It's a Wash Out

Well, I managed the first three days. 26 Wainwrights in three days isn't bad going. Unfortunately the weather was on and off showers day and night. Also, walking with a heavy rucksack takes a lot longer than I'd anticipated. Sometimes it is possible to put the bag down and nip out to a summit without it but this wasn't often. I had a rain cover on my rucksack, a big plastic bag inside and then everything in waterproof bags within that. So there wasn't a problem with keeping my stuff dry during the day. However, when you are putting up a tent that is already wet from the night before, it is inevitable that once you've put it up, the things in it will slowly get more and more damp; including your sleeping bag. I really couldn't face putting on damp clothing and walking for another eleven hours or so. So Dorothy very kindly came and picked me up on day four.

Helvellyn from Fairfield

Answers to a few questions you might ask:

Shouldn't you have expected it to rain? After all, how do you think the lakes in the Lake District got there?

I did expect it to rain and I did expect things to get wet but the actual experience of being unable to get anything dry was worse than I had anticipated.

Will you carry on if the weather improves? 

I think I will try to do all the Wainwrights, but I may not try to do them as a continuous walk.

What about all that time you spent plannning?

Oh, I love planning. I enjoyed every minute.

Did you enjoy the walk?

Yes I did. It is satisfying to set yourself a big challenge and then go out and do it, and for the first three days that was exactly what I did. The shifting clouds and changing lighting were very atmospheric and the scenery is magnificent. I also enjoy just walking and thinking about things. You also spend quite a lot of time 'in the moment' thinking about where to put your feet or what you need to do next to get yourself up, breakfasted and packed up. The trouble is that I also began to think about being dry and comfortable again.

Ullswater and Plaice Fell from Hartsop Dodd

Are you disappointed?

It would have been amazing if I could have done it but I suppose that's because it was difficult. It was just a bit too difficult.

How do you poo?

Once I had put up the tent in an out of the way place, I dug a hole with my trowel as far away as possible from streams. When I packed everything up in the morning, I filled it in and put the grass back on top.

Were you really fit enough?

Clearly not. I did manage three days but my muscles were stiff in the morning and my knees and hips kept giving me ouch messages during the night. It's amazing to see how many fell runners there are.

Wouldn't it have been better not to broadcast what you planned to do?

I don't think good friends feel let down if you haven't met a challenge you set yourself. However, knowing that they want you to succeed does help to motivate you. It's easier to give up if no-one knows you are doing it. So telling people does help to push you.

Were you all smelly when you got home?

Yes!

Was it safe?

I'm not sure it was. I was following a route designed by a fell runner. I had adapted it a bit but occasionally I was going down very steep slopes with 15kg on my back and even with two walking poles you can't help wondering how you would stop yourself if you tripped.

Does the rucksack get lighter as you go along because you have eaten some of the food?

I thought this would be true but the fact that everything was getting more and more damp, seemed to be making it heavier!

Do you really think anyone would really ask all these questions?

You are still reading aren't you?

How do you get water? 

Fast running streams. Believe me, there was no shortage. I did have a pen that emits U/V light to kill bacteria and viruses if I felt there was any risk of contamination e.g. by sheep, but I think I should have also taken a filter. Anyway, I seem to be OK.

How do you feel now?

Camping in the wet makes you really appreciate normal life. I'm so lucky that I can go back home. What must life be like for refugees and other homeless people?

Pete's Wainwright Walk

The Wainwrights are the 214 Lake District hills (known locally as fells) described in Alfred Wainwright's seven-volume Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells (1955–66).

A while back I watched a film about Steve Birkinshaw running round all the Wainwrights in six days and thirteen hours. He ran about two marathons every day basically. This set a new record. I think it's been subsequently beaten but one of the most inspiring things about the film was all the support he had from friends, family and the people of Keswick.

Many people try to climb all the Wainwrights, just as they try to bag all the Munros in Scotland and this was something I had been considering. Then I thought I could do them as one continuous route by following in Steve's steps. I am not a fell runner but I do like a bit of backpacking and wild camping. I really enjoyed doing the Cape Wrath Trail and it would be good to have another challenge. Especially since I have been unable to do any Walks Leading with HF Holidays because of Coronavirus.

This is not an original idea. In fact a guy called James Forrest is trying to do it in 18 days at the moment. I am planning to do it in 27 days, broken down into five separate backpacking trips. 

1. Rydal to Patterdale (6 days: 1 to 6)
   
2. Patterdale to Keswick (5 days: 7 to 11)
3. Keswick to Keswick (5 days: 12 to 16)
4. Keswick to Nether Wasdale (6 days: 17 to 22)
5. Nether Wasdale to Rydal (5 days: 23 to 27)

I was originally planning to have a hotel or B&B stay in between each leg but Dorothy has very kindly agreed to drop me off and pick me up for all but Keswick to Keswick. I can just leave the car in Keswick for 5 days for that one. Accomodation is awkward at the moment with the pandemic so it's much easier to come home in between and much nicer. In fact we are going walking in Scotland for two weeks after the first two legs.

I don't know if I'll manage it. I was very lucky with the weather on the Cape Wrath Trail. Wild camping is not strictly allowed in England but so long as I stay up in the hills, out of the way and leave no trace of having been there, I should be OK.

You can see the route here: