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It’s called the Lake District for a reason, but sharing top billing with its bodies of water are its mountains and fells – with fell being another word to describe a mountain (or a very big hill). And here the hills are pretty big – England’s 10 tallest mountains are all in the Lake District, with Scafell Pike (3209 feet/978m) the tallest of them all.
The views from the summits of virtually all of Cumbria’s mountains are pretty spectacular, but you have to get up to the top of them first – which is the main part of their attraction. Fell walking (or running, if you’re so inclined) is one of the main reasons so many people come to Cumbria and the Lake District, as here you’ll find a broad mixture of challenges: from gentle strolls up a grassy hill to clambering carefully along razor edged ridges with vertiginous drops on either side.
And because fell walking is so popular, the region knows how to cater to walkers – virtually every town and most villages have outdoor equipment shops, while most bookshops and tourist offices are well-stocked with walking guides, including of course Alfred Wainwright’s Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells, the fell walker’s bible.
Inspiration
Big dog friendly hiking guidebooks, guided walks and fun map reading skills days in the Lake…
Founded in 1996, Contours Holidays specialises in organising self-guided walking, trail running and…
We offer a range of private group experiences near Ambleside, including ghyll scrambling,…
At Contours Holidays, we think that the Bob Graham Round is simply too good a route to be…
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The neat thing about Scafell Pike is it can be climbed from all the major valleys in the Lake…
Blencathra boasts two of the Lake District's finest ridges, Sharp Edge and Hall's Fell Ridge. Sharp…
More Than Mountains was set up over twelve years ago to share our passion for exploring the hills…
This modest mountain occupies an important position at the head of the Buttermere valley and is…
An easy scramble at the side of the spectacular Cam Spout Force is combined with a descent down the…
The climb onto the main ridge of the High Stile Range is a bit on the stiff side but once you get…
A walk in the Central Barrow Conservation Area.The walk will take about 1 hour to complete.
For many, Scafell Pike is the ultimate mountain day and presides high on the bucket list. We can…
Do you know what to do when the mist comes down or how to accurately take and follow a compass…
The scenic combination of lakes surrounded by steep-sided mountains is one of the things that makes…
Doing the round of Striding Edge and Swirral Edge is one of the Lake District's most famous routes…
The highest peaks of the Howgills cry out to be walked from Sedbergh. Their rolling flanks sweep…
The northern and eastern slopes of Skiddaw are strikingly different than other Lake District fells.…
Mountain passes have been important thoroughfares in the Lake District ever since people needed to…
Get up close and personal with our Alpacas, for participants aged 16 years and over. Alpacas are…
A one day introduction to navigation and map reading suitable for beginners. If you have never…
Experience the thrill of an after-dark adventure and discover how nocturnal creatures make the…
At the eastern edge of the Howgill Fells, the shapely peaks of Kengriff and Yarlside stand a lonely…
Slap bang in the middle of Borrowdale is Castle Crag. It's rather small, this perfectly formed…
You may leave the Lake District, but once you’ve been, it’ll never leave you.
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