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Yeah, i don't have that problem. Even in December it's usuall 12-15C
You'll soon be wearing a scarf like a local
The walking thread
- Thread starter bainbridge
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You'll soon be wearing a scarf like a local
I've just been outside, it's 4C!Yeah, i don't have that problem. Even in December it's usuall 12-15C
Soldato
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I've been doing a fair bit of walking this past year, main driver being to try not to waste my weekends/life so much and get out into the countryside and doing something good for myself.
In the past 6 months I've been up at the Lake District and the Peak District as well as stuff much closer to home. I've made a start on the Wainwrights as its quite a good motivator for me to keep on at it. I'm still quite a way off, but am 16/214, having completed 4 hikes in the Lake District.
Some of my most memorable hikes:
1. Wainwrights 1 & 2 - Illgill Head and Whin Rigg - two fells overlooking Wast Water on one of the hottest and windless days of the year. Not a breath of wind in the air to cool down when we got to the top and the return leg was hard work to get back to the carpark.
2. Wainwrights 3, 4 & 5 - Little Mell Fell, Great Mell Fell, Gowbarrow Fell (and Aira Force waterfalls) - did this one solo and not the highest hills in the world, but it was a long one to do solo and picked up a bit of a knee injury here which didn't bode well for future walks.
3. Wainwrights 6, 7, 8, 9 & 10 - Hart Side, Stybarrow Dodd, Watsons Dodd, Great Dodd, Clough Head - Intended on doing this one solo too but after a couple of miles and ascending up Hart Side I bumped into a a chap called Gary and his dog Bramble and turned out they were parked in the same layby as me, doing the same route as me, so we did the rest of it together and was a really nice wholesome day!
4. Wainwrights 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 & 16 - Bonscale Pike, Arthurs Pike, Loadpot Hill, Wether Hill, Steel Knotts & Hallin Fell - did this one with a random Finnish lady from a whatsapp group I'm on and she was great company! Gonna look at doing Skiddaw with her in a couple of weeks time. Did this one last weekend and it was pretty cold but didn't get time to feel it as the ascents and descents were SOOO steep. Hallin Fell gave some really nice views out over Ullswater.
5. Peak District - The Roaches, Ramshaw Rocks, Hen Cloud and Lud's Church - another wintery pre-Christmas solo hike in very foggy and boggy conditions but had a really good time! Views were totally rubbish with the fog but oh well!
6. Peak District - Dovedale and Thorp Cloud - did this with the MAD Walkers group and had a lovely day out.
7. Sandstone Trail - this was my first big multi-day solo hike. 55km from Frodsham to Whitchurch (ending almost exactly where that canal burst a few weeks ago) carrying all my stuff in my pack (tent, food, sleeping bag etc). I took two days off work to do this, dropped my car at the finish and had a friend give me a lift to the start. I've cycled many times through Cheshire but I saw so much on the route that I've never really appreciated before. Highlights include Delamere Forest, Beeston Castle, Peckforton Castle (where the Beckham's got married!) & Bickerton Hill - really gorgeous scenery with a fair bit of farmland thrown in. I was exhausted by the end of it but thoroughly enjoyed it.
Goals for 2026:
1. Complete more Wainwrights and tackle some of the bigger boys - starting with Skiddaw in a few weeks time. I'm really not very good with heights though and things like really steep inclines or cliff edges really make my legs turn to jelly and make me feel sick, so its going to be a bit of a challenge - I certainly won't be doing Striding Edge for example, at least until I'm more experienced. If I can knock out 50 more Wainwrights by the end of the year, I'll be happy.
2. Complete the Gritstone Trail - from Disley to Kidsgrove - similar distance to the Sandstone Trail - but will hopefully do this with a friend over two days.
3. Complete the Limestone Way - 46 miles and starts in Castleton and ends near Uttoxeter - probably doing this over three days.
In the past 6 months I've been up at the Lake District and the Peak District as well as stuff much closer to home. I've made a start on the Wainwrights as its quite a good motivator for me to keep on at it. I'm still quite a way off, but am 16/214, having completed 4 hikes in the Lake District.
Some of my most memorable hikes:
1. Wainwrights 1 & 2 - Illgill Head and Whin Rigg - two fells overlooking Wast Water on one of the hottest and windless days of the year. Not a breath of wind in the air to cool down when we got to the top and the return leg was hard work to get back to the carpark.
2. Wainwrights 3, 4 & 5 - Little Mell Fell, Great Mell Fell, Gowbarrow Fell (and Aira Force waterfalls) - did this one solo and not the highest hills in the world, but it was a long one to do solo and picked up a bit of a knee injury here which didn't bode well for future walks.
