Two more Wainwrights climbed: Harter Fell and Green Crag. For my overseas readers these hills ("fells" in the nomenclature of the Lake district) are situated in our Lake District National Park and are about an hour and a half's drive from where I live.
The "Wainwrights" is a list of 214 peaks in that park described by one Alfred Wainwright in the 1960s. Wainwright was an eccentric fellwalker who published a series of hand written guides incorporating his own unique system of quasi three dimensional drawings depicting routes of ascent for the hills, and these became classics. Ardent walkers now strive to complete their own ascents of these peaks.
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| A sample page from a Wainwright guide |
The knee is till giving me problems although not as bad as it was on the Newlands Walk (see my previous post). This walk was only about six miles, but there was some rugged pathless terrain.
There is little else to report so let these pics speak for themsleves - it was a hazy day and not ideal for photography.
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| Colourful crag halfway up the ascent of Harter Fell |
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| Green Crag, my second summit from Harter Fell summit. The terrain in between was very boggy and hard going |
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| Getting closer to Green Crag |
very glad to see that your legs at least are doing better again - always a fine peak although only just over 2000', it always seems much higher both because there is nothing of similar height near by and if one takes the direct route, there is an unyeilding thrash through felled forest: the superb views right into the heart of central hills are a great reward though - you chose a good day despite the haze - and being so near to the Newfield is a real bonus!
ReplyDeletethe new pads are excellent, so two targets achieved in two days!
gimmer - A fair summary of Harter Fell.
ReplyDeleteI have been there before, but when I first had a look at The Wainwrights I knew I had done many of them in the past, but could not remember details, so I decided to count the ones on The Ennerdale Horseshoe that I last walked in June 2007, and any others I had specific memories of since that date. The result is that I have now ticked off only 41 in relatively recent times of the 214.
Top walk that - my kids enjoyed doing Harter Fell a last year. Haven climbed Green Crag for donkey's years. Hope the knee continues to improve.
ReplyDeletebeatingthebounds - I agree. Dunnerdale is by far my favourite part of The Lakes - in particular the little Dunnerdale Fells (Great Stickle etc.), and Caw, and great climbing memories of Wallowbarrow Crag.
ReplyDeleteLast year, when the missus and I were in the Lake District,I discovered Wainwright's books. As a librarian, I appreciated the depth of information, hand wrought as it were, and the size of the volumes.
ReplyDeleteNice to see he is appreciated and used by competent walkers.
RR - Wainwright was an eccentric character who avoided the limelight as much as possible. The books were written really as a labour of love, and contain many examples of his quirky humour. There is a good biography of him written by a British journalist - Hunter Davies.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favourite Wainwright snippets was in his guide to The Pennine Way. The village of Byrness is the last place of civilisation before the final twenty miles or so across the wild and remote Cheviot hills prefaced by Wainwright's advice, "...now gird up your loins as you have never girded them up before".