Morning folks,

Weather looks awesome tomorrow so we’ve both taken the day off work and decided to head to the Lake District.

I’ve never really done any proper walking / hiking there apart from Scafel Pike yonks ago.

I’m completely inundated with possibilities when looking online.

So if you had one day, with awesome weather, where would you walk and why? We’re both physically fit and looking for something up to say 12-15 miles. Doesn’t matter if it’s shorter as makes more time for coffee stop afterwards!

The question with a million answers?

https://www.walklakes.co.uk/walk_81.html

But I’d go up Walna Scar Road then turn off over Dow Crag rather than climb the Old Man.

Fairfield horseshoe is my favourite. Running though not walking 🙂

In true STW fashion, not what you asked for, but how about:

http://malhamdale.com/malham%20walks%20map.htm

Beautiful for a sunny day and ice cream stop with cake/tea/pub stops available at the end.

Derwant Water and Cat Bells.

Cat bells is one of lowest of the fells and the views from the top are great as you are next to Derwentwater :

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Bells

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derwentwater

Here’s a walk :

https://www.walklakes.co.uk/walk_26.html

And here’s some other walks around the water if you don’t fancy the climb :

http://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/visiting/placestogo/explorederwentwater/thingstododerwentwater/walkingderwentwater

I managed to get the wife ot the top and down and she was chuffed and she is not too fit.

I’d do a recce on some good lines for future descents and make sure there was a good pub near by 😉

Helvellyn from Glenridding.

Actually never walked it myself, but been up there on the bike a few times and it seems like it’d make a cracking hike, with plenty of options for different loops.

Crikey and surfer +1

Helvellyn via the edges and/or Blencathra

Catbells and a ride on the boat around Derwent, plenty of time for lots of coffee and cake then!

Fairfield Horseshoe is an awesome walk. Beautiful views and just tough enough to keep you interested.

Fairfield Horseshoe is an awesome walk. Beautiful views and just tough enough to keep you interested.

looking for something up to say 12-15 miles

12-15 miles is a reasonably long walk – look at some of the walking sites and determine how long you want to be walking for, rather than how many miles you think you can do.

The horseshoe might be a long er walk than you wanted, although it is good.

Catbells and a ride on the boat around Derwent, plenty of time for lots of coffee and cake then!

+1

Helvellyn edges if it’s not windy and you’re comfortable with steep ground.
or
up the band, Bowfell, crinkle crags, great Knott, Pike o Blisco.
or
Rydal horseshoe is a good day out, but straightforward

I’m fond of seclusion so I’d suggest haystacks from Buttermere.

I’d say that the Coniston Old man, Wetherlam, Swirl Howe combo is an excellent shout.

If you want to use your hands and scramble then Hellvelynn from Glenridding up Striding Edge and down Swiral Edge

I’ll stop there or otherwise I’m just making it more confusing

Not a bad consensus for STW!

Enjoy the walk…

I wouldn’t take the wife scrambling on her first real walk -if you scare her now she might not want to do it again, better to go for a picturesque walk to show her how great it is, and save the scrambling for later when she can she the payback for the risks.

Fairfield or Kentmere rounds are excellent. Fairfield is a decent-length day, Kentmere slightly shorter.

Other than that – Great Gable either from Seathwaite or Honister (easier)

Awesome day was had yesterday. Decided on The Old Man of Coniston and surrounding hilly bits. Sunny, hot, great views. Walked for about 5 hours or so then drove to Grasmere for some coffee and cake.

Read this thread myself and it inspired me and yesterday I did the old man with my kids – distinctive in Man U tops which they wear constantly – bit busier than I am used to for the lakes but boy did we get the weather.

There really is so many to choose from.

A good one would be Bowfell via the Band and Climber’s Traverse from Stool End. Go up the side of the Great Slab, summit and go top the ODG via Crinkle Crags. Prob about 8 miles but it’s a good one.
There’s a bus service that drops you off outside the ODG from Ambleside if that helps.
Swap coffee for pint at ODG and you’re sorted 😉

15 miles walking is a hell of a long day in the Lakes with the terrain being so extreme. I’ve typically done about half that, and it is still a very long one. I find the mountain stuff becomes a killer after about 8 miles.

Just to buck the trend, The Langdale Pikes give great views and get you far from the madding crowd. Decent pub nearby too 🙂

The Langdale Pikes