Great Mountain Days in the Lake District

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An inspirational guidebook to 50 challenging walks on the high fells of the Lake District. The graded circular routes, between 4 and 14 miles in length, cover classic Lakeland summits like Fairfield, Scafell Pike, Great Gable and Blencathra, to the lesser-known High Spy, King’s How and Brund Fell.

Cicerone says:

This is an inspirational guide to 50 memorable expeditions through the high fells of the Lake District. From the favourite summits of Scafell, Bowfell, Great Gable, the Crinkle Crags, to lesser-known fells, this guide offers only the best walks to explore all that is pure Lakeland.

Some of the 50 walks described in Great Mountain Days in the Lake District are well known classic challenges – such as Scafell Pike and Esk Pike, or the Gable Girdle – while others approach a favourite mountain from a new angle or combine several in a testing way. Each one can be crammed into a single, long day or backpacked over two to spend a little longer in this rugged and addictive landscape.

The circular walks are all graded, making this guidebook equally suitable for less experienced walkers looking for new summits and undiscovered areas of the Lake District, as well as experienced walkers looking for a challenging day out on the fells. The walks are categorised between the grades Energetic, Strenuous and Arduous.

• 50 graded walks throughout the Lake District National Park area
• routes illustrated with Harvey maps and pictorial route diagrams by artist and outdoor writer, Mark Richards
• some routes include mild scrambling or long days in rugged country.

This is one title in the Cicerone Great Mountain Days series, which includes Snowdonia, Scotland and the Pennines.

Our Verdict

For nearly 50 years Cicerone have been producing guidebooks on recognised treks, regions, areas and general tips for hikers.

We have used them countless times and they’ve always provided excellent insight and knowledge that you only get through experience, giving you the edge to make your trip a success and more enjoyable too.

If you’re a gram counter you can easily remove sections of the book to take with you making your own ultra-lightweight guidebook with only the essential sections that you require.

– Reviewed by Ultralight Outdoor Gear

Features

• Seasons: Suitable all-year round, but winter walking is not for the inexperienced or under-equipped
• Centres: Ambleside, Keswick, Patterdale, Seatoller, Boot, Ennerdale, Wasdale Head
• Difficulty: Circular routes, between 4 and 14 miles in length. Navigational skills needed. No special equipment required – only the mildest of scrambling will be encountered
• Must See: From classic summits like Fairfield, Scafell Pike and Blencathra, to the lesser-known High Spy, King’s How and Brund Fell, the walks will deepen your knowledge of the whole Lake District

Specifications

• Edition: First
• Number of pages: 288
• Size: 24.0 x 17.0 x 2.0cm
• Weighs 840g

Introduction  

About the guide  
Caring for the fells  
Fix the Fells  
Weather to walk?  
Before you start 
 

The Routes

1     Lingmoor Fell   
2     Pavey Ark and Harrison Stickle   
3     Loft Crag and Pike o’Stickle   
4     Bowfell and Rossett Pike   
5     Pike o’Blisco and Crinkle Crags   
6     Wetherlam   
7     Dow Crag and Coniston Old Man   
8     Dow Crag, Brim Fell, Swirl How and Grey Friar   
9     Black Combe   
10     Harter Fell (Eskdale) and Hard Knott   
11     Scafell Pike and Esk Pike   
12     Scafell and Slight Side   
13     Illgill Head and Whin Rigg   
14     Great End, Scafell Pike and Lingmell   
15     Pillar, Scoat Fell, Red Pike and Yewbarrow   
16     Kirk Fell and Great Gable   
17     Buckbarrow, Seatallan and Middle Fell   
18     Crag Fell, Caw Fell and Haycock   
19     Steeple, Scoat Fell and Pillar   
20     Mellbreak   
21     Whiteside, Hopegill Head, Grasmoor, Wandope, Whiteless Pike and Rannerside Knotts   
22     High Crag, High Stile and Red Pike   
23     Haystacks   
24     Fleetwith Pike, Dale Head, Hindscarth and Robinson   
25     Green Gable and Great Gable   
26     Rosthwaite Fell and Glaramara   
27     Eagle Crag, Sergeant’s Crag, High Raise and Ullscarf   
28     High Spy, King’s How and Brund Fell   
29     Catbells, Maiden Moor, High Spy, Dale Head and Hindscarth   
30     Robinson, Knott Rigg and Ard Crags   
31     Grisedale Pike, Hopegill Head, Eel Crag, Sail, Outerside and Barrow   
32     Ullock Pike, Long Side, Carl Side, Skiddaw Little Man, Skiddaw and Bakestall  
33     Carrock Fell and High Pike   
34     Bowscale Fell, Blencathra and Souther Fell   
35     Blencathra   
36     Clough Head, Great Dodd, Watson’s Dodd, Stybarrow Dodd and Hart Side   
37     Raise, White Side and Helvellyn   
38     Helm Crag, Gibson Knott, Calf Crag and Sergeant Man   
39     Low Pike, High Pike, Dove Crag, Hart Crag, Fairfield, Great Rigg, Heron Pike and Nab Scar   
40     Red Screes, Litte Hart Crag, High Pike and Low Pike   
41     Caudale Moor   
42     Dove Crag, Hart Crag and Hartsop above How   
43     Fairfield and St Sunday Crag   
44     Dollywaggon Pike, Nethermost Pike, Helvellyn and Catstycam   
45     Birkhouse Moor, Helvellyn, White Side, Raise, Stybarrow Dodd and Sheffield Pike    
46     Place Fell   
47     Steel Knotts, High Raise, Rampsgill Head, The Knott, Rest Dodd, Angletarn Pikes and Beda Head   
48     High Street, Rampsgill Head and Kidsty Pike   
49     Yoke, Ill Bell, Froswick, Thornthwaite Crag, High Street and Mardale Ill Bell   
50     Shipman Knotts, Kentmere Pike and Harter Fell (Mardale)   

Appendix 1:    Concise Walk Reference and Personal Log   
Appendix 2:    Index of the Fells   
Appendix 3:    Further Reading