FROM BREATHTAKING BLENCATHRA and hedonistic Helvellyn to miserable Mungrisdale and boring Back o’ Skiddaw, the Lake District is home to the 214 Wainwrights – the iconic tick-list of mountains created by guidebook writer Alfred Wainwright in the 1950s and 1960s.
Whilst many of his choices are undeniably epic, some are arguably dull and uninspiring. Is there a special Wainwright you’d happily hike every week for the rest of your days? Or do you despise one so much you’ve vowed never to set foot on it ever again? We’ve asked regular contributors to The Great Outdoors to propose the very best and worst of Lake District routes, their Wainwrights and Wainwrongs if you like – and their answers throw up a few surprises.
■ For maps of the best routes featured here, check out thegreatoutdoorsmag.com
BLENCATHRA VIA HALL’S FELL
Distance: 7.2km / 4.5 miles
Ascent: 765m / 2509ft
Duration: 3.5 hours
Most thrill-seekers visiting Blencathra scramble up the razor ridge of Sharp Edge, but there is possibly a better way. Hall’s Fell Ridge – or Narrow Edge as it is also known – is a succession of craggy humps and rocky spines, forming a knobbly arête of eye-watering splendour. Alfred Wainwright described it as “positively the finest way to any mountain top in the district,” with
