My first visit to Chamonix was in 1993 when I walked there from the shores of Lake Geneva doing a section of the GR5. Thirty years later I walked there again taking the long way round from Les Houches when hiking the Tour du Mont Blanc. Last summer I actually got to drive into town when Mish and I headed off on our summer road trip to the French Alps.
Continue reading “A walk along the Grand Balcon Sud, Chamonix-Mont-Blanc”
Like this:
Like Loading...
The car park for the Falls of Kirkaig is empty when we arrive with two steak pie and mashed potato dinners purchased twenty minutes earlier from Lochinver Larder but still hot. “How many other vans do you think will turn up, three, four?” I muse over our meal. Mish looks out of the window at the April showers and lowering temperature and confidently predicts “none”. Surely not, we’re in beautiful Assynt, surrounded by ancient woodland with the Kirkaig river not twenty feet from us. When I look out the window in the early hours the rain has stopped and we are alone, with just the owls, the roaring river and a billion stars twinkling in the ink black night sky to keep us company. Wives, why are they always right.
Continue reading “A walk to The Falls of Kirkaig”
Like this:
Like Loading...
My walk up Lingmoor Fell starts conveniently at the National Trust campsite at the head of Great Langdale. I don’t even have to move the van and take full advantage by having a lazy breakfast. This may be my first walk of book four but it certainly won’t be my last from this location as Great Langdale is the launch pad for some of the big ones and a place I will get to know well over the coming months.
Continue reading “Lingmoor Fell from Great Langdale”
Like this:
Like Loading...
My Walks in beautiful New Zealand including two of the world’s ‘Great Walks’ The Milford Track and The Routeburn Track. Click on the walk to read the post or use the interactive map to see the route.
Day One Glade Wharf to Clinton Hut The Milford Track is remote, so remote in fact that you have to ...
Day Two Clinton Hut to Mintaro Hut Sometime during the night the rain had stopped and when we left the ...
Day Three Mintaro Hut to Dumpling Hut As forecast we awake to a completely different scene from the Sunshine and ...
Day Four Dumpling Hut to Sandfly Point It’s our final day on the Milford Track and there is a sense ...
Day One Routeburn Shelter to Routeburn Falls Hut Driving to the start of the Routeburn track I was wondering if ...
Day Two Routeburn Falls Hut to Lake Mackenzie Hut Day two on the Routeburn Track dawns bright and clear. All ...
Day Three Lake Mackenzie Hut to The Divide All was quiet and still in the valley as I paid a ...
After completing two of the ten ‘Great Walks’ in New Zealand we’re working our way slowly up through South Island, ...
It’s only sitting at home, a few weeks after my return from New Zealand that I have time to reflect ...
We are nearing the end of our month walking and travelling through the beautiful South Island of New Zealand / ...
Like this:
Like Loading...
My hike along The Tour du Mont Blanc, one of Europe’s classic long distance trails. Click on the walk to read the post or use the interactive map to see the route.
It’s been a long two days in the driving seat, it turns out the Alps are a long way from ...
The storm eventually passed over in the early hours leaving behind a dry but overcast morning. Steve slept right through ...
The Tour du Mont Blanc and the Alps in general are perfect for hut to hut walking. In France they ...
If day one of the Tour du Mont Blanc was an hors d’oeuvre and day two a starter, day three ...
The small village of Les Chapieux sits at the western most point of the Tour du Mont Blanc. Although it’s ...
Dawn brings with it another gloriously sunny day on the Tour du Mont Blanc. We are now in the Italian ...
“The beauty of adventure is to dream of it, to give air to the imagination, then you also try to ...
Today we will enter the third country on our walk around Mont Blanc. This country is a land of mountains, ...
For the last week we’ve been in the heart of the mountains. Walking along narrow rugged trails surrounded by snow ...
When we step outside to boot up for day nine of our Tour du Mont Blanc there are ominous dark ...
Today we have the third and final border crossing of our Tour du Mont Blanc when we say goodbye to ...
Stepping onto the wooden balcony that adjoins our room at 6am all is silent in the valley. The cool, still ...
The best laid schemes o' Mice an' Men, Gang aft agley, An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain, For ...
Like this:
Like Loading...
Trekking in Nepal. From Lukla to Everest Base Camp and then a taste of ‘real’ Nepal walking out to Jiri. Click on the walk to read the post or use the interactive map to see the route.
I have traveled before, to America and Europe, to the Far East and Middle East, but travelling in Nepal will ...
“Kathmandu I’ll soon be seeing you And your strange bewildering time will hold me down” I am not sure if ...
