Peak Bagging: Wainwrights: 45 routes designed to complete all 214 of Wainwright's Lake District fells in the most efficient way

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Over fifty years ago, renowned British hillwalker and guidebook author Alfred Wainwright described 214 peaks in the English Lake District in his seven-volume illustrated Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells. Like the Munros in Scotland, bagging all the Wainwrights has become a popular and significant challenge for walkers and runners, often taking many years in fits and starts because of the absence of a clear plan for how to link them together. Like the Munros in Scotland, bagging all the Wainwrights has become a popular and significant challenge for walkers and runners, often taking many years in fits and starts because of the absence of a clear plan for how to link them together. Their favoured path? "Hall's Fell is a good route,” says Dan. “There's a bit of scrambling - though you can avoid it if you'd like - and then there's nothing too exposed. The key thing is that you pop out straight at the top. Then you’re able to look south, along The Dodds towards Helvellyn." A quirky part of my Wainwright bagging was that I planned each of my Wainwright routes to start and finish at a Lake District bus stop.

Three Men In a Boat (To Say Nothing of Another Writer Reading It For Bits He Could Quote In His Own Work) With this problem in mind, Peak Bagging: Wainwrights by Karen and Dan Parker features forty-five routes designed to link up these iconic fells so you can enjoy the challenge of completing them at your own pace – over years, months or even just a few weeks. I planned each of my Wainwright bagging routes in the komoot app. Primarily, I used the following resources to plan my Wainwright walks –

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I printed and laminated all the walks and used them for each fell. The grid references were particularly useful as I mainly use my Satmap GPS on the walks. (I also take a map).

Some will undoubtedly occasionally find the choice of what peaks fit with which route odd, perhaps because that's not they way they did a circuit previously. I know I was a bit like that sometimes but maybe that's why I now have isolated fells still to mop up. I really wish I'd had access to this guide before as I probably won't be left with these problem peaks. Still I've now got some great inspiration for new extended valley rounds, instead of just bagging these missed summits. A person who summits all the Wainwrights doesn’t have a special name, and in fact, Alfred Wainwright probably never considered that doing so would become a significant feat to others. However, it is a popular pastime and if you have completed all of the Wainwrights, you can apply to be listed on a register held by the Long Distance Walkers Association. Using our experience and intimate knowledge of the Lake District we have put together a series of 59 day walks that are well within the capabilities of any average fell walker that not only visit all 214 of the fells identified by Alfred Wainwright in his Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells but also visits some of the loveliest valleys, passes and ridges in the The Lake District. I have been drawn to the work of The acclaimed Lake District walker and writer Alfred Wainwright for as long as I have been visiting the Lake District. His 'Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells' are the most famous walking guide books ever written and they were an early reference point for me when planning my first walks in the National Park during the early 1990's. I use the Pictorial Guides to this day, the 50th anniversary edition of the original works.The North Western Fells – Walking The Wainwrights The summit of Rannerdale Knotts on the North Western Walking The Wainwrights route The best way to begin your Wainwright Bagging Adventure is to find a list of all the Wainwrights. Print it off or save it to your computer and then you can start recording your walks. If you prefer an online log of your Wainwrights, I log mine on Go4aWalk.com The key is to avoid children feeling like walking is a negative experience – keep it fun and light-hearted where possible. And of course, don’t forget to enjoy yourself!

These ‘Wainwrights’ have now become the definitive list for anyone wanting to visit the summits of all the fells in the Lake District,” writes endurance athlete Steve Birkinshaw, who ran all of the Wainwrights in 2014, in the introduction to ' Peak Bagging: Wainwrights'. The new guidebook, written by Karen and Dan Parker (sister and brother-in-law of Steve) and published by Vertebrate Publishing is a complete guide to climbing all 214 of Wainwright’s Lake District fells in the most efficient way - with 45 routes included in the book. Complete the Wainwright's in 36 Walks Thirty-six circular walks covering all the peaks in Alfred Wainwright's Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells.

For the uninitiated, a Wainwright refers to one of 214 fells in the Lake District named after Alfred Wainwright, and hill bagging (also known as peak bagging and mountain bagging) refers to having climbed a particular hill, and the objective for some people is to climb as many as you can. But you don’t need to climb high to bag a Wainwright. Both Nab Scar and Stone Arthur are more accessible but with similar great views. Mind you, any fell walk should be taken reasonably seriously with strong footwear and a clear map. Northwest of Ambleside – The Central Fells

While that might sound pitiful to some, for those that know of, or have indeed completed the Wainwright walks, you’ll be aware that this is no easy slog. A walking trail based around public transport is great. But only if the public transport actually works. You can expect magnificent views, patches of woodland and easy grassy paths. It makes for a beautiful walk that will be manageable for most.

Latrigg, Keswick

Almost as high is Fairfield (2863 feet) and the big attraction here is the Fairfield Horseshoe, a high ridge walk of some 11.5 miles. If you’re bagging Wainwrights, this route takes in eight of them in all and the walk can be done from our door. The route includes Heron Pike and Dove Crag and is a big favourite, especially in summer with the longer daylight hours. Designed with your comfort in mind, Derwent Bank has 40 well-appointed guest rooms available in three categories: Classic, Premium, and Superior. Between the Kirkstone Pass and Dunmail Raise are some of the most impressive mountains in the Lake District – and a couple of the best airy ridge walks too. Helvellyn is the highest at 3118 feet and it can be approached from several directions, including the Thirlmere and the Ullswater approaches. It’s a big undertaking and unless you’re an experienced walker with good navigation skills and the right gear, not only for a long and a settled good weather day, the Thirlmere side is probably the slightly easier option. But it’s worth it! The routes are split into seven sections, reflecting Wainwright’s seven Pictorial Guides, and to simplify logistics, all of the featured routes are circular with an emphasis on making practical links between the summits.