pm
The Hills ARE an Outdoor Playground I received a letter the other day complaining about the difficulty of a climb up Blencathra. He said it was too dangerous and finished his letter with the phrase “the outdoors is not a playground, it is a dangerous place”. I nearly fell off my bar stool. Of course it is a play ground. If… January 7, 2019 1:57 pm
Navigation Skills and Guided Adventures Take some exercise, connect with nature, learn a new skill (or brush up on an old one) with our course dates for guided walks and navigation skills now available. We have a full calendar of events to enjoy the outdoors in 2019. Just click on the photos to find more. Learn a Skill Weekends Learn… November 8, 2018 4:25 pm
