Lakes, Central Fells

Derwentwater from Brown Knotts

Thursday, 2 July 2026

Ascent:      690 metres
Distance:   12 kilometres
Time:         3 hours 42 minutes

High Tove Summit

Armboth Fell, a bogtrotter's heaven

Heigh Seat Summit

Blencathra from High Seat

Looking South to Scafell from High Seat

Gatbells and Grizedale Pike from Bleaberry Fell

Derwentwater from above Ashness Bridge

Ashness Bridge

I had been contemplating a longer hill walk all week and took the plunge, nothing ventured...

It was 12:40pm when Gregor dropped me off at Watendlath. It would reduce the height to be climbed, and I optimistically said I would be back at Ashness Bridge in 4 hours, the time predicted for this walk. I could always (gladly) opt out of Armoth Fell if things were too hard. There was a stiff breeze from the north-west that helped during the steep ascent to High Tove from Watendlath, with a good stone i to begin with, then a paddle across some boggy ground to reach the uninspiring summit. Wainwright was spot on: "It is hard to imagine that anybody feels any affection at all for High Tove...water cannot drain away from it...everywhere is shockingly wet". 

Well, not quite as wet as the route to Armboth Fell, I went south and to the east to avoid the boggy ground, but ended up tramping along sheep tracks that were essentially streams. There are two rocky tops, and I topped them both before stopping for a drink at the more impressive, but not necessarily the higher, of the two. Four walkers from Lincolnshire were far less kind about High Tove than Wainwright, but they had taken the direct route from High Tove to Armboth Fell, and I decided to return to High Tove by this route. They were not wrong. I was not going to stop here, despite it being well past 2pm 

The initial path to High Seat had been improved by large blocks of stone being dropped off by helicopter. Only the final 60 metres of climbing were on grass, and the ground was sufficiently steep to minimise the bogs that had been the recurring feature of the walk so far. A large trig point and excellent views made it a worthwhile summit. The Helvellyn range to the east, Skiddaw to the north, and the Scafell range to the south competed for attention. But best of all was the profile of Blencathra to the northeast.

It was decision time: did I make the direct descent to Ashness Bridge or visit Blueberry Fell, a good mile away on a boggy twisting path, which would leave me with another 4 kilometres to get back to Ashness Bridge via Falcon Crag?  I was taught by my friend Keith Adams, when in doubt, always try to do what you planned, otherwise you will have to return to complete. I charged down the initial steep rocky path and then upped my pace to Falcon Crag, where I doubled back on the path to Ashness Bridge. A kilometre short of the bridge, Gregor arrived running at pace up the steepish path. I was mesmerised by the views over Derwentwater and pleased that I had managed in 4 hours, although that included two stops for drinks and food. Perhaps there is still life in the legs and lungs.

Barf and Lord's Seat

Looking down the ascent route from Barf

Saturday,  27 June 2026

Ascent:          545 metres  

Distance:       6 kilometres

Time:            2  hours 35 minutes

Barf                468 m      1hr 15mins
Lord's Seat     552m       1hr  40mins

A couple of years ago, I thought I would be finishing another round of Wainwrights this year. I had been averaging about 25 a year. However, things changed, and I have managed only two Wainwrights since my hill-walking days were put on hold in March 2025. I decided to leave early for Langdale on Saturday morning and climb two small Wainwrights, Barf and Lord's Seat, overlooking Bassenthwaite Lake. I was parked just north of Thornthwaite by 11:15am after travelling through a heavy shower in the North Lakes. 

I found a parking spot behind the Swan House and wasted little time getting on the path. On previous visits to Barf, I have attacked it directly by climbing a steep scree path marked by a white painted rock outcrop. It took about 25 minutes. I had no intention of doing the same and took what I thought would be a more leisurely path alongside Beckstones Gill, and then, after leaving the forest and crossing a stile, cutting back to the cairn. The path was far steeper and rougher than I had anticipated, with tree roots, brambles and at times streams from the rain making progress slow. The top third of the path towards the stile was deep and dark, with two sections of scrambling up exposed rocks that had become water features. My nerve held, and I reached the stile after almost an hour of climbing the 2 kilometres from the car park. 

