Yesterday Ged and I did a circuit of Bassenthwaite Lake. A distance of about 17 miles. Kas stayed at home as he would have needed to spend too much time on the lead. Another good, easy but long walk for a nice sunny day. It was not particularly warm,…

Yesterday I decided to make the most of another good weather day and walk around Thirlmere. I would also include a walk up to Raven Crag. A Central Fell Wainwright (1512ft). A walk of about 13 miles. The route along the west side of Thirlmere makes u…

View from the Costa Magica as we cruised past Venice. We would return for an overnight stop and do the sights! Venice was excellent! Need more time to do it justice…..at least five days! Plus a lottery win to pay for it. It is a very expensive…

Bari is the capital of Puglia. As usual we did our own thing, shunning the organised and expensive excursions. We walked from the ship. I just used the map from ‘Rough Guide to Italy’ which was more than sufficient to find your own way ar…

Today we were to visit Corfu Town. We had been to Corfu before when Tom was small and had stayed in the village of Kalami, directly opposite The White House where Lawrence Durrell wrote ‘Prospero’s Cell’. Quite possibly the dullest…

We got an early start in order to walk around Dubrovnik’s Old Town. It was an even bigger task to embark 3000 people all wanting to leave Dubrovnik at the same time! But even then I think we only queued up for about 30 minutes. The Old Town of…

We have visited Santorini before, on a day trip from Crete. We had seen all the archaeological sites on that visit, so today we would just walk around Fira and relax. An excellent day. Jo. …

The next stop was the port of Piraeus. Which is the gateway to Athens. Piraeus turned out to be much better than we expected. It would have been far too hot to revisit The Acropolis. Jo.   …

Last week I had my third Pulmonary Vein Isolation op at Blackpool Victoria Hospital and have been stuck indoors for a week with a DVD boxed set of 7 series of “Criminal Minds”. I`ve got to season six! I feel I’m now a fully trained…

We usually go to Kerry via Holyhead and Dublin, but this year we decided to have a few days travelling down via the north and west coast. We took the car ferry from Cairnryan in Scotland to Larne in Northern Ireland arriving about 4pm, then on to the…

Yesterday I did another walk with Father John, a priest from the Diocese of Brighton and Arundel that I met three years ago on a mountain, and we kept in touch. He acts as the supply priest for the Keswick Parish for two weeks in August, which also d…

Today Brendan and I took a walk around Baycliff. A repeat of one of Paul’s walks from the summer. The weather was not as good! A good little walk, under two hours long, roughly three miles. Jo. …

On Monday Ged, Kas and I took another short walk from Blawith Common up to, and around Beacon Tarn, to Beacon Fell and back. The forecast was for gales and low cloud, so there was little point in venturing out too far. Another good walk for a unpredi…

On Saturday morning we drove to Whicham Church. On the journey there in the car the visibility of the mountains was superb. We had decided to climb up Blackcombe and then to head over the summit and down the other side before heading west towards Boo…

Yesterday’s forecast was for strong winds on the high fells so I took the opportunity to do a lower level walk I had been planning to do for some time. I had never visited Greenburn Mine, having only looked down on it from the ridges above, on…

I had my knee arthroscopy on Monday. My consultant said that it is supposed to be about six weeks until I climb any fells. But I’m sure he ‘really’ meant six days! I think that ‘time’ for fell walkers works roughly along…

Yesterday Ged, Kas and I drove to Mungrisedale to Climb Bowscale Fell (2306ft) by the east ridge and continued on to Bannerdale Crags (2241ft) and back via the Glenderamackin Valley. A walk of 9 miles. The weather was much better than it had been for…

The wind is still very strong, so yesterday Ged, Kas and I drove to High Nibthwaite on the east side of Coniston Water to wander around some of the lower outlying fells. The walk took less than three hours and was around 4 miles in distance. A very c…

This is the walk I was going to do on Monday, but after listening to the 6.30am Fell Forecast of rain and gales, I went back to sleep! Not today though! The weather is even better than forecast so I change my original idea of walking Catbell’s…

Today Tom and I drove to Uzzicar in order to climb up Causey Pike, Scar Crags and Sail. A walk of six miles. It has been five weeks since my last fell walk, the longest time I have ever gone without climbing up something! Even when I had my knee arth…

A few photos taken over the Christmas period 2013/14. Let us hope for a peaceful, non stormy new year! Jo.   …

On Easter Sunday Brendan and I drove to Burnbanks to walk around Haweswater. A walk of 10.2 miles. It has been on my list of walks to do for a while. The only downside to today’s walk was the clocks going forward. I usually get up at 6.30am on…