3. Wainwrights 6, 7, 8, 9 & 10 - Hart Side, Stybarrow Dodd, Watsons Dodd, Great Dodd, Clough Head - Intended on doing this one solo too but after a couple of miles and ascending up Hart Side I bumped into a a chap called Gary and his dog Bramble and turned out they were parked in the same layby as me, doing the same route as me, so we did the rest of it together and was a really nice wholesome day!
4. Wainwrights 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 & 16 - Bonscale Pike, Arthurs Pike, Loadpot Hill, Wether Hill, Steel Knotts & Hallin Fell - did this one with a random Finnish lady from a whatsapp group I'm on and she was great company! Gonna look at doing Skiddaw with her in a couple of weeks time. Did this one last weekend and it was pretty cold but didn't get time to feel it as the ascents and descents were SOOO steep. Hallin Fell gave some really nice views out over Ullswater.
5. Peak District - The Roaches, Ramshaw Rocks, Hen Cloud and Lud's Church - another wintery pre-Christmas solo hike in very foggy and boggy conditions but had a really good time! Views were totally rubbish with the fog but oh well!
6. Peak District - Dovedale and Thorp Cloud - did this with the MAD Walkers group and had a lovely day out.
7. Sandstone Trail - this was my first big multi-day solo hike. 55km from Frodsham to Whitchurch (ending almost exactly where that canal burst a few weeks ago) carrying all my stuff in my pack (tent, food, sleeping bag etc). I took two days off work to do this, dropped my car at the finish and had a friend give me a lift to the start. I've cycled many times through Cheshire but I saw so much on the route that I've never really appreciated before. Highlights include Delamere Forest, Beeston Castle, Peckforton Castle (where the Beckham's got married!) & Bickerton Hill - really gorgeous scenery with a fair bit of farmland thrown in. I was exhausted by the end of it but thoroughly enjoyed it.
Goals for 2026:
1. Complete more Wainwrights and tackle some of the bigger boys - starting with Skiddaw in a few weeks time. I'm really not very good with heights though and things like really steep inclines or cliff edges really make my legs turn to jelly and make me feel sick, so its going to be a bit of a challenge - I certainly won't be doing Striding Edge for example, at least until I'm more experienced. If I can knock out 50 more Wainwrights by the end of the year, I'll be happy.
2. Complete the Gritstone Trail - from Disley to Kidsgrove - similar distance to the Sandstone Trail - but will hopefully do this with a friend over two days.
3. Complete the Limestone Way - 46 miles and starts in Castleton and ends near Uttoxeter - probably doing this over three days.
Highly recommend the Brecon Beacons @physichull
Yeah, i don't have that problem. Even in December it's usuall 12-15C
I go walking most nights and its not 12-15c, I have asthma and its cold enough to badly affect that. 15c I wish
Soldato
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I did Pen Y Fan and Snowdon in Wales many a year ago, but they seem to be nauseatingly busy nowadays - same with Scafell (those that know, do the Great Gable instead!). I know there's more to Wales than just those two mountains so I will be back.
Yeah fair point, there are some "hard" walks which are not as busy, especially if you start early.
In terms of other places The Black Mountains sound interesting: https://www.walkingbritain.co.uk/Brecon-Beacons-walks
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I didn't even realise this thread existed.
2026 will definitely be a year of more hikes for me.
I also went up to the Peak District last year in August and did these two exact hikes too, as well as a hike up Wetton Hill and Thor's Cave. Excellent views, not too busy and decent weather.
2026 will definitely be a year of more hikes for me.
I say "hard" because you'll still see some ridiculous people running up them
rather envious of them!I saw some of this at the Peak District too and honestly was amazed at how some people can do that! I wish I could!I say "hard" because you'll still see some ridiculous people running up them
It’s ok. Soon you’ll progress to the running thread and join us!
(I say “us” as injury has stopped me being able to for a few years
)No running at all?(I say “us” as injury has stopped me being able to for a few years
Soldato
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Yeah, Thor's Cave was also included in that hike I did.
My ankles are twisting just at the thought of running upI mean I probably have the physical ability to run up some of those hills, but not the mental ability... the thought of slipping just puts me on edge (literally
No running at all?
Im just about 2 months into trying again after around 3 years out.
Got charged by a dog on a 45 mile event around mile 8 and must’ve ran weird as the next day my foot was in agony.
Have had multiple scans and every doctor says something different which made recovery tricky as didn’t know what I needed to do and tried all kinds of treatments with no success.
Wore Barefoot shoes and toe separators for a few years which seems to have stopped a lot of the pain. Tried again in February but then broke a toe so had to stop and then started in October. Out my door is a 300m climb up the mountain so fitness is a battle which is helping as it forces me to walk a bit and ease into it.