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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
Spend the day in Cumbria's only city. Carlisle has plenty to offer, with a rich history and…
Tucked high amongst the fells in a secluded and hidden valley on the eastern side of Borrowdale is…
Backed by low fells and woodland, the western shore of Coniston Water is a delightful place for a…
A walk around the shores of Lake Windermere and over the wooded fells of Claife Heights to the…
Created by Alfred Wainwright, the full Coast to Coast Walk crosses the North of England from the…
This is a popular route (1.25km each way) for walkers leading to the shore of Crummock Water. The…
Between the high fells of the Lake District and the sands of Morecambe Bay lies the unspoilt…
Get up close and personal with our Alpacas, for participants aged 16 years and over. Alpacas are…
The Channelside walk takes you from The Dock Museum along Channelside and over the reclaimed…
Whinlatter is a great place for walking with many miles of gravel roads, paths and tracks to…
A stile-free circular route along the Derwent Water foreshore and back via Cockshot Wood with views…
Experience the thrill of an after-dark adventure and discover how nocturnal creatures make the…
At Contours Holidays, we think that the Bob Graham Round is simply too good a route to be…
More Than Mountains was set up over twelve years ago to share our passion for exploring the hills…
Doing the round of Striding Edge and Swirral Edge is one of the Lake District's most famous routes…
Do you want to learn what to do when the mist comes down and how to accurately take and follow a…
Leave the tarmac of urban running far behind and explore incredible landscapes only accessible on…
The western side of Borrowdale is a long undulating ridge occupied by three attractive little…
The Coppermines Valley lies directly behind Coniston village cutting a deep gash between the long…
Founded in 1996, Contours Holidays specialises in organising self-guided walking, trail running and…
Secretly tucked away behind Ambleside is the high valley of Scandale.
The northern and eastern slopes of Skiddaw are strikingly different than other Lake District fells.…
Blencathra boasts two of the Lake District's finest ridges, Sharp Edge and Hall's Fell Ridge. Sharp…
This experience will take you into an area of Foulshaw Moss not open to the general public. It's…
You may leave the Lake District, but once you’ve been, it’ll never leave you.
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