After discovering a love for hill walking a few years ago, I ended up walking all 214 Wainwright fells in 364 days (exactly 1 day short of a year) in 2018. It was a life-changing experience that sparked a deep passion for the mountains, wild camping and (of course) the Lake District – so much so that I relocated to West Cumbria from South Yorkshire to be closer to my beloved fells.
In 2021, after an enforced hiatus from the hills due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I decided to embark on my second Wainwright round - a round with a twist. This time I’d hike all 214 Wainwrights one book at a time: a book-by-book backpacking bagging bonanza, if you like! In the 1950s and 60s, Alfred Wainwright published seven guidebooks under the title A Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells. My plan was to hike each collection of fells one book at a time. This would equate to seven multi-day Wainwright walks in total, fitting my hikes around my three-day-a-week, part-time job.
The journey was absolutely amazing – lots of ups and down, highs and lows, sunshine and horrific storms – and perhaps I enjoyed my second round even more than my first. I walked 622km across the seven weekends, climbing over 34,000m and walking for 25 days in total. Here’s five things I learnt along the way:
Link to my routes here
1. You can follow in Wainwright’s footsteps and explore the Lakes by bus
An unconventional aspect to my Wainwright bagging was that I planned each of my weekend routes to start and finish at Lake District bus stops. This approach ensured that I didn’t have to drive my car into a congested national park at the height of tourist season, and meant that I was adventuring in as environmentally friendly a manner as possible. It all went swimmingly – bar accidentally trying to catch a school-only bus and one service being full due to Covid spacing restrictions – and I thoroughly enjoyed using Stagecoach’s X4, X5, 77, 77a, 508 and 555 buses to get around.
2. Anything can happen with the weather
Notoriously fickle, we all know that the weather in Lakeland can deliver four seasons in a day. But I wasn’t quite expecting such a bitterly cold Arctic blast in May! I found myself on Great Gable in thick, deep snow one weekend and sub-zero temperatures – it was mad and somewhat unprecedented for that time of year. But I was prepared with good waterproofs, warm layers and safety gear. Even so, the conditions deteriorated so badly during that weekend in the Western Fells that I started to feel unsafe. The wind was incredibly strong, almost knocking me over, and the rain was torrential. So I decided discretion is the better part of valour and bailed on that one route. I initially felt upset, almost like I’d failed, but I quickly realised I’d made the right decision. The mountains weren’t going anywhere and it’s wise to respect the weather and understand your limits. I picked up where I left off the following weekend.
3. Get your pleasure ratios right
There are lots of adventurers out there who are drawn to, well, a more sadistic type of adventure that involves a lot of pain, fatigue and mental torture – the kind of people who aim for record-breaking times and super-intense journeys. I find these people (such as Paul Tierney and Damian Hall) incredibly inspiring, but they are epic athletes who endure a lot of pain for their achievements. That’s not me – and instead I like to challenge myself and push my boundaries, but to also maintain high levels of enjoyment during my adventures. I don’t want the whole thing to be a suffer-fest. That’s why I always aim for an 80:20 ratio – 80% pleasure and 20% pain. That approach works perfectly for me and keeps me happy. Everyone is different though, so why not experiment and try and discover the perfect balance for you?
4. Go linear for an exciting adventure
Most of my routes weren’t circular. They started and finished in different places, weaving a wiggly linear line from A to B over numerous fells. I loved this approach. It gave me a greater sense of journeying across the landscape – a sentiment similar to the one you get when thru-hiking a long-distance trail. It is a lovely way to experience a place and I’ll definitely be doing more of this in the future.
5. You’ll never get bored of the Wainwrights
Reaching peak number 214 shouldn’t mark the end of your love affair with the Lakeland fells. I really, really enjoyed my second round of the Wainwrights. I still had loads of new and exciting experiences, seeing views I’d never seen before, taking on routes I’d never walked before and meeting new people along the way. It deepened my love for the Lake District and I can’t wait to see what memories I make on my third round!
SHOP HIKING BOOTS
Nic mostly wore the INOV8 Roclite G 345 boots for her Wainwrights adventure, particularly on sunnier and drier weekends. On wetter weekends and over more rugged terrain, she switched them out for the INOV8 Roclite Pro G 400s.
