Discover 10 of the very best hill walks in the Lake District, from Scafell and Hay Stacks to Blencathra and Great Gable.
In Alfred Wainwright’s seven Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells, the famous walker and landscape writer reveals a compendium of routes covering all 214 fells in the Lake District.
Here, local hill walker Vivienne Crow picks 10 of her favourite routes, each with its own special lure – from epic views and iconic scrambles to the perfect picnic spots.
Top 10 Wainwright walks
Hay Stacks
The ‘best fell-top of all’, it was here in 1991 that Wainwright’s ashes were scattered. The best approach? From Buttermere via Scarth Gap – a ‘prelude of much merit and beauty’.
Scafell Pike
England’s highest mountain is a rough, tough undertaking however you approach it. Wainwright describes the Borrowdale ascents as ‘pre-eminent’, including the Corridor Route along the range’s rugged western flanks.
Blencathra
Wainwright devotes more pages to Blencathra than any other Lakeland fell, describing each route in delicious detail. The most challenging is Sharp Edge, but this exposed scramble is not for the faint-hearted.
Great Gable
This massive dome of scree and crags should be on every hillwalker’s tick list. It’s never an easy day out, but the quickest approach is from Honister Pass, providing a 356m leg-up.
Castle Crag
The only ‘Wainwright’ below 300m, he listed this summit because it’s ‘so ruggedly individual, so aggressively unashamed of its lack of inches’. The ascent from Borrowdale is steep, but short.
Bow Fell
One of the guidebook writer’s favourites, Bow Fell sits at the hub of three valleys: Great Langdale, Langstrath and Eskdale. For the most exciting experience, try the vertiginous climbers’ traverse.
Wetherlam
Wetherlam is part of the Coniston range, a group of summits linked together by some fine, high-level ridges. One of the best approaches is via its rocky, north-east shoulder.
Binsey
This tiddler sits by itself on Lakeland’s northern edge, enjoying far-reaching views across the Solway Firth into Scotland. An easy climb from the road, it’s a favourite among local families.
Mellbreak
Mellbreak stands aloof, isolated from its nearest neighbours by the bogs of Mosedale and the dark depths of Crummock Water. Wainwright recommends the clamber up its formidable north face.
Pillar
To avoid potential encounters with other walkers – as Wainwright was keen to do – climb Pillar from remote Ennerdale. There are several routes to the summit, some more adventurous than others.