When I hike I pay great attention to the weather and I make no apology in starting with it. Although some people don't mind walking in poor weather I avoid it when possible as I'm mostly there for the views and photographic opportunities. I always try to aim for periods of good weather. However thats often easier said than done and you do have to be ready for most things in the Lake District.

Bad weather can change a walk from being a delightful wander with wonderful views to a miserable or even dangerous experience. In my experience poor visibility and strong wind are the most common problems. Poor visibility makes navigation much more difficult which can have serious consequences especially if you are inexperienced. High wind speed can make walking difficult and sometimes dangerous.

Try to curb any natural optimism you may have about the weather. Setting off on an extended walk with a "it will probably clear up" attitude will almost certainly result in difficulties sooner or later. This can sometimes be hard if you have travelled a way to be in the lakes or have limited time off. When listening to others you will often hear tales of how quickly the weather can change in Cumbria. While this is certainly true sometimes, my experience has been that unexpectedly bad weather is quite rare. However failing to read the weather forecast carefully enough or focussing on the optimistic parts is quite common.

Even on promising looking days you should be prepared for the worst by having sufficient clothing, food and time to deal with any unexpected weather. Remember that the weather you find as you leave the car and the weather two thousand feet up are often very different.

My top tip for dealing with variable weather is to have a number of walks of different heights planned, and then on the day of the walk to adjust your plans depending upon the sky and the latest weather forecasts. If it is a lovely clear day with low wind and little rain predicted then you can feel confident in shooting for the higher peaks and you will not be alone up there. On poor weather days I stay lower, confident in the knowledge that I'll still be under the cloud so I'll get some view, I won't get into much trouble close to the car and I will be able to do the walk again quickly on a nice day if the pictures need improving later.

So when walking in the lakes a look at the weather forecast in the days leading up to the walks is essential. When I say weather forecast I am talking about Mountain Weather Information Service, Lake District Weatherline and Mountain Forecast. Read the forecasts carefuly thinking about the area and height of your planned walk.

Another factor to consider is the amount of light available. There is a big difference between walking in February when it may be dark by 5 and in June when you can still have good light well after 9.

Extended winter walking in the lakes is a whole different ball game particularly at height or after heavy snow. I have walked on some lovely clear days in the winter and in light snow, however I have checked out the conditions carefully beforehand. After a heavy fall of snow or in storms the conditions on the higher fells can soon become very extreme. In these full winter conditions you will certainly need crampons and an ice axe as well as expert knowledge. For advice on what to get and how to use it please look elsewhere.

 

 

I generally take :

• A fleece with a full length zip and zip up pockets.
• A decent waterproof jacket with hood.
• Lightweight walking trousers preferably with zip off bottoms to the legs so you can turn them into shorts. Or a thicker warmer pair of walking trousers for colder weather walking.
• Waterproof overtrousers - unless warm and sunny these useful for staying dry but also for cutting down heat loss in cold windy weather. The pair I have unzip at the side of each leg up to well past the knee which means I can change them without taking my boots off.
• Sun Hat or Wool Hat as the season requires.

Layers are important and you'll want to be able to add or remove layers quickly. Often you'll be warm when walking uphill but need to add a layer when you stop eg at a summit. I try to avoid pullover layers but prefer zip fronts which can be opened or closed for more or less ventilation.

Other things you might want to add:

• Gaiters. Useful if you expecting wet ground or cold weather.
• Walking socks. I've stopped using specialist walking socks now. Some people use them in an attempt to avoid blisters but once I had good boots I never got blisters again
• Snood or other head/neck cover. I have a lightweight one which can be twisted into a hat or be worn around the neck.
• Gloves as needed.

 

 

It makes sense to start with some of the easier and lower fells however not all the higher fells are difficult or isolated. I did Skiddaw with a friend when I was 14 and completely inexperienced. I also did Helvellyn from the Thirlmere side quite early on as well. I would say both are fairly safe in good weather even for beginners but are the 3rd and 4th highest Wainwrights. Cat Bells is another popular one to do early perhaps because it is so distinctive and clearly visible from Keswick. I have a list of the easier walks I have done. I have always tried to mix it up a bit and not do all the low fells first. This way I still have some lower ones to do if the weather is poor or I'm short of time or energy.

There are two other issues which I consider when choosing where to walk. One is the cloud height. I don't enjoy walking in cloud as it obscures the view and that is primarily what I am there for, but by looking at the clouds in the morning and thinking about the weather forecast it is usually possible to stay under the cloud base. It rarely changes height dramatically during the day in my experience and if it does it will probably have said that in the weather forecast. So if the cloud is at 2000ft choose a fell that is 1700ft and you should have a nice day.

