The Five Coolest Walks in Cumbria

As the record temperatures continue I have a confession to make:  I really do NOT get on well with hot weather.  Sunny is fine, but I don't fare well in the heat which makes getting out for a hike in this weather problematic.  I'm fair skinned and burn easily, which also doesn't help, so I have two choices:  stay indoors in a darkened room with all the windows open or find a decent walk which won't fry me to a crisp.  As I get very easily bored the first option doesn't really work for more than a day or so, so plan B it is - and here are my five favourite "keep cool" walks in Cumbria.

PLEASE NOTE:  You know the routine - even on a cool walk ensure you have a decent hat, high SPF cream smothered all over you, long sleeves and plenty of fluids.

Derwent Water

Although it's a good long hike (around 9 miles) to complete a full lap of the lake, it's mostly flat and huge sections of it are in woodland so there are plenty of places to avoid the heat of the sun.  The last time I did it I loaded the rucksack with drinks and snacks and took most of the day over it (hot weather is not the time for speedy hikes!) and I enjoyed plenty of stops along the way.  The other perk to a hike around Derwent Water is that if you decide you've had enough half way around you can jump on the gondola to get back into Keswick.  Perfect!

Armathwaite - River Eden

River Eden

The Eden Valley is one of the most beautiful corners of Cumbria and a stroll along the banks of the Eden is a joy at any time of the year, however during very hot spells it also has the added benefit of being largely shady and that, together with the ever present river, results in a very cool and pleasing hike with plenty of gorgeous views along the way.  (You may recall we recently went headhunting along the River Eden and, if you missed that, it's right here.)

Hampsfell - Grange-over-Sands

Hampsfell Hospice

It may be a hill but the beauty of Hampsfell is that for most of the climb upwards you're walking through the cool woods of Eggerslack.  True, the last section is exposed but by then you've got a cooling breeze and, at the summit, there's the Hospice where you can sit in the shade and catch your breath.  After that there are the dramatic limestone pavements to explore and a long cool descent through either Eggerslack or Charney woods - either way you end up back in the village where there are a plethora of excellent cafes, pubs and pie shops to choose from.

St Bees Cliffs

St Bees Cliffs

What this walk lacks in shade it makes up for with sea breezes, plus it's a great one way walk and those can be hard to come by.  There are regular busses and trains between St Bees and Whitehaven so, whichever one you start from you know there's an easy way back.  One of my favourite walks is to enjoy a nice pub lunch in St Bees before setting off and then arrive into Whitehaven in time for a chippy tea.  Be sure to leave plenty of time for exploring though as there is loads of fascinating history around Whitehaven and a number of excellent museums (including the superb, and much underrated Rum Story)

Duddon Valley

Pretty much every time I write about the Duddon Valley, someone tells me off for "giving away the secret", but it is a spectacular valley and it would be a shame if all of those breathtaking views went to waste!  There are plenty of paths around the valley, most are not too hilly and plenty of them are in the shade.  If you fancy exploring then do the unthinkable - turn left at Torver (where everyone else turns right to get to Coniston), then take the first road on your right (narrow and steep) and follow it until you find the two small car parks.  From the car parks there are paths down through the woods to Appletree Worth and on over to the River Lickle and a beautiful woodland path.


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7 Sunset Trips

Steve has been putting up with my wayward ways for 15 years now - really the man deserves a medal - but I warned him when we first got together that I didn't plan on growing up anytime soon.  This mean he still finds himself embroiled in my "crazy ass plans" from time to time, but it also means I still get childishly excited about a good sunset and am hopelessly romantic enough to enjoy watching them together.

Be warned though, a Cumbrian sunset often requires a good degree of tenacity and several layers of warm clothing - but the results are always worth it. 

1.  Hampsfell

This one is right on our doorstep so I had to include it first.  The photo above was taken on the evening we all lit beacons to celebrate the Queen's Golden Jubilee, which explains why there are so many people on top of the Hospice.  It was an absolutely perfect evening and the fells looked utterly stunning as the sun went down and, as the beacons were lit, we could see right across to Birkrigg Common and down to Warton Crag.  It wasn't the most perfect night though - we were still fairly new to the fell and managed to get lost taking a "short cut" down, resulting in us wading through a huge blackberry bush and climbing a large wall - no one said romance was easy!