Yesterday Ged, Kas and I drove to the side of Wast Water in order to do a circuit around the lake by climbing up Whin Rigg and Illgill Head. But also detouring down to Burnmoor Tarn for a swim. A walk of just about 11 miles…….in yet more…

From Bundoran we drove through Sligo and Mayo and passed Croagh Patrick in mist. It is another site of pilgrimage. A walk that is still on my list of things to do.The previous day had been Reek Sunday. 12,000 people had attempted the summit (2507ft)…

Yesterday Ged, Kas and me drove to Great Langdale to climb Crinkle Crags (2816ft) via Hell Gill, Cold Pike (2300ft) and Pike O’Blisco (2313ft). A walk of about 10 miles. There was a thick sea mist on Walney Island this morning when I set off, a…

Brendan had a meeting in Kendal yesterday that would last over four hours. So I went with him and walked the route over Cunswick Scar and Scout Scar. A walk of seven and a half miles, but very easy, and far less boring than yet another session in the…

Yesterday Ged, Kas and I decided to walk from Dollywaggon Pike to Raise using two cars. One parked at the start of St. John’s in the Vale and one on Dunmail Raise. We would walk up Raise Beck to Grisedale Tarn, then take the zig zags up Dollywa…

Yesterday Ged, Kas and I walked the Fairfield Horseshoe.The summits would include Nab Scar (1450ft), Heron Pike (2003ft), Great Rigg (2513ft), Fairfield (2863ft), Hart Crag (2698ft), Dove Crag (2603ft), High Pike (2155ft) and Low Pike (1666ft). A wal…

Galway City…. Patsy next door has holes in his roof, and still has no bathroom or toilet in his house, so he will be moving into our cottage for the next few months. Should keep it well aired for the winter! Jo. …

Today Ged, Kas and I drove to Grasmere to climb Steel Fell (1811ft), Calf Crag (1762ft), Gibson Knott (1379ft) and Helm Crag (1299ft). It is a circular walk that follows the ridges of the Greenburn Valley. About 8.1 miles. I parked in a lay-by on the…

Ged, Kas and I were going to try two new routes up and down Grisedale Pike from Revelin Moss on the Whinlatter Pass. We would ascend via the north east ridge and descend over Hobcarton. I had brought along a guidebook to help us negotiate the numerou…

On Thursday Brendan and I drove to Grasmere to climb Helm Crag. There was still snow on the tops. A good little walk of about five and a half miles. The walk took about four hours. We spent the rest of the afternoon in the village. Jo….

Yesterday Ged, Kas and I drove to the free lay-by below Swirls to climb Helvellyn Lower Man and Helvellyn (3118ft) via Browncove Crags. We would then come back via Wythburn and the forest track. A walk of 7 miles. I wanted to make the most of my day…

Yesterday afternoon, to make the most of the sunshine, Ged, Kas and I drove to Finsthwaite to walk up to High Dam. Another good little walk. It took a couple of hours. …

Yesterday I drove to Maggie’s Bridge car park at Loweswater with Ged and Kas for a walk up to High Nook Tarn then over the Blake Fell ridge and down to Knock Murton and Cogra Moss. Then back up to Blake Fell again, on to Carling Knott and down…

This morning Ged, Kas and I drove to Bridge End, to walk over High Rigg (1163ft) to St. John’s in the Vale Church, then over Low Rigg to Tewet Tarn and Castlerigg Stone Circle, then back via the footpath beneath High Rigg.  A walk of nine miles…

A few of the highlights from our week in Kerry. I fly back to Manchester and Brendan will return in another week. Jo   …

Yesterday Ged and I went to Keswick and walked along the Old Railway Path and up to Latrigg. The weather has been awful for the past month, endless rain and gales. Ged was having a problem with a foot ligament so we just did something small and combi…

I had to be up at 3am in order to catch the bus from Walney to Keswick. We got there at 5.30am just after the elite runners had set off. The queue for the loo’s took 25 minutes, so I started at 5.58am. There were well over 3000 people registere…

Today we headed for Londonderry/Derry…… Next stop Connemara and Galway…. Jo. …

As it was half term I chose a walk that was mostly off path. I wanted to visit Low Tarn and Scoat Tarn, as I have only ever looked down on them from above. We could also incorporate Red Pike (2707ft), Scoat Fell (2760ft) and Steeple (2687ft) in our p…

Yesterday I left home at 7.20am in order to get to Loweswater early enough to get the reflections on the water. I would walk around the lake and then head up the track towards Mosser and do the steep climb up to Darling fell, then on to Low Fell. the…

This morning I got Brendan to drop me off at The Red Lion Inn at Lowick at 9am. I will be walking back home following the K2B route. The pub is at the 26 mile marker, so 14 miles to the finish plus nearly 4 miles to walk back home. A fun filled 18 mi…

