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Introduction:

This website was originally created as a way of sharing my love of fell walking with the wider public, and through time, I hoped it would develop into one of the premier online resources dedicated to walking in the English Lake District. To this end I feel that the website has far exceeded my initial expectations. Over the last couple of years the site has had several significant development upgrades and has gone from strength to strength; currently receiving well over 20,000 visitors every week. (separate visitors to the site, not the number of page hits. Page hits is about three times as many as that)

So where do I take the website now?
I will of course continue to walk the fells and to add walking information and pictures into the website. My next long term development project is to build the directory section of the website into one of the most comprehensive catalogues of Lake District information and photos on the internet. Albeit with a bias towards walking and the fells themselves.

In keeping with the original theme of the website, many of the items in the directory will continue to take advantage of the well established and successful idea of offering the visitor a choice of walks from the place in question.
 

A bit about me:
I have lived in Whitehaven on the west coast side of the Lake District all of my life, so I always seem to have had some knowledge of the lakes and towns in the area. But it wasn’t until 1994 (age 29) that I started to do any serious walking in the Lakes. Initially these walks were low level, and usually around the Keswick area, or Ennerdale, which is only about a 10 minute drive from home.  

I then bought a few books with routes to popular walks. The first walk I tried was Cat Bells from Keswick. The following weekend I walked from Stonethwaite to Dock Tarn – Watendlath – Rosthwaite – Stonethwaite, and ever since that day I have been hooked. Even though there are now very few places in the Lake District that I haven’t been to, this would be the walk I would do if I were told I could only go walking one more time. 

What prompted me to create this web site?

For quite a few years now I have thought about writing a book of Lake District walks, but like many people with ideas, I did nothing about it. In may 2003 I bought a digital camera. I then realised I needed to come up with a system for viewing the pictures. As most of my time at work involves database design, I started to develop a database to log my walks, and to view the pictures. At this stage, this was to be purely for my own use. However, when I showed this to a few people someone suggested putting it on the Internet, to share the information with other people. So back to the old drawing board, and I started to construct this web site.
 

Safety on the fells:
Please note: The advise I'm offering here is only my personal opinion based on my own experience of walking the fells. It's totally up to you if you choose to take any notice or not, but just remember: The hospitals and the cemeteries are full of people who said "it'll be alright I know what I'm doing".

Some people would call it having a sense of adventure, others may describe it as a search for excitement, but ask any serious fell walker and they would say it is nothing short of stupidity. I’m talking about the "I'm going to walk on the fells whatever the conditions" attitude that some people have. This may not be the Alps, the Rocky Mountains or the Himalayas, but to get straight to the point; people die on these fells every year and I'm not just talking about the odd one or two.

The fells of the Lake District are open for everyone to enjoy. And while this may sound as though it's all doom and gloom, most people do actually go home able to tell their family and friends just how much they did enjoy their visit. If they’re lucky enough they can even tell everyone how good the weather was, but make no mistake in certain conditions the fells can be a very hostile and dangerous environment.

Visiting the Lake District a couple of times a year does not make you a hugely experienced fell walker and unless you go to the same place every time, try to honestly answer this question - "do you really know the place that well". The fells are going nowhere, so if you don't have the experience to be out there in poor conditions, why risk your life.

If you are new to the area with little or no experience on the fells, yet you want to get away from the towns and roads to see a little more without the expense of buying expensive walking gear, then why not try one of the many low level walks through one of the valleys, or do a circuit of one of the smaller lakes. You don’t need to get onto the high fells to get a spectacular view, or to feel that sense of getting away from it all. In my opinion some of the most enjoyable walks are the lower level ones. Anyone who has seen the views from the back side of Buttermere must agree, that in their own way, they are just as dramatic than any view from the high fells.

Map and Compass
1) Always take a map and a compass, and learn how to use them. The OS maps are the most detailed and accurate.
2) If you're not familiar with the area you intend to walk in, always plan your route in advance.
3) Don't assume that you can set off without a map and if you walk too far or start to get lost that you can simply turn around and walk back. This is far easier said than done.

Clothing
1) Boots :- no matter what the conditions hiking boots should be worn.
2) Layers :- lots of thin layers are better at keeping you warm than a couple of thick ones. You can also take them on and off as conditions change throughout the day.
3) Hat and gloves :- except for hot days in the middle of summer, don’t go onto the high fells without them.
4) Waterproofs :- If there is the slightest chance of rain, you must take waterproofs. Ideally these should also be breathable. If you get caught in rain on the high fells without them, by the time you get to any real shelter you WILL know what it is to be cold.
5) Trousers :- Shorts are Ok in any weather provided you carry long trousers / the zip on bits as well. Just because its hot in the valleys does not mean it will be hot on the high fells. Nothing looks worse than someone walking towards you with hat, gloves, scarf, a fleece,  ,  ,  ,  and purple legs.

