Country Walking March 2009

walk guides

Bucks, Conwy, Cumbria, Derbyshire, Hampshire, Suffolk, Sussex,Yorkshire, ... there’s a walk near you to explore

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Great walks, great times, great health

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Plan walks like a pro, Kick-start your health know where you can and career in 2009 with walk, plus how to yodel walking’s wonder cures

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Walk the riddle of the Bishop, the major, and Man Utd’s ex-chef

Mar 09

lakeland Mystery

Photos: CW Images & The Photolibrary Wales/Alamy

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attlefiel B walks D Peaceful Trails WiTh a Bloody PasT Words: Charlie Connelly

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Welsh hero Owain Glyndwr laid siege to Carreg Cennen Castle, in Carmarthenshire, for several months, but failed to capture it.

Seven days, seven landscapes From

£189*

*Based on a week in camping barns, plus £20 a day for food and transport.

W Best maps: the Ordnance survey explorer series splits the Lakes into four. In relation to our suggestions: OL4 for Keswick, Borrowdale, skiddaw, Latrigg.

OL5 for Ullswater.

OL6 for Great Langdale, Bowfell.

OL7 for ambleside, Grizedale Forest, Loughrigg, Helm Crag and morecambe Bay.

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GOOd weBsItes: Cumbria tourism: www.golakes.co.uk Lake district National park: www. lake-district.gov.uk

Photo: Tom Bailey

WitH tHe FAmilY?

the highlight is surely Grizedale Forest: the sculpture trails suit little legs and there’s an adventure playground at the visitor centre. Boat trips on Ullswater or derwentwater are always a good incentive too. Or hit the west coast and take the Ravenglass and eskdale Railway into the heart of eskdale, the remote back yard of the scafell massif.

hen it comes to walking holidays, the Lakes totally deserve a chapter to themselves.

Britain’s most crinkly national park is the all-rounder, the complete package, the all-you-can-eat buffet. So diverse is the Lake District that you can easily enjoy seven totally different landscapes in seven days – here’s how.

SUNDAY: Still WAter Nowhere jumps up and shouts: “Hello, now you’re somewhere different,” as well or as quickly as Ullswater. The drive to it from the M6 is fast and gorgeous, giving the sense of the national park growing around you.

The lake is massive (England’s second longest, after Windermere) and from any angle, it looks to be leading you away to unseen new adventures.

Get your first fix with a walk over little Gowbarrow Fell (famous for Wordsworth’s daffodils) or pitch up in Patterdale and scale tiny Keldas – both are small, but have stunning panoramas of lake and mountain that say “… and, relax.”

moNDAY: HigH StUFF There’s so much to enjoy in the Lakes that a high mountain walk need only make up one of your days. And as we’re loving Great Langdale (see ‘Where do I Stay?’), we recommend Bowfell.

An undisputed classic, Bowfell is a pyramidal peak rising to 2,949ft straight out of Langdale, up a grand slope called The Band. You can then opt to take the easy way to the summit, up and over the Bowfell Links from Three Tarns, or branch right and brave the Climber’s Traverse, a stunning parapet taking you to the Great Slab for an unforgettable, calf-thickening climb across a vast, tilted stone.

From the summit, an awesome view opens up thanks to Bowfell’s central location: the Langdale Pikes behind, the Scafell range ahead, and deep, deep beneath you, the epic wilderness of Upper Eskdale and Great Moss.

tUeSDAY: geNtle HillS There are plenty of little hills in the Lakes, all with big rewards. Your top options are Helm Crag (1,329ft), above Grasmere, Latrigg (1,203ft), above

Keswick or Loughrigg (1,101ft) – Grasmere again. Helm Crag is a smashing little peak crowned by two distinctive rock outcrops (the ‘Lion’ and the ‘Lamb’). Latrigg is a foothill of mighty Skiddaw, offering a spectacular view into the heart of the Lakes. And Loughrigg is the Victorian favourite, a knobbly clump latticed with eccentric footpaths, converging on the famous Loughrigg Terrace – a sublime viewpoint for Grasmere and its valley.