We had planned to walk up Mt. Snowdon, but this time using a different route. Unfortunately my recent ascent of Scafell Pike had caused my knee to swell. I think another arthroscopy is imminent! The ascent of the Miners’ Track via the lakes and…

I now have a new camera a try out! Like my old one, it is a Canon Ixus, this time the 230, which is tiny. I have upgraded from 10mp to 12mp, a 5x zoom to an 8x, and from a 37mm lens to a 28mm, meaning it has a wider angle lens and so […]

Good Friday afternoon started off sunny so I decided to take a walk around the north end peninsula of Walney Island. A walk I can do from home. Brendan was working, and Tom, home from Uni, has become surgically attached to his Xbox, so I went by myse…

At the end of May we had a few days in Portmeirion. I have been visiting Portmeirion since 1984, when I was 22. It provided the set for the 1968 TV series ‘The Prisoner’.   …

There were quite a few walks you could do from the hotel. An excellent three days! Jo. …

Yesterday Brendan and I went to Ennerdale to climb up Red Pike (2479ft). The last time I took Brendan here the view was just cloud and he saw nothing. Red Pike has one of the best views in the Lakes and is not to be missed! It was a Bank Holiday Mond…

Yesterday, on what was the hottest day of the year so far, Ged, Kas, Tom and I drove to Brotherilkeld near Eskdale to walk up the River Esk to Tongue Pot for a swim. Then we would go over Hardknott and walk back down the Hardknott Pass. A six mile ci…

I send my walking emails to Claire, an American from South Carolina who lives in Barrow, and she forwards them on to friends of her’s in the States. Two of those friends are Leigh and Deb from Richmond, Virginia. Leigh is an old college friend…

Brendan and I went down to Brighton for the Labour Party Conference. We stayed with designer and author Joanna Osborne and her husband, composer and author Orlando Gough and their fine lurcher, Nell. Their house on Sillwood Road used to be a Theatric…

Yesterday I drove to Hartsop for a solitary walk over some Far Eastern Fells. Brock Crags (1842ft), Rest Dodd (2278ft), The Knott (2423ft), Kidsty Pike (2560ft), High Raise (2634ft) and Rampsgill Head (2581ft) then heading down to Hayeswater and walk…

The weather was very still yesterday. Something quite rare for the island, so Brendan and I went down to the south end nature reserve for a walk. The Reserve is free to residents. A good, easy 3 mile walk for a warm day. Jo. …

On Thursday I went walking with Father John. I first met John three years ago at the top of Gasgale Gill in the mist, looking a bit lost, so I stopped and asked him if he was okay. He was heading for Grasmoor, and so was I, so we walked together. He…

Yesterday Ged, Kas and I drove to the lay-by at Yew Tree Tarn for a walk up Black Fell (1056ft) via Tom Gill and Tarn Hows. The road here is on a bus route so was clear of ice. We made a late start as the weather was due to get better after lunch. A…

Yesterday, Ged, Kas and I drove to Dodgson Wood on the east side of Coniston for a short walk up to the Top o’Selside (1099ft), via a stop off at Low Parkamoor. Top o’Selside is the highest fell on Coniston’s east side. Basically it…

The weather has not been kind enough to go over to Dingle to climb Mount Brandon. So we do a mountain that is smaller and nearer. Torc Mountain is near Muckross, Killarney. It is 1,775ft high. It is a there and back walk of about 5 miles. A good litt…

The last few weeks have been awful weather wise, so there has been no opportunities for walking. I went back to work on Wednesday,just as the weather changed and brought us three days of thermal inversions (mountain tops in blue skies above the cloud…

Yesterday John, Dave and Peter took the train from Hest Bank across the Bay to join us on a walk around the North End of Walney Island. We picked them up from the station and after a coffee we set off from our house for the route alongside the airpor…

This morning was sunny but very windy. Gales were forecast for the hills, so I got Brendan to drop me off at the South Walney Nature Reserve from where I would walk back home. A walk of just under 8 miles. Brendan has pulled out of this year’s…

The house looks like a bomb has hit it, and there is a gorilla suit on the top landing! Why? Tom is home from university for the summer! Yesterday Ged, Kas, Tom and I drove to Stonethwaite to walk up the Langstrath Valley to just beyond Tray Dub oppo…

On Tuesday Ged, Kas and I drove to Troutbeck in order to climb Yoke (2316ft), Ill Bell (2483ft) and Froswick (2360ft) via the Garburn Pass, then back down the valley beside Troutbeck Tongue. A walk of 10 miles. I had a pair of new Brasher boots to tr…