The Wainwrights and The Lakeland Fells
My love of The Lake District started in 2011. We had booked a holiday with some family members and stayed on the shore of Lake Windermere. Looking back, this is where my love of the great outdoors really started.
We spent the week doing some low level walks and visiting some of the tourist hotspots.
This trip sparked an obsession with mountains and hill walking. I spent the next few years hiking the high points in the Peak District, Snowdonia and Brecon Beacons.
It wasn't until 2013 that I would return to the Lakes. We were staying with some family who live there and they took my fiancé (now wife) and I for a walk up Loughrigg Fell.
Unbeknownst to me at the time I had started my journey through the Wainwrights.
The Wainwrights are 214 peaks situated within The Lake District National Park. They are from seven guide books written by Alfred Wainwright between 1952 and 1965. There is no criteria for these peaks to become a Wainwright other than the authors opinion. It is now a common challenge the people will undertake to try and visit or "bag" all 214.
During that trip in 2013, we also climbed Scafell Pike (England's highest mountain) and Catbells, which to this day is still one of my favourites.
It wasn't until Christmas in 2015 that a family member brought me a map where you could tick off each peak and add the date. From that moment on I was obsessed with trying to complete the Wainwrights.
Living in the Midlands it's not an easy trip up to Cumbria to go and hike up some big lumps. I was able to visit a couple of times each year and slowly worked my way though them. Some personal favourites being Helvellyn, Robinson and Fleetwith Pike.
These trips became a highlight of my year. Studying maps to plot routes and working out how to link these peaks together. This really helped me learn how to map read and navigate. Both skills are required when heading up into the mountains.
In 2022 I realised that with some planning, commitment and the support of my wife I could finish all 214 in 2023.
Since my eldest son had been born, it had always been a dream for my last Wainwright to be his first. This dream extended further with the arrival of my second son and the possibility of climbing the 214th on my 40th birthday.
The first few months of 2023 had a few trips planned in. By this time I was running the Fells instead of hiking them. This enabled me to plot much longer routes and include more peaks.
I will be forever grateful to my wife in supporting this dream. I'm well aware that it wasn't easy for her looking after two young children whilst her husband disappeared into the mountains for long periods of time.
By July 2023 I had visited 213 out of 214. The Peak I had saved for my last was Wansfell Pike (or Baystones if you go via the guide books).
On the 17th of August I set out with my wife, two sons and the same two family members who had introduced me to the Wainwrights a little over 10 years before.
The route up Wansfell is steep and made even harder carrying a 14 month old on my back. It was a great day to be out with views of the Fells unspoiled by cloud or clag.
After a few hours of climbing, one knee deep journey into a bog by my eldest (who thought it was hilarious), I was stood at Baystones summit with my two sons. 214 Wainwrights done.
My wife had also contacted the Wainwright Society ahead of our trip up there, they keep a record of people who have completed a round and presented me with a certificate at the summit.
I couldn't think of a better way to spend my 40th birthday.
It still feels strange that the Wainwright journey has come to an end but in reality it is part of a longer one I will have with the Lakeland Fells.
My next challenges in the Lake District are The Lap Ultramarathon and the George Fisher Tea Round.
I also have aspirations of completing a Bob Graham Round.
For me personally, the Lake District is the best place on earth. Friends of mine refer to it as my happy place and they aren't wrong. Being in those Fells is where I feel most comfortable.
If the Wainwrights is something you would be interested in doing then go for it. It's a great journey, you get to see some amazing sights and everyone’s journey is different. I'm always happy to help or advise anyone as well.
Before you start, just get comfortable being out in the mountains. Some of these peaks are in remote places, so good navigation and the correct gear is essential. And, always remember to leave no trace so our children can enjoy these places as much as we do.