We walked for twenty three days on our Nepal Trek. The Germans have a word for it, Zielwanderung or 'destination ...
Lukla 9,283ft to Phakding 8,701ft Up at 6.30am. A cup of tea was followed by finishing off packing the rucksack ...
Phakding 8,701ft to Namche Bazaar 11,306ft Up at 7.10am. A breakfast of porridge with honey, toast and jam does the ...
Namche Bazaar walking to Khunde 12,602ft and Khumjung 12,402ft Namche Bazaar is known as the 'Sherpa capital'. If you are ...
Namche 11,306ft to Tengboche 12,687ft The walk from Namche Bazaar to Tynbouche (or Tengboche) is a pure delight every step ...
Tengboche 12,687ft to Pheriche 13,911ft including rest day acclimatisation walk to Dingboche 14,272ft It was very cold in the lodge ...
Pherice 13,911ft to Lobuche 16,175ft The aim of the day is to get to Lobuche all in one piece and ...
Lobuche 16,175ft – Gorek Shep 17,008ft - Kala Patar 18,192ft – Lobuche I slept fitfully and not very well at ...
Loubuche 16,175ft to Dzongla 15,846ft Today has that feeling to it, the feeling that you have after your own wedding, ...
Dzongla 15,846ft to Dragnag 15,387ft over the Cho la pass 17,782ft We were up early, 5.30am for what will be ...
Dragnag 15,387ft back to Namche Bazaar via Phortse (12,467ft) There is no rush to get out of bed today as ...
Namche Bazaar 11,306ft to Choplung 8,727ft After the hard work of the last week we enjoyed a well earned rest ...
Jubing 5,499ft to Tragsindho 9,612ft I'm sitting in the lodge in Tragsindho watching sport on a Television, Aston Villa v ...
Junbesi 8776ft to Sete 8448ft We were up early for what is going to be a hard day compared to ...
Sete 8448ft to Bhandar 7198ft After our efforts getting over the Lamjura La Pass yesterday we are in no mad ...
Bhandar 7,198ft to Shivalaya 5,905ft It's another leisurely start to the day. Breakfast outside in the sunshine again and we ...
Like this:
Like Loading...
All the hills of Wainwrights Book Three The Central Fells listed in height order with the eleven walks that took me over them and interactive map showing hill location and route. Click on the hill or the walk to read the post. Scroll down to use the interactive map.
| 1. High Raise 762m 2,500ft |
8. Loft Crag 680m 2,231ft |
15. Calf Crag 537m 1,762ft |
22. Grange Fell 415m 1,362ft |
| 2. Sergeant Man 736m 2,415ft |
9. High Seat 608m 1,995ft |
16. High Tove 515m 1,690ft |
23. Helm Crag 405m 1,329ft |
| 3. Harrison Stickle 736m 2,415ft |
10. Bleaberry Fell 590m 1,936ft |
17. Eagle Crag 525m 1,722ft |
24. Silver How 395m 1,296ft |
| 4. Ullscarf 726m 2,382ft |
11. Sergeant’s Crag 571m 1,873ft |
18. Armboth Fell 479m 1,572ft |
25. Walla Crag 376m 1,234ft |
| 5. Thunacar Knott 723m 2,372ft |
12. Steel Fell 553m 1,814ft |
19. Raven Crag 461m 1,512ft |
26. High Rigg 357m 1,171ft |
| 6. Pike of Stickle 709m 2,326ft |
13. Tarn Crag 550m 1,804ft |
20. Great Crag 450m 1,476ft |
27. Loughrigg Fell 335m 1,099ft |
| 7. Pavey Ark 700m 2,297ft |
14. Blea Rigg 541m 1,775ft |
21. Gibson Knott 420m 1,378ft |
|
It's the second day of a settled weather pattern that has brought crisp, calm and ...
Commitments and the never ending rain which makes planning clear summit days difficult have kept ...
From the campsite I can see a fair chunk of today's walk from the van ...
I have some personal rules which guide my journey through the Wainwright’s (here) one of ...
I’ve had company over the last couple of days. A Robin arrives regularly at the ...
Over the last few years I have become familiar with every twist and turn of ...
It’s summer, or at least that brief moment in time that passes for summer these ...
It’s the second time I’ve stopped at Chapel House Farm campsite in the last few ...
My last visit to Ullscarf was thwarted when the clouds which had been hovering above ...
Just as autumn seemed to have arrived, summer sunshine and warmth has returned for one ...
'If I should bow my head let it be to a high mountain' Maori Proverb ...
Like this:
Like Loading...
‘If I should bow my head let it be to a high mountain’ Maori Proverb
I’m back in Great Langdale just a couple of weeks after my previous visit when I was fortunate to walk the Langdale Pikes in glorious weather. The weather isn’t so good today but it’s dry and the tops are clear which is what matters. I’m heading for a group of hills that form an outer circle around the rather compact Pikes, Blea Rigg, Sergeant Man, High Raise and Thunacar Knott. And in visiting these, I’ll also bring to a conclusion my journey through Wainwright’s Book Three, The Central Fells.
Continue reading “An Outer Langdale Round”
Like this:
Like Loading...
All the hills of Wainwrights Book Two The Far Eastern Fells listed in height order with the sixteen walks that took me over them and interactive map showing hill location and route. Click on the hill or the walk to read the post. Scroll down to use the interactive map.
| 1. High Street 828m 2,717ft |
10. The Knott 739m 2,425ft |
19. Tarn Crag 664m 2,178ft |
28. Arthur’s Pike 533m 1,749ft |
| 2. High Raise 802m 2,631ft |
11. Kentmere Pike 730m 2,395ft |
20. Place Fell 657m 2,156ft |
29. Bonscale Pike 524m 1,719ft |
| 3. Rampsgill Head 792m 2,598ft |
12. Froswick 720m 2,362ft |
21. Selside Pike 655m 2,149ft |
30. Sallows 516m 1,693ft |
| 4. Thornthwaite Crag 784m 2,572ft |
13. Branstree 713m 2,339ft |
22. Grey Crag 638m 2,093ft |
31. Beda Fell 509m 1,670ft |
| 5. Kidsty Pike 780m 2,559ft |
14. Yoke 706m 2,316ft |
23. Hartsop Dodd 618m 2,028ft |
32. Wansfell 488m 1,601ft |
| 6. Harter Fell 778m 2,552ft |
15. Gray Crag 699m 2,293ft |
24. Shipman Knotts 587m 1,926ft |
33. Sour Howes 483m 1,585ft |
| 7. Caudale Moor 763m 2,503ft |
16. Rest Dodd 696m 2,283ft |
25. The Nab 576m 1,890ft |
34. Steel Knotts 432m 1,417ft |
| 8. Mardale Ill Bell 760m 2,493ft |
17. Loadpot Hill 671m 2,201ft |
26. Angletarn Pikes 567m 1,860ft |
35. Hallin Fell 388m 1,273ft |
| 9. Ill Bell 757m 2,484ft |
18. Wether Hill 670 m 2,198ft |
27. Brock Crags 561m 1,841ft |
36. Troutbeck Tongue 364m 1,194ft |
Endings and Beginnings are, as Mufasa might say all part of the great circle of ...
The low morning sun is glistening off the still waters of Haweswater and the bright ...
I arrive at the little hamlet of Sadgill at the far end of Longsleddale just ...
It’s the second day of my stay in the little hamlet of Sadgill and I ...
I knew that I had to get away before Christmas otherwise the festive season with ...
When I leave my warm sleeping bag and look at the thermometer it tells me ...
My wife and I have very different interests and hobbies. She is a creative, an ...
It’s a promising morning, the sun is shining and blue sky is all around. As ...
From the car park at Hartsop the lush green tree peppered slopes of Brock Crags, ...
The morning sunlight is casting soft shadows over the quiet valley of Martindale as I ...
Putting my boots on in the car park of the Brotherswater Inn, my eyes are ...
It’s a dank grey day in Lakeland with a cloud filled leaden sky hovering worryingly ...
Place Fell is one of Lakeland’s iconic and best known mountains. The walk up it ...
It’s been a while. My summer has been spent elsewhere but the seasons wait for ...
Troutbeck Tongue is a small mound of a hill, separated from the higher hills surrounding ...
Winter has arrived in Lakeland. Which is a day early for the Meteorological calendar and ...
Like this:
Like Loading...
Just as autumn seemed to have arrived, summer sunshine and warmth has returned for one last hurrah and I’m fortunate to be in Great Langdale to enjoy it. The Langdale Pikes are an iconic group of hills whose relative accessibility, moderate height and interesting routes have made them emblematic of all that is attractive about the English Lake District. From the moment their shapely and unique outline is glimpsed across Windermere on the road to Ambleside you know you have entered into the heart of Lakeland with its mountains, lakes and rivers. It’s time to relax, breathe out, and for a while leave your workaday stresses behind and allow your heart to be stirred in anticipation of adventures that lie ahead. And today, in the sunshine, I’m walking the Langdale Pikes.
Continue reading “The Langdale Pikes”
Like this:
Like Loading...