2. Wansfell 

The thing about Wansfell sunsets is that after you're done admiring the view there's a really big, clear and easy to follow route back to the car.  This photo was taken from the south side of the fell at High Skelghyll and from there the track will lead either down to Waterhead (near Ambleside) or around to Troutbeck.  If you're up on top of Wansfell Pike it's more of a challenge, though there's still a relatively straighforward route back down to either Ambleside or Troutbeck - but you will need a head torch and lots of warm clothing as, even in the summer, it will get cold quickly once the sun has gone.

3. Whitehaven

Whitehaven is only a 40 minute drive from Keswick and absolutely worth it for the views.  There is tons of interesting history in the town and a beautiful walk up along the cliffs to St Bees Lighthouse - with plenty of places to pause and spot a range of sea birds along the way.  Once you're done head back to the town, grab a bag of chips and settle down to watch the sunset from the harbour walls - there are views over to the Isle of Man to the west and the south coast of Scotland to the north.  Perfect.

4. Windermere

This one is super easy for everyone to access, although the small car park there is now pay and display.  As you leave Bowness heading north watch for the car park on your left just before the roundabout to Ambleside (the perfect spot to turn around if you miss it).  From there you get a spectacular view clear along the Elterwater valley to see the sun set behind the Langdale Pikes away in the distance.  Many's the time we've been on our way home from a hike and pulled in there for 10 minutes to admire the view and finish off our flask of tea.

5. Red Screes Inversion

This was such a spectacular evening - just me and Steve above an inversion on top of Red Screes watching the sun set.  He took so many stunning photos that night with the clouds first glowing gold before deepening in colour to resemble hot lava pouring from the sky.  If you're heading high to see a sun set then do please make sure you're properly kitted out - this was a stunning evening but despite our many layers of clothing we were still pretty cold when we got back to the car.  (Our secret is to leave another flask of hot tea in the boot ready for our return)

6. Sandscale Haws

I'll be honest, this is a very new discovery for us, but what a place!  Just 5 minutes drive from Barrow and your surrounded by enormous sand dunes and spectacular views.  We walked all the way to the south of the dunes for a picnic on the beach and, after the sun had gone down we wandered back around the edge of the dunes enjoying views like this across to Black Combe (one of my favourite fells).  You'll need to check the tide times before you head out but, if you keep close in to the shore, you should be absolutely fine.

7.  Arnside

We have seen hundreds of sunsets from Arnside and they never get boring.  What I love about Arnside sunsets is the way the sun plays on the different patterns across Morecambe Bay at low tide - it's never the same twice.  There are so many places you can watch from - Arnside Prom, the pier, the benches out along the coastal walk or, if you have folks with you who don't love the great outdoors quite as much as you do, then there are ringside seats available at The Albion (and excellent food and beer too) but, be warned, it's a very popular place.

And all the others...

There were so many others I could have included, but then the blog would have been really long and boring, but here's a few more if you fancy seeking them out.

Wetherlam

Duddon Valley

Ennerdale

Silloth

By the book.

Since starting this blog I've probably written thousands of words, but now I'm required to string 20,000 of them together for a book I'm starting to panic, but only a little.  I've often wondered what goes into writing a book, well now I know - blood, sweat, tears and a few snowy hikes.  I'm guessing the snowy hikes weren't part of J K Rowling's requirements, but they're a part of ours.

Over the past few months we've been doing a LOT of research and since the start of January I've been putting pen to paper, eyes to books and feet to fells.  Luckily we've been very curious about our surroundings since we first arrived, but now we're wading through the research, we're realising how little we actually know.  The book will cover the natural, ancient and recent history of 10 sites in Cumbria - which is really exciting as it means we can tell the world about the whole county - don't get me wrong, we LOVE the Lake District, but there is so much more to see and explore in Cumbria, places like...

Here,

here

 and here.

But it's not all about running around the hills - sometimes I have my nose, and entire desk, buried in books.  Hell - absolute hell I tell ya.

Original sketch of GImmer Crag from 1934

Fantastic access to the resources of Mountain Heritage Trust

We're incredibly lucky to have the support of people like the RSPB, Cumbria Wildlife Trust, Mountain Heritage Trust and assorted local history groups - all of whom are taking the time to meet with us, tell us a few inside stories and allow us access to materials, some of which have never been in print before.  Along the way we've already dug out some fabulous facts, gripping stories and fascinating people.

Seeing as the book will be an equal balance of Steve's fab photos and my inane ramblings we're trying to take advantage of any breaks in the weather and as today promised blue skies and snowy summits we headed for the Langdale Valley (one of the few sites we're looking at within the National Park).  Our plan was to get to the top of The Band to get some shots but around 3/4 of the way to the top it felt as if we'd stepped directly into the Jet Stream so, discretion being by far the better part of valour, we turned and headed down.

