Wainwrights
Attempting to climb the hills listed in Alfred Wainwright’s Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells. Strictly speaking, this isn’t really about geocaching, although most of the fells have a geocache or two on them.
No-diddly-no from Noville! This is a slightly different obsession. 214 hills, all of which need to be climbed to the summit. If you achieve that, you get a fair amount of kudos. You can get your name added to an official list of 214 Completers. Clearly, the cost of climbing them all includes a great deal of time and energy, and a not inconsiderable quantity of walking boots.
The Pictorial Guide proper contains seven volumes. Each covers one of the main “massifs” in the Lake District. They were published over a period of 13 years in the 1950’s and 1960’s. Modern reproductions / reprints still maintain the original style of Wainwright’s original manuscripts, done in pen and ink.
The Books
The seven volumes are named using compass directions rather than the names of the ranges of hills, so here is my approximate translation:
- Book One – The Eastern Fells – This covers the block of land where Helvellyn sits, between Ambleside, Thirlmere and Patterdale.
- Book Two – The Far Eastern Fells – This covers the block to the east of Patterdale and the west of Haweswater.
- Book Three – The Central Fells – These lie between Thirlmere and Borrowdale. They include the Langdale Pikes at the southern end.
- Book Four – The Southern Fells – A fairly broad area between Wast Water, Great Langdale, and south down to Coniston. It includes Scafell and Scafell Pike.
- Book Five – The Northern Fells – Basically, Skiddaw. It dominates the skyline to the north of Keswick.
- Book Six – The North Western Fells – The area between Borrowdale, Bassenthwaite Lake and Buttermere / Crummock Water.
- Book Seven – The Western Fells – A triangular block between Wast Water, Ennerdale Water and Loweswater. It vies with the Far Eastern Fells for the “least accessible” title.
If we’re being complete, there is a further book in the pictorial guide entitled Outlying Fells. It covers a bunch of random hills that are generally smaller and beyond the boundaries of the main seven books. Most of them lie in a big arc from the east of Haweswater, through Windermere and down to the little-known plateau that hosts Devoke Water. To be honest, I’d never heard of Devoke Water until I started counting Wainwrights. And that’s despite having been to the Lake District at least 10 times previously.
Finishing them is something I may never do unless I become a much more serious walker. Or, of course, if I retire with enough money to go there on holiday regularly. It’s fun to keep track of them though. Daughterus Maximus has set this as one of her life goals. So fair enough. Someone has to drive her there.