Food / Drink
1) Always try to work out how long the walk will take, and make sure you have enough food to last.
2) In cold conditions, especially on the high fells take extra food with you.
 3) In very hot weather dehydration can be an issue most people overlook. Make sure you have plenty of fluid. Good old fashioned water is by far the best thing. ( a couple of cups of tea on a 7hr walk in the middle of summer is not enough )

Weather
1) Always keep an eye on the forecast for a couple of days before you intend to walk. If the forecast isn’t good for the day of the walk, cancel the walk, or go on a low level walk instead. As I've already said "the fells are going nowhere".
2) Except for those summer days with guaranteed hot sun all day, always assume its going to be cold on the high fells. If you get onto the fells and it turns out that you don't need to wear the jacket you carried up, then that is a bonus. If you get onto the fells and it turns out that you do need the jacket you left in the car . . . . what more need I say.

Time
Make sure you allow yourself enough time to complete the walk before it starts to get dark.

Walking
1) When walking on roads, always walk on the pavement.
2) If there is no pavement, walk on the right hand side of the road, so the traffic coming towards you is on your side of the road.  If a car was coming towards me at potentially 60mph I'd like to see it.

Children on the fells
1) If you intend to take children onto the fells, you must remember that you are leading them into a potentially dangerous and hostile environment.
2) Make sure they are as well equipped as you.
3) If you're the only adult in the party, make sure they know what to do if you have an accident.
4) If you are the only adult in the party and the children are too young to help you, then they are too young to be on the fells.
5) This is not a playground. Keep them under control and don’t let children run wild.

 One Final Thought
 There’s nothing more alarming than someone stopping you in the middle of winter on some remote high place, and asking for directions, when they’re :-
obviously not from this area,
haven’t got suitable clothing on,
haven’t brought a map,
 but worst of all; no back pack, which can only mean no food or drink, and no extra clothing,
Believe me this happens!
I often wonder if these are the same people they're talking about on the local news, who have been air lifted off the fells or even brought down dead.

Well, if you've actually read all that, you're probably thinking I've painted a pretty miserable picture of the place, but this wasn't my intentions at all. A little forethought and common sense is all it takes to help to keep you safe, so please think carefully and enjoy the fells.
 

Timing of the walks:
Although I have included the start and finish time for each walk. I must point out that I don't rush around any of my walks. The time is decided by how I feel on the day, the weather conditions, who I am walking with, and how much time I have.

Many people will say that they managed to complete a walk in this time or that time. These are the people that overtake you as if they are on a route march with the SAS, with their eyes fixed about 6 feet on the ground in front of them. These are the same people that must miss out on many of the smaller details of a walk.

Take the time to stop and look at the surroundings to get a proper feel for the place. Try to start your walk as early as possible to give yourself more time to enjoy the day.
 

Disclaimer
Great care has been taken to ensure the information in this web site is accurate, However the author accepts no liability for any loss, damage, or injury incurred by those using any information contained in this web site.

Whilst this web site contains directions and maps, it is the responsibility of the individual to plan their own route using an accurate map. The directions and maps in this web site should only be used as a rough guide to assist with the individuals own planned route.

Whilst some of the walks described in this web site contain sections that are not on recognised footpaths or bridleways, the author accepts no liability for any loss, damage, or injury incurred by those following these routes. It is the responsibility of the individual to either, have an indepth knowledge of the area or to carry a map and compass, and have the ability to use them.

Although the Lake District has very few restrictions on access to land, there are some areas that are privately owned and where access is prohibited, or for other reasons access has been removed or restricted. On the dates given in this web site, each walk took place, to the best of the authors knowledge, on land with full and unrestricted access. It is the responsibility of the individual to comply with any restrictions that may have been placed since the date given in this web site.

The author has indicated the time it took to complete each walk. This is not a guarantee that anyone who chooses to follow the same route will complete the walk in the same time.

It is the responsibility of the individual to make the decision to walk on the fells in any given weather conditions

It is the responsibility of the individual to ensure that any dogs which are taken on the walk are kept under control. Farmers have the right to shoot any dog they see attacking their animals.