WeDNeSDAY: WooDlAND WoNDer The scenery changes as you seek out the remarkable, sometimes eerie experience of exploring Grizedale Forest. The 25 square miles of the forest are now home to a fabulous collection of around 90 sculptures, which leap out at you on a variety of trails across hills, ravines and river valleys. From the giant silver spider to the woodland glockenspiels to the ethereal Lady of the Water, it’s a walking experience with few equals in the UK. www.forestry.gov.uk

¤ Bassenthwaite

¤ Buttermere

Where do i stay?

¤ Derwent Water ¤ Ullswater

lAke DiStrict

¤ Thirlmere

¤ Ennerdale

¤ Haweswater

¤ Wasdale

¤ Grasmere

¤ Coniston

tHUrSDAY: WilD AND remote The Northern Fells of Lakeland are often seen as a separate entity by themselves, thanks to their detachment from the rest of the national park. Lurking round the back of Skiddaw is a rolling wilderness (known, curiously enough, as Back o’ Skiddaw), often bereft of human souls, where the features have names like Dead Crags, Trusmadoor and Cockup.

Try the walk from Gale Road to Lonscale Fell and Great Calva for a definitive Back o’ Skiddaw day.

FriDAY: VAlleY DeepS If asked to name their favourite valley in the Lake District, an awful lot of people will shout ‘Borrowdale’ at you.

It just has everything: a blissful lake (Derwentwater) with rocky shorelines and boat trips, a serene river (the Derwent), steep, wooded hillsides, open meadows and narrow, bottleneck ravines (the Jaws of Borrowdale). And after you’ve squeezed through the jaws, it all opens out again at the glorious hamlets of Rosthwaite,

¤ Windermere

Seatoller and Stonethwaite.

Top walking options: play followthe-Derwent; climb small-butspectacular Castle Crag; explore the eastern walls by climbing Walla Crag or Grange Fell; or – the archetypal Borrowdale walk – set out from Rosthwaite and visit Dock Tarn and Watendlath (with tea room in summer).

SAtUrDAY: A coAStAl ADVeNtUre Bid farewell to the Lakes with a oncein-a-lifetime sort of adventure. South of the national park is Morecambe Bay, the UK’s largest expanse of sand and mudflat. You can walk across the sands from Arnside to Kents Bank Station, but only in the company of the Queen’s Guide to the Sands, one Cedric Robinson. The quicksands and supercharged tides are lethal; only Cedric knows the safe way through.

You’ll need to book him well in advance, but as the sun sets on your week, you’ll have taken part in a walking phenomenon that’s absolutely unique.

015395 34026 or 01539 532165, www.morcambebay.org.uk

Budget Bliss

¤ Lakeland camping barns: If you can put up with the communal sleeping arrangements and the need to bring your own bedding/bag, the incredible locations will make it an unforgettable trip – all for around £7 a head. www. lakelandcampingbarns.co.uk ¤ National Trust campsite, Great Langdale: Surrounded by stunning fells, this is the crown jewel of campsites. Consider one of the new wooden camping pods (£20-£40 per night based on a maximum of two adults and one child). www.nationaltrust.org.uk ¤ YHA hostels: Try Black Sail for the ultimate English wilderness experience. Buttermere and Honister are also good, quiet options. Prices range from £12 to £21.95 pn for members. Nonmembers £3 supplement (£1.50 for under-18s). www.yha.org.uk

Midrange to tHe Max ¤ National Trust cottages: Beautifully preserved or restored cottages right across the Lakes. Prices range from £300 (off-peak) to £900 (peak) (four people/one week). www. nationaltrustcottages.co.uk ¤ B&Bs: Check out www. golakes.co.uk for good options.

Good ones we’ve stayed at recently include Elder Grove in Ambleside (www.eldergrove.co. uk) and Damson Lodge, Keswick (www.damsonlodge.co.uk).

Pleasure in Paradise

¤ L’Enclume, Cartmel: Michelinstarred restaurant run by chef Simon Rogan, famous for the Underground Menu: 26 small but gourmet courses in one sitting.

