Canisfamiliaris

Alfred Wainwright (1907 - 1991) is the 'guru' of many Lake District fellwalkers. He devised and wrote seven Pictorial Guides to the Lake District fells from 1952 - 1965. In the guides he describes routes of ascent and descent for each of the 214 fells. He gives details of the view from the summit as well as connecting ridge routes to neighbouring fells. There have been many guide book writers, but none approaching the genius of 'AW', as he is known. The challenge for all lovers of hillwalking in the Lake District is to climb the 214 'Wainwrights'.

Wainwright divided the Lake District into seven self-contained areas using natural boundaries such as lakes, valleys and low passes. These areas are as follows: The Eastern Fells (Book 1), The Far Eastern Fells (Book2), The Central Fells (Book 3), The Southern Fells (Book 4), The Northern Fells (Book 5), The North Western Fells (Book 6) and The Western Fells (Book 7).

Following my retirement, I decided to finish the task of climbing or crossing the summits of all 214 fells. I completed the 214 Challenge with an ascent of Blencathra on 8th August 2009! The first fell I climbed was Walla Crag on 27th May 1997. Beattie began her fellwalking career in 2007. She has topped out on 173 fells, so far.

These pages detail the fells climbed in my completion of the 214 Challenge. For ease of reference, the fells are arranged in the same order that they appear in Wainwright's Pictorial Guides.

NB: The heights of fells given in these tables are those as recorded by Alfred Wainwright in his original set of Pictorial Guides and not the revised heights resurveyed by Ordnance Survey and printed on their latest 1:25000 Explorer maps.

For details of my walks and photographs, refer to the fells listed in each Pictorial Guide section.

'Mountain climbing is an epitome of life, and good practice for it. You start at the bottom, the weaklings and the irresolute drop out on the way up, the determined reach the top. Life is like that.'
Alfred Wainwright Fellwanderer

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THE PICTORIAL GUIDES

The Eastern Fells
The Far Eastern Fells
The Central Fells
The Southern Fells
The Northern Fells
The North Western Fells
The Western Fells

The 214 Challenge