The final section from the stile and on the open hillside was a delight, with wonderful views to Skiddaw, Derwentwater and the Lakeland fells and decorated by foxgloves. A cool breeze moderated the now-emergent midday sun, a treat after the humid conditions, as I traipsed up the Beckstone Gill.  I was soon at the grassy summit with splendid views of Bassenthwaite to the east and the easy-looking path to Lord's Seat to the west. A mountain biker arrived from Lord's Seat shortly after me. We both hunkered down behind grassy banks to avoid the stiff breeze. 

The walk across the path to Lord's Seat was pleasant apart from the final ascent into a wind that stopped you in your tracks. The mountain biker had made the return trip, and he arrived a few minutes later after lugging his bike up the last 75 metres of ascent. A family arrived from Broom Fell, the smiling five-year-old boy leading the way, the father eked out a smile; he was carrying a baby and dragging a three-year-old, while the morose-looking mother brought up the rear, eyes focused on her feet. I recognised the feelings, having been there during our first visit to Langdale when Gregor was three months old, and the girls were two and four.  I had foolishly thought we could pop up the Langdale Pikes after breakfast. Aileen did not agree, and the girls had to be bribed to keep moving by bars of Twix.

The hillwalk had taken longer than I had anticipated, and there were no direct paths from Lord's Seat back to the stile, so I went off piste, through long grass, bogs and nettles to save time. The descent of the rock outcrops required some care. I reached the car park by 2:30pm and set off for Langdale, stopping at Grasmere for a coffee and cake with Gregor and Emily.  It had been my first real hill walk for a year and had drained me of energy with just 13,000 steps completed.

Barf white stone with Skiddaw behind

Final ascent to Barf

Bassenthwaite from Barf

Lord's Seat from Barf

Barf and Skiddaw from Lord's Seat

Back Up the little Ben

Ben Ledi to Ben Vorlich

Loch Venachar

It is over a year since I last climbed Ben Gullipen, which is when my hip found it too steep and difficult. It is a lung-bursting ascent for the first kilometre, and I have been warned by physios not to attempt too much since my new hip operation, although I have had a few longer walks with less steep ascents and made a couple of walks up the slightly less steep Lime Craig. 

The bad weather, supporting Gregor on his Big Run and now the World Cup have provided a good excuse to avoid a hill that is only ten minutes away and could be done, up and down, in 45 minutes in the past. Today it took 47 minutes to reach the summit. I did have a chat to a man on an electric Mountain Bike on my way up; he urged me to get one.

I ran part of the way down until I met a local Councillor and her partner and stopped for ten minutes for a blether. The actual descent took 23 minutes compared to a PB of 13 minutes. I was still pleased and celebrated with a Corncrake Beer from Orkney. The Netherlands 5-1 defeat of  Sweden in the World Cup was an easy watch on the couch after some exercise. The weather is to be fine for the next three days, so I will try to get back into the habit of a pre-breakfast walk up the hill. (I did and was out by 7:30am the next day on a perfect summer morning. I managed to get the ascent time down to 41 minutes by taking no rests, but it took 25 minutes for the descent despite running several sections. My legs and lungs still have to get used to running again. I am good with the couch, but the 5k jaunt up Ben Gullipen will need some patience.

The outing convinced me that I should buy a new bike. I have a 1970s steel-framed road bike, a 30-year-old Cannondale road bike that has had little use since I was running 3 or 4 times a week until 18 months ago and a 25-year-old heavy Mountain Bike that I have used for getting into the more remote hills on mountain tracks. None of them suits my current need, which is for cycling on forest trails as an alternative exercise to running. I am tempted to buy a gravel bike, but the local shop thinks a lightweight Mountain Bike might be more useful. Several friends have suggested an e-bike might be better at my age! Time to make a decision.

