Wainwright Memorial Walk

The Wainwright Memorial Walk is a 102-miles route that Alfred Wainwright devised, and walked with three friends over the Whitsuntide holiday of 1931. To quote the man himself:

"This tour is a most comprehensive one. Limited as we are by time, it is impossible to visit every corner of Lakeland, yet this programme, if followed conscientiously, will lead us everywhere worth mentioning. It will be ARDUOUS, but the reward will be well worth the work. It will avoid the tourists, the roads, the picnic-spots. It is the claim of this programme that EVERY lake, EVERY valley, EVERY mountain, will be seen if not actually visited."

A. Wainwright, 1931

Trip Report - August Bank Holiday 2007
Over 5 days, Cooper & Mystery Dave finished the route. The first alteration to the offical route we made was to start in Ambleside, rather than Windermere, as unlike Wainwright, we weren't dependant on the railway station. We managed to complete the circuit, but for a variety of reasons we didn't manage to summit every peak. But at least we managed 50 peaks in 5 days!.

Whilst the walk was to my mind the hardest I'd ever done, Wainwright's description is extremely accurate, you do go everywhere worthwhile. (Alright, I can think of a few places worth adding, e.g. Skiddaw and Coniston, but I'm not complaining). Standing atop High Raise on the last day, and being able to spin 360 degrees, whilst not only naming each summit in sight (we had a very clear day) but also remembering standing there no less than 96 hours beforehand was an awesome experience; and one hard to convey.

Our Route Summary
Day 1: Ambleside, via Patterdale to Scales. Day 2: Scales, via Blencathra and Keswick, to Honister Hause. Day 3: Honister, via Eel Crag, Buttermere and the Gables, to Wasdale Head. Day 4: Wasdale Head, Pillar circuit, back to Wasdale Head, up Scafell Pike, to Langdale. Day 5: Langdale, up Jack's Rake, via Calf Crag to Grasmere. Bus back to Ambleside.

Below is the complete list of peaks on route, with those we failed to summit marked in bold.

Day 1

 * Orrest Head - Orrest Head was missed, as starting in Ambleside our route joined the offical route on the Garburn Pass. Not the best start!
 * Yoke
 * Ill Bell
 * Froswick
 * Thornthwaite Crag
 * High Street
 * The Knott
 * Angletarn Pikes
 * Helvellyn
 * Lower Man
 * White Side
 * Raise
 * Stybarrow Dodd
 * Watson's Dodd
 * Great Dodd
 * Calfhow Pike
 * Clough Head - This peak was missed due to rescuing two lost walkers in low cloud, for which we where thanked by mountain rescue.

Day 2

 * Blencathra
 * Catbells
 * Maiden Moor
 * High Spy

Day 3

 * Dale Head
 * Hindscarth
 * Robinson
 * Knott Rigg
 * Ard Crags
 * Sail
 * Eel Crag
 * Grasmoor
 * Wandope
 * Whiteless Pike
 * Red Pike
 * High Stile
 * High Crag
 * Haystacks
 * Brandreth
 * Green Gable
 * Great Gable

Day 4

 * Kirk Fell
 * Pillar
 * Scoat Fell
 * Red Pike
 * Scafell Pike
 * Great End - Couldn't be arsed backtracking!
 * Esk Pike
 * Bowfell
 * Crinkle Crags
 * Cold Pike
 * Pike o' Blisco
 * Blake Rigg - These three peaks where skipped as massive re-assent required to do both the Pillar loop and Scafell in a day meant we where already walking for a considerable distance in the dark. It was a decision made en-route.

Day 5

 * Pike o' Stickle
 * Harrison Stickle - The Stickles where missed as we opted to scramble up Jack's Rake rather than take the walking route up.
 * Pavey Ark
 * Sergeant Man
 * High Raise
 * Calf Crag
 * Gibson Knott
 * Helm Crag