Getting blown away in every sense of the word.

The luscious Langdales

I've seen many films and documentaries where explorers are caught in similar situations with wind and snow whipping all around them and it always looked rather exhilarating - but the reality is it's more akin to standing in a freezer, in a force 9 gale while someone pelts you with boiling hot needles.  On the plus side I've had a full facial exfoliation and probably now look 10 years younger - take that Oil of Olay.

So having had an extraordinarily healthy day full of hiking, fresh air and facials, there's only one thing for it - feet up in front of the fire, a bottle of red and my body weight in peanut M&Ms - I'm counting the orange ones as one of my 5 a day.  I have this healthy living malarkey sussed!

Avoiding the crowds at the gym

The route to my "gym"

It's January and gyms everywhere are packed to the rafters with new years resolutioners full of the very best intentions.  Many years ago I was a member of a local gym - back in those days I used to compete in triathlons and gyms were the best way to get through some of the strengths exercise and ensure a little clear space in the pool for endless plodding up and down - and come January there wasn't a space to be found on the equipment.  Queues formed at the rowing machines, the stair master and the cross trainer - most probably known as that due to the grumpy nature of many of those queuing to use it, ironic really as one of the side benefits of going to the gym was a chance to let off steam and exorcise the stress demons.

My gym days are thankfully long behind me but my stress isn't.  Over the Christmas hols someone told me they were thinking of leaving their job, sticking it to "the man" and starting a new life with no stress.  I suggested that if they found a life with no stress I'd like to be the first to know about it.  Although I love our new life in every way shape and form (it's been 4 years now - 4 years - just doesn't seem possible!), it is far from stress free and anyone doing what we've done and expecting zero stress is going to be sadly disappointed.  The stresses are very different but they are still there.

For example - office life bought me the following stresses:

List of "gym equipment"

*  Being stuck in an office when it was sunny outside.
*  Not being able to take random days to be with the family when it was a birthday etc.
*  Internal politics - aaaaaarrrrrrrrggggghhhhhhh - still get the heebeegeebees just remembering it.
*  Only 25 days off each year.
*  Having to fight for Christmas off.
*  Finishing my work by 4pm but having to stay at my desk till 5:30pm just because.

Whereas our new life brings me these stresses

*  Realising that every day not worked means no money coming in.
*  The temptation to work 7 days a week.
*  The temptation to work until 10pm at night.
*  Paying the mortgage every month because although I'm willing to barter my services with other local businesses for our mutual benefit, Santander refuse to play ball and insist they want their mortgage paid in money.  Spoilsports.
*  Not being able to be sick and lie under a duvet all day knowing that the sick pay will cover you
*  Being glad when you're busy but still worrying that you need to keep on marketing if you want to be busy next month too.

Thankfully, our new life came with a free gymnasium and mental health clinic right across the road - more commonly known as Hampsfell.  It may have been blowing a hoolie outside but after a busy and stressful week it was the perfect place to, quite literally today, blow the cobwebs away.

The Hospice

Morecambe Bay

Cartmel

The Hospice

It was the windiest I've ever known it up there, I could feel my rucksack being lifted from my back (thankfully there was a HUGE flask of tea in there) and several times I was nearly blown over while taking photos.  As I was stood on the top of the hospice, snug and warm inside my many layers and being blown sideways by the wind I could almost feel my worries one by one blowing away, out over Morecambe Bay - I just hope they didn't land on someone over the other side.

It was pretty quiet people wise up there, although I did see 3 joggers on the top of the fell.  Well maybe it was 2 - one of them might have blown past me twice.

DUCK!  Incoming worries!  :-)

After finishing half my flask I wandered down into the village for essential supplies (more milk for tomorrow's flasks) and decided on an impromptu picnic on the prom - much to the amusement of the few brave dog walkers/ canine kite flyers who were passing.

En route to the village

Perfect picnic spot

It may not boast a personal trainer or an enormous flat screen TV to amuse me while I exercise, but it's free, it's stunning and best of all there's plenty of room for everyone - it's almost worth getting stressed for.

Hampsfell in heels...

On top of the hospice, on top of Hampsfell in a tiara & high heels

Well not quite, I only put that because it rhymes.  I did don heels but only briefly and only at the very summit - to try walking over the limestone pavements in anything other than proper boots would have been madness. As those who know me know, I don't wear make-up or at least I only wear it on very, very rare occasions (4 years ago was the last occasion by my reckoning and prior to that our wedding day in 2003)  so when all the "barefacedselfies" started doing the rounds no-one nominated me and for good reason, I mean I really wouldn't look any different would I?