The early morning view of Ben Ledi

Andy caps Captain Flip Flop

It was the morning after the Makerfield by-election that was won by Andy Burnham with far more ease than any of the media or pundits had anticipated. His acceptance speech emphasised his commitment to giving priority to place over party politics and a willingness to work across political boundaries. Next up was Richard Tice, the overbearing stooge sent out to wallpaper over Nigel Farage's many indiscretions and translate his quotes into something different to what Captain Farage had really said. 

Whilst Farage was posting himself in an England shirt to support England's 4-2 victory over Croatia in the World Cup, using an old photo from the Euros 2 years ago, Sergeant Tice was touring the studios, claiming that Reform had performed astoundingly well despite receiving only 35% of the vote.  This was well short of the 51% in the recent Council elections, when Labour received only 23% of the vote. Even the opinion polls leading up to the by-election had averaged  43% of the vote for Reform. It is amazing how successful bots can be at influencing polling and how gullible the journalists who are seduced by them are. 

Tice accused Burnham of not campaigning as the Labour Party candidate, which is why he won. Voters were getting rid of Starmer, who was the real Labour Party. He then accused Burnham of being more left-wing, and we needed to eradicate socialism. Tice has a rare ability to tie himself in knots as he shuffles through excuses. He seems to forget that the so-called Reform Party is actually a private company with no mechanism for its members to have any say in its policies. This allows the board of Reform to rapidly change its posturing on any issue that might entice voters.  

Tice finished with a pre-prepared put down: "Andy Burnham was Captain Flip Flop". He should know; he has been the chief apologist for the real Captain Flip Flop ever since he was deposed as the chairman of Reform plc. Like many others, he has been infected by the Farage Derangement Syndrome. Unlike Makerfield, which has acquired immunity from the pathogen of Reform.

Captain Flip Flop celebrating England's 4-2 victory from a 2024 time capsule

Meanwhile, in the real world of the UK Government, the issue is how and when the leadership of the Labour Party passes from Sir Keir Starmer to Andy Burnham. Starmer has made several statements saying that he would contest any attempt at a leadership bid by Burnham or Wes Streeting. I suspect that his duty to the country, the Party and his undoubted integrity will lead him to resign after he has heard the feedback from his cabinet colleagues and acknowledges that the games a bogey. This would ensure a more dignified legacy in the eyes of the party and maybe the wider electorate in the longer term than an ignominious defeat if he stands against Andy Burnham.

Four Score Years and then?

The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, ... their strength, labour and sorrow... is soon cut off, and we fly away. Psalm 90:10 KJV

FIFA Peace Prize: Art of the Deal

The self-appointed boss of the world reached four score years at the weekend by reason of some shady deals. He celebrated his birthday, whilst commemorating, or should that be demeaning, the 250th birthday of the United States with cage fighting on the White House Lawn with invites to his acolytes and accomplices.

He then flew to the G7 summit in France, where he claimed credit for stopping the war he started with Iran and re-opening the Straits of Hormuz to world shipping and signing a Memorandum of Understanding with Iran in the Palace of Versailles. His ego, as ever, was floating on the helium of trash-talking and his boast of another Peace deal was posted with his usual metronomic contradictions on Truth Social. 

Destitution

Since taking up his second term of office, he has reduced the United States' contribution to United Nations Aid from $14.1billion to $3.38billion. and withdrawn funding to 66 international organisations. At home, the Institute for Policy Studies estimates that through his Big Ugly Bill, he has made cuts of $73billion to Medicaid and heating and food support for low-income families, children and the homeless.

War

His expenditure on the wars he has executed in Venezuela and Iran has led to a 42% increase in war spending to $1.5 trillion. There have been no new aid bills to support Ukraine since he began his second term as President. $127 billion had been provided until then, but since there has been just a $ 20 billion loan for European NATO members to procure and provide American weapons to Ukraine. Since 2023, Israel has also received $16.3 billion in direct military aid for the war in Gaza. The underlying principle of most military aid is that it should be used to procure weapons, equipment and training from American firms or the stockpile of US weapons. Arguably, the American arms manufacturers are the largest beneficiaries of the Big Ugly Bill.

