Wainwright

What are peoples views on Wainwright? (in particular his books rather than the man himself)

I for one am a great fan. I first got interested in the Lake District by spending hours pouring over his Lakeland Mountain Passes, and Valleys of Lakeland hardback books.

This led to me getting the full collection of pictorial quides one christmas, which are still among my most treasured possessions about the fells, and i still refer to them for info to this day.

Not to mention closing in on completing all the Wainwrights.

One thing i've never really found interest in is the updated pictorial guides, as i just can't bear to see the new red paths and features over his great maps. And as the man himself said many times, the OS Maps should be your greatest companion, so i see no need to update the guides. I may take a sly glance at sections of the updated guides in a lakeland bookshop if i'm heading to a particular fell, but can't bring myself to buy them.

I pretty much concur with everything you said, Pete.

I got my first Wainwright for Christmas when I was in my early teens. I think it was the Southern Fells with a cover price of £3.00. I then got the remaining 6 books for the next few Christmases and birthdays, all eagerly anticipated and read from cover to cover, again and again. Looking back now, I was pretty much obsessed with the books. I guess they filled a hole when I couldnt get to the Lakes. I used to backpack youth hostel a lot, alone or with a friend and although it would seem odd today, half my sack seem to be filled with books and maps.
I don't care much for the updated versions and have none of them. I have made my own notes on the different routes and made notes on times etc. They are all looking a bit battered and bruised but they are all complete and probably one of my oldest and most treasured possessions.

I didn't get the now out of print outlying fells until recently, basically as I'd nearly completed the other books and wanted to explore the wider lakes area. I missed out getting in new and had to stump £20 for a second hand one.

Also have the pennine way and coast to coast books, not that I have done either in their entirety.

My first lakes climb aged 9 was glaramara and great end and remember the person leading the walk had a wainwright book. Obsession sparked! I still have my originals and got the readers version of them as a wedding present from my wife - enough said 😂

We moved to Kendal a few years ago and coincidentally live very near where Wainwright lived. Our neighbour knew him (grumpy auld sod in their words).

The books are good for the lesser known routes / when AW was exploring. These work well as fell runs usually

I have all the books covered the summits and admire and share Wainwrights temperment and love of solitude .

nuff said:cool:

A Pennine Journey, one of my favourite books :)

It was 1982, and I was between jobs as a junior doctor. A colleague very kindly offered their family cottage near Newby Bridge for free for a brief stay. I had never heard of Wainwright before, and had no idea what the Lake District offered. The cottage had all the Wainwright books, and I very quickly became enthralled by them, and the fells. There followed many trips to the Lakes, and now of course I live there. I still refer to his books regularly. Feet in the Clouds had a similar effect on me. So Wainwright: life-changing in a big way.

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Originally Posted by Mike T

It was 1982, and I was between jobs as a junior doctor. A colleague very kindly offered their family cottage near Newby Bridge for free for a brief stay. I had never heard of Wainwright before, and had no idea what the Lake District offered. The cottage had all the Wainwright books, and I very quickly became enthralled by them, and the fells. There followed many trips to the Lakes, and now of course I live there. I still refer to his books regularly. Feet in the Clouds had a similar effect on me. So Wainwright: life-changing in a big way.

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Feet in the clouds never really did it for me.

A Far better read for me Is Hugh Symonds `RUNNING HIGH` extremly inspiring and life changing for , and is as much refered to by me as my Wainwrights.

I was aware of fell-running/racing prior to reading Feet in The Clouds. I remember witnessing the finish of the Welsh 1000m one sweltering saturday in the early 2000's on the summit of Snowdon. The bedraggled state of the finishers really impressed me.

I also recall passing two fellrunners coming down Skiddaw one year between xmas and new year, and thinking they were hard as nails... it was something like -13 that day.

But it was reading FITC that gave me some proper background to what it was all about, the races etc.

Having said that, i must have first read FITC in possibly 2007/8, but although the seed was there in my head, i didn't get into fellrunning until 2015...

One day i walked out of my kickboxing gym, about a month after my last fight, and thought i don't really want to do this any more, i'm going to do what i've always wanted and try fellracing... within 6 weeks i was on the start line at Bamford Sheepdog Trials.

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Originally Posted by Travs

I was aware of fell-running/racing prior to reading Feet in The Clouds. I remember witnessing the finish of the Welsh 1000m one sweltering saturday in the early 2000's on the summit of Snowdon. The bedraggled state of the finishers really impressed me.

I also recall passing two fellrunners coming down Skiddaw one year between xmas and new year, and thinking they were hard as nails... it was something like -13 that day.

But it was reading FITC that gave me some proper background to what it was all about, the races etc.

Having said that, i must have first read FITC in possibly 2007/8, but although the seed was there in my head, i didn't get into fellrunning until 2015...

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FITC has sold over 70,000 copies in book form in the UK (+ e-sales) so, say, nine times the total number of members of the FRA and possibly more than every other book ever published on fell running in total. Books about fell running sell to fell runners and not many, FITC sold in Waterstones.

It was 90 years ago today Wainwright at the age of 23 made his first trip to the lakes and up Orrest head which was where it all started for him

My first Lakeland fell was Loughrigg Fell. Stayed at Neaum Crag between Skelwith and Ambleside, and went up there most days.

First "big" fell was Pike O Blisco the same week. Well it felt like a big day out at the time. (up via the Blea Tarn Road and down via Red Tarn and Oxendale).

That same week we climbed Catbells, Maiden Moor, High Spy in glorious weather. I remember throwing a bit of a tantrum because my mum wouldn't let me complete the horseshoe round Dale Head and Hindscarth on my own as she said it was too far!

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Originally Posted by JohnK

It was 90 years ago today Wainwright at the age of 23 made his first trip to the lakes and up Orrest head which was where it all started for him

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In winter we train our juniors from the Phoenix dirt track in Windermere, and often take them up to Orrest Head, which they love. The views at sunset and at night can be superb - for so little work! But we do get them doing hill reps on the descent.

After vowing in the opening post that i'd never touch the updated versions of the Wainwright books... i purchased the book for my local fells (Far Eastern) a couple of weekends back, after finding myself in Keswick having ran down off Skiddaw (of course, not before visiting the Keswickian Chippy first).

Solely for the updated paths on what is still a remote area of the Lakes in parts, it has been a worthy purchase, given the time i spend on those fells.

But i'm still adamant that i won't touch the other updated books.

Been in love with the books from boyhood, still have pride of place on the bookshelves. Was only the other day I was flicking through the Central Fells trying to piece together Sargent Man, High Raise and Thunacar Knott, ground Im not