Thing is my dad died of cancer in 1986 when I was just 18 and my sister has survived breast cancer.  On top of that the wife of a very good friend lost her battle to the evil disease in 2012 and another friend lost her mother last year.  And that's just the very tip of an enormous iceberg - the guy from work who died of liver cancer, my brother-in-law's sister-in-law (work that one out!) who died of blood cancer, my husband's aunt who died of a brain tumour and so on.  You get my drift, cancer sucks.

So I wanted to join in and do my bit and this was what I came up with - if everyone else was wiping the make-up off, why don't I plaster it on?  And instead of taking the selfie in the comfort of my living room why not hike up the nearest fell in full evening attire while I'm on?  Trust me, if something is worth doing, it's worth overdoing, which is why I surprised a number of people on Hampsfell this morning.

Every adventure in life should teach you something and I definitely learned stuff today - I learned that make-up can go off, I learned that make-up applicators disintegrate over time, I learned that  Qtips make lousy eye shadow applicators and I learned that fingers can apply make-up just fine.  (Oh and I also learned that miniskirts and high stone stiles don't mix as you'll see from the photo below)

Anyway, I'll let the pictures do the rest of the talking, all I ask is that if you giggle, at least once, you click this link to my JustGiving page and donate a couple of quid.  Honestly, every single penny helps and though it won't bring back any of the good folks we've lost, it may help our loved ones in the future.  Thank you.  :-)

UPDATE: Thanks to you I raised over £150 from JustGiving & other donations. Not bad for a hike. Maybe I should wear make up more often? 😀

Slapping it on!

Not my usual rucksack rations.

Helena Bonham Carter eat your heart out.

The hair was not part of the bet, I just like it this colour.

High stiles were not meant for short skirts.

My only pair of heels. They stayed on for 5 mins.

Matching nail varnish & phone case, tres fashionable so I'm told...

Head Above the Clouds

“Inversion, inversion in inversion” I chirped as I bounced up and down on the bed at 6:30am.  You really have to pity Steve at times.  Grabbing some clobber I decided that, for a change, we’d nip up Hampsfell as we’d not seen an inversion over the bay before.  Steve wasn’t so sure, but then he’s never been much of a morning person.

Hampsfell Hospice

I bounced up the fell, full of the joys of spring, but the bounces got slower and further apart as I neared the top and realised we needed to be considerably higher.  Steve emerged from the mist with a face that said he perhaps occasionally missed the quiet and rather more predictable life he enjoyed before he met me.

Bribing him with coffee and the promise of pies from Higginson’s we switched to plan B – head back to the car and aim for Red Screes.

There were no breaks at all in the mist along the A590 and we began to have our doubts but, as we neared the top of Kirkstone Pass the cloud began to thin and out we popped.  We parked up in bright sunshine and began our hike up the fell.  Red Screes is a straightforward hike with steps most of the way and a bit of a scramble towards the top.  By now my early energy levels had dropped and Steve disappeared off ahead to get some shots from the summit.

I caught him up at a small rocky outcrop around Snarker Moss where we set about the coffee and a couple of Scotch Eggs and sat back to take in the views.  I’m a huge fan of trashy “end of the world” disaster movies and sitting above the clouds with just the peaks of the other fells around us reminded me of the scene at the end of “2012” where the sea has covered the globe leaving only the highest peaks in the clear.

We had no other big plans for the day so rather than race around we decided to sit back in the sunshine and watch the clouds as they ebbed and flowed in the valleys below.  The fells were deserted and the only other sound was a skylark singing away as it flew high above us.  The fells are usually such a high energy place so it was lovely to just relax for a few hours up there and take in the views;  I’ll admit I had a quick snooze before we decided it was lunch time and polished off a couple more pies.

By now the inversion had dissipated and the breeze had picked up so we began to make our way back to the car.  We passed several other hikers along the way and part of me felt sorry for them for missing the best part of the day but, if I’m honest, another part was secretly glad we’d had the fells to ourselves for so long.

It was still far too nice a day for rushing around so we paused for a well earned pint and a bowl of chips in the wonderful Kirkstone Pass Inn before finally heading home.  It may not have been the first inversion we’d seen and possibly not even the best, but it was certainly the most relaxing and one we’ll remember for a long time to come.