Peace

A Peace Prize was gifted to the President by FIFA president Gianni Infantino for making the world a safer place. A consolation for not receiving the Nobel Peace Prize from those woke Scandinavians. They had realised that there was not much peace breaking out in the countries where the 47th President of the USA had done deals. Ukraine, Gaza, Iran, Lebanon, Venezuela, Syria, Somalia, and Yemen were still in active conflict, and Cuba and Greenland were in the waiting room for his next tranche of peacemaking.

We can only hope that Psalm 90:10 comes to pass. And then?

Signing the Iran Peace Deal in the Palace of  Versailles

Running Scotland

Start at Kirk Yetholm

Cape Wrath

I have just returned from Cape Wrath, where Gregor ended his mammoth marathon-a-day run from Kirk Yetholm on the border with England to Cape Wrath. 420 miles in 17 days was a big ask, and, according to the lady in the cafe at Cape Wrath, it was the first time she was aware that anyone had run the entire Great Scottish Trail. The Cape Wrath Trail is the more usual long-distance run, but it starts at Fort William, which was Day 9 of Gregor's run. Running Scotland was in memory of Aileen and to raise funds for the Starthcarron Hospice. They had provided carers for Aileen for 12 weeks after she was discharged from hospital with terminal cancer, and where she spent her final days.

Gregor had spent several months planning the event, which was intended to be solo and working on a plan of roughly a marathon a day. Until Crianlarich (Falls of Falloch), it would be possible to get overnight accommodation with friends, relatives, at home or with me. I would drop him off in the morning and/or collect him at the end of most days. Hostel accommodation was booked in Glencoe, Fort William, and the Great Glen. Beyond that, it was difficult to find accommodation, so we hired a camper van for the final week. I returned from Fort William to collect the van from Glasgow and headed up to the Cluanie Inn, where Gregor had ended Day 10. 

On ten of the days, Gregor ran solo, but running friends, upon hearing of the Run, offered to accompany him on some of them. He had a couple of ultra runners with him on Day 3 over the Pentlands. An Edinburgh friend from the Scottish International team joined him along the Forth Clyde Canal on Day 4, and a schoolmate ran with him from the Falkirk Wheel to Denny. Another running friend accompanied him from Carron Valley Reservoir to Balfron on Day 5. His sister cycled with him on Days 9 and 10 as far as Kingie, and a Glasgow running friend accompanied him on Day 10 over the mountains to the Cluanie Inn. On Day 11, he was joined by an ultra runner from Argyll for the second part of the Day from Morvich to Killilan. On Day 12, a running acquaintance on holiday in Plockton who had been following his Instagram daily posts joined him for the Killilan to Strathcarron section. Thereafter, he was solo for the final 5 days

Kirk Yetholm to Cape Wrath in 17 Days

Date        Route                                                     Distance      Ascent  Time 

14 May    Kirk Yetholm - Bowden                            39.9km        759m    3hr 19min 

15 May    Bowden - Peebles                                      39.5km        923m    3hr 32min

16 May    Peebles - Almondell, East Calder              38.2km        688m    3hr 32min 

17 May    Almondell - Denny                                   42.2km       169m    3hr 33min

18 May    Denny - Milton of Buchanan                     42.4km        531m   3hr 22min 

19 May    Milton of Buchanan - Falls of Falloch       42.9km      1075m   4hr 22min 

20 May    Falls of Falloch - Kingshouse                    42.6km       987m   3hr 51min 

21 May    Kingshouse - Fort William                         34.8km      998m    3hr 22min

22 May    Fort William - Glen Garry                          36.1km      312m    3hr 10min

23 May    Glen Garry - Cluanie Inn                            41.6km       994m   4hr   7min

24 May    Cluanie Inn - Killilan                                  37.6km      938m    4hr 14min   

25 May    Killilan - Kinlochewe                                  42.4km      917m    4hr  5min

26 May    Kinlochewe- Inverlael                                 38.7km      775m    3hr 57min

27 May    Inverlael - Glen Okyel                                  42.1km    1032m    4hr 4min  

28 May    Glen Oykel - Duartmore Bridge                   42.2km     1030m   4hr 51min

29 May    Duartmore Bridge - Oldshoremore               35.7km      970m     3hr 10min

30 May    Oldshoremore - Cape Wrath                         22.8km      589m     2hr 21min             

Totals                                                                           661.7km    14721m   62hrs 52mins             