Ideally placed for Morecambe Bay walk. Rooms from £49 to £99 pp/pn. www.lenclume.co.uk ¤ Lodore Falls Hotel, Borrowdale: Not many hotels can state: private waterfall. The Lodore can. Ornate Swiss-style edifice in gothic slate, deep in the Jaws of Borrowdale. Rooms from £75 (standard) to £184 (penthouse suite) pp/pn . www.lakedistricthotels.net/ lodorefalls ¤ The Drunken Duck, Ambleside: Gorgeous pub, fine food, range of elegant rooms from £120 to £250 per room/pn including breakfast. www. drunkenduckinn.co.uk

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Feel good

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Fitness

what kind of walker are you?

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A recent study by the American Heart Association (AHA) found that people who wear a pedometer walk about 2,000 more steps a day – or about another mile – more than those who don’t. For an average person this can burn about 100 extra calories a day. But before you start counting your steps here’s a few clues as to what kind of numbers you should be clocking up if you’re looking to boost your activity levels or lose weight.

Less than 4,500 steps a day means you’re ‘very sedentary’

Exercise of the month...

the he heel raise

what walkers can learn from...

Sir RanuFielpnhnes

“Your feet and ankles need to be tough yet pliable, to keep you upright even over harsh terrain. The heel raise builds strength and balance, increases calf power to drive you up hills, and flexibility to reduce shock through your legs.”

Start Stand on a comfortable surface with feet shoulder-width apart. By bending one knee to 90 degrees, raise one foot behind you. Rest one hand on the back of a chair for balance.

Photo: Simon Ingram

Hold Raise yourself on the toes of your other foot, pushing as high as possible. Control the movement by counting 1-2-3 up, hold, then 1-2-3 down. Repeat 12-20 times, then switch to other leg. Aim for three sets on each leg.

Step up Put a book – between 1cm and 4cm thick – on the floor and place the ball of your foot on it. Lift your other foot so your leg is at 90 degrees, then raise on to your toes as before. When coming back down, lower the heel until you feel a gentle stretch in your calf, then rise on your toes again. Repeat as above.

Described by the ‘Guinness Book of Records’ as the “world’s greatest living explorer”, Sir Ranulph Fiennes OBE is bestrenowned for his polar expeditions including leading the longest unsupported polar journey in history.

Build up Add a weight to your free hand – a bag of shopping works well – and repeat as above.

Our trainer, Peter Sheard, is a Senior Lecturer in Sport, Exercise & Biomedical Science at the University of Bedfordshire. www.beds.ac.uk

Cover yourself!

What’s best?

Country walking vs Urban crawl Research carried out at the University of Michigan suggests that wild walks beat street strolling when it comes to making folk feel better. The trials featured one group of human guinea pigs sent out on a 50-minute Walk through busy, traffic-filled thoroughfares, while another group took a secluded, tree-lined route. Afterwards the volunteers’ mental skills were assessed in a series of tests, and compared to the scores they achieved before setting off on the walks. Results showed that those who took the ‘nature trail’ improved their short-term memory by 20 per cent. “The countryside is ‘restorative’ because it allows people to switch off, while walking in towns and cities requires attention,” suggests Marc Berman, researcher at the University of Michigan. “Interacting with nature can have similar effects as meditating. Nature does not make any demands of you.”

Winner: Country walking!

Between 4,500-5,500 steps puts you in the ‘sedentary’ group...

...but between 5,500 and 7,500 steps and you’re heading into the ‘active’ direction

“I do expeditions as a way of making a living. I head off into the unknown because that’s how I pay the bills. I do enjoy what I do, I’m motivated by the need to provide for my family and the thought of a nice hot bath at the end of it.”

“I always take Anthisan with me.

Whenever you get bitten by bugs or stung by nettles, which is really annoying itching all the time, put this stuff on and it stops all itches immediately. It works every time.”

Leadership is brains before bravado

“In hostile environments it’s down to you to take responsibility for those you’re with – a good leader is the one who knows when to turn back and has the clarity of thought to order it.”

If you’re looking to burn more calories than you’re consuming and lose weight you’ll need to aim for around 12,000 or more steps a day

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Use small rewards for motivation!

Balance up Move the chair away so you can’t hold on to it, and put a cushion on the book – the soft surface challenges and improves your balance.

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