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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Karen and Dan have been running, walking and orienteering in the Lake District fells for over three decades now. "It's been part of my whole life," says Dan. We caught up with the Parkers to ask for five of their favourite Wainwrights routes. Wainwright One: Gowbarrow Fell (481m) Despite being a low fell, surrounding views mean Gowbarrow can feel quite mountainous. Photo: Getty The Wainwright Outlying Fells comprise 116 smaller hills and tops mentioned in the 1974 book 'The Outlying Fells of Lakeland' by Alfred Wainwright and published by The Westmorland Gazette.

There were no specific criteria to select the 214 distinctive peaks that would be (intimately) chronicled in Alfred Wainwright's seven-volume pictorial guide. Rather, their inclusion was based on Wainwright's appreciation for their prominence and character within the landscape.

Peak Bagging’ is a term that describes walkers trying to summit as many hills or mountains on a list as possible. Therefore Wainwright Bagging is trying to summit all 214 Wainwrights. For some people, completing the Wainwrights can take a matter of weeks whereas other people will take years. Alfred Wainwright completed a seven-volume series called A Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells , in which he detailed the 214 Lake District Fells now known as The Wainwrights. What is interesting about this selection of Fells is that they were not chosen for their scale or grandeur… they were chosen because they were his favourites. What Are The Wainwrights 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. Karen continues: "It's a good example of one of the fells that people probably wouldn't bother to go up if it wasn't a Wainwright. So it's great that it encourages people to get up something different." Wainwright Two: Blencathra (868m) Looking out over the Lake District from Sharp Edge, Blencathra. Photo: Getty

Start with the smaller peaks such as Castle Crag, Latrigg and Loughrigg and work you way up to the big ones. Southern Fells18 The Coniston Fells 17.8km19 Langdale West 17.5km20 The Scafells 13.1km21 Langdale South 13.8km22 Borrowdale Fells 16.3km23 Hardknott Round 17.6km24 Encircling Elter Water 20.0km25 Tilberthwaite Round 13.6km26 Above & Below Wasdale Screes 17.1kmThe Wainwrights have become a right of passage for many Lake District locals, as well as being a draw for ramblers all over the UK. This collection of Fells offer an incredible variety with the Wainwrights walks encompassing some of the best views in the Lakes. Walking the Wainwrights has become a challenge for many with walkers using the Wainwrights list to ‘bag’ as many as possible. What Is Wainwright Bagging?