The weather was not kind, although the first three days were dry with sunny periods. The day to Denny was a succession of heavy rainstorms; the Loch Lomond section was perpetual rain, as was the day from Kinghouse to Fort William.  And the next four days had rain showers with low cloud on the hills. Days 13 to 15 were blessed with sun, great visibility, and temperatures climbing to 23 °C by Day 15. They coincided with sections through the very best of Scottish Mountain scenery. Gregor took a deserved rest during the hottest day, having run from Okyel Glen to Inchnadamph. We retreated to the Elphin Tea Room for a couple of hours to escape the searing midday sun with good food and highland hospitality. It worked;  Gregor's batteries were recharged for the long run to Kylesku and then 4 kilometres further to Duartmore Bridge. We headed to Scourie to the campsite to spend the night and fill up with water.  

Finally, two dullish days in the wild, remote coastal areas of Sutherland with a glint of sunshine from Sandwood Bay to Cape Wrath. On these days, the hardest part of the day after the run was posting the day's account on Instagram and Strava. He had committed to including text, photos, drone shots and music. And then the complications were charging the phone, drone, AirPods and watch from the camper van battery. Most nights, we were parked in wild locations that I had found close to the end of the sections.

On the final day, I dropped Gregor at Oldshoremore, where he had finished the night before we had retreated to Kinlochbervie to eat at the excellent Quay House in the transformed Seaman's Mission. I drove to the Kyle of Durness to get an early place in the queue for the 12:15 ferry for myself, Emily and Amy, who were driving up from Aviemore to be at the finish. The tiny ferry across the Kyle of Durness resembles a large tin bath and dropped us at a jetty where we waited for the minibus and the 13-mile ride to Cape Wrath through the MoD shooting range on a track that is little more than a linear pothole. Gregor got there before us, and after photos and a coffee in the cafe, we returned to civvy street. 

Miles had been run, and funds had been raised, over £17,000 as I write this. Gregor had shown immense determination and perseverance to capture memories that will last a lifetime. An Instagram Log of the trip can be found on Tossachs_Trails, and an interview on young hearts run free podcast.

Day 2 - Overnight stop outside Peebles

Day 4 - Almondell, West Calder

Day 6 - Falls of Falloch, West Highland Way underpass 

Day 7 - Bridge of Orchy

Day 7 - Rannoch Moor

Day 9 Towards Glen Gary

Day10 - Wading towards Glen Shiel

Day 11 - Beinn Fhada from Morvich

Day 11 - Dropping down to Killilan

Day 12 Killilan

Day 12 - leaving Killilan

Day 12 - still a long way to Kinlochewe

Day 12 - Beinn Eighe from Kinlochewe

Day 13 - heading for Fisherfield

Day 13 - Skimming Fisherfield

Day 13 - Corrieshalloch Gorge, near Ullapool

Day 13 Bluebells near Inverlael

Day 14 An Teallach from above Inverlael

Day 14 - Okyel Bridge - a great tea in the Hotel

Day 14 - Glen Okyel overnight camp,  Suilven and Ben Stack

Day15 Ben More Assynt

Day 15 - approaching Inchnadamph

Day 15 Elphin Tea Room - lunch

Day15 - Unapool

Day 15 - Kylesku Bridge

Day 16 

Day 16 Final overnight in camper van at Oldshoremore

Day 17 Arriving at Sandwood Bay

Day 17 Sandwood Bay

Day 17 - Cape Wrath, Relax