The other factor is the ground conditions ie how wet the ground is likely to be. There are some areas of the lakes that are notorious for being very wet underfoot at certain times, for example the central fells eg Bleaberry Fell, High Seat, High Tove and Ambroth Fell, between Harter Fell and Green Crag, between Tarn Crag and Grey Crag. Mungrisedale common is also like this - and this isn't an exhaustive list. If you tackle these areas after protracted wet periods you can expect trouble. You will see people recommending snorkel and flippers! On the other hand they can be tackled more easily after a dry summer or slightly less easily when they are frozen in cold winter spells. The damp areas can vary from slightly squelchy to full on bog where you can sink up to the knee and fell that every step could be your last. Smaller boggy areas can often be walked around if you have done your research and know which way is likely to be dry.

There are fell walks and areas that are not recommended for beginners and you should avoid these until experienced or with experienced company. Sharp Edge on Blencathra, Striding Edge and Swirral Edge on Helvellyn, the Bad Step on Crinkle Crags, Jack's Rake on Pavey Ark; these are all places where people have got into difficulties, and in some cases died. Some of those people were experienced hill walkers. These sections become dramatically more dangerous in bad weather. Broad Stand on Scafell and Piers Gill on the side of Lingmell are not walking routes at all but are among many places where climbing equipment and experience is needed.

Note that all of the Wainwright fells have safer routes to the summit and the difficult areas on them can all be avoided by careful route planning.

 

 

The Lake District is covered by 4 OS maps OL4, OL5, OL6, OL7 and you should certainly have these or a similar set produced by another company. The OS maps are available as a laminated version and that is the one you will need because they ARE going to get wet. This is going to cost around £50.

If you are not used to reading a map then I would recommend some training and practise as you walk your first few walks, preferably with someone who knows their stuff. On your first few walks have your map available and consult it regularly every half hour or so, identifying where you are, what you can see around you and what the map says is ahead of you. Look at the contours on the map and look at the slope of the ground you are on and other hills you can see nearby. Practise lining the map up so that north on the map is facing north in real life. Taking your map and compass out for the first time when you are lost up a hill in the fog is NOT the way to do it.

I also use the Lake District Maps Offline App on iOS which is invaluable and only cost a few pounds. Not sure about Android version. Of course it has the advantage that it will show you exactly where you are while walking and that simple fact alone means you will be able to avoid most wrong turns. If truth be told I use my app a lot more than my map, but phones can fail, are hard to use in wet weather and give you a less good bigger picture of wider areas. But used in conjuction with a map the app is excellent.

I use the OS app on my phone and computer at home to plan walks. (you can also use this when walking instead of the other app above). This app lets you tweak the walking speed setting as you get more experienced and it therefore becomes accurate at predicting walk times. For any walk I work out how long it will take and therefore what time I will be back and then add a margin of error. This also means I can try different routes out at home. I have my walk time set to 1.1 mph which might seem slow but it includes stops for eating and photos and it usually works out about right. The app costs about £24 a year. I've also used it to create the 3D fly-throughs and other features in my walks.

 

 

For a days walking you won't need too much food if you have had a decent breakfast but you need to take enough in case you get into difficulties or delayed for other reasons. So a meal deal from a supermarket plus cereal bars and sweets etc are what we normally carry. Aiming to eat your sandwiches at the top does provide good motivation for the climb. In cool weather you'll probably be fine with a bottle of water but triple that in warm weather. We took 7 litres for two people up Skiddaw on a very hot day in September 2023, and used it all. My personal preference is to avoid hot flasks but some people swear by them.

Its also worth noting that coming down off the fells late in the evening in remote areas and expecting to be able to turn up at a pub or restaurant and get an evening meal will sometimes result in disappointment. Even in towns like Ambleside the restaurants can be frustrating - in very busy periods you sometimes can't get in at all and at other times they shut early when the town is empty. Booking a table can be tricky if you don't know how long a walk will take. Keswick is a good last resort and we have had to drive there from Patterdale and Borrowdale. It has an Indian, Chinese, Thai, Italian and more plus several pubs that serve food.

 

 

If you are driving to the start of a walk, parking can often be your biggest problem of the day. There are many spots that are well known as very difficult eg Kentmere (although there is sometimes a farmer's field open) and Hartsop. A lot of the car parks fill up quickly in the summer and especially at weekends and public holidays. We got to Walna Scar car park for the Coniston fells at 8.45am on Good Friday in 2023 and the very large car park was virtually full. Most established car parks now have machines that let you use cards to pay but one or two do only take cash so a stack of pound coins is always good to have just in case. You can expect to pay up to £9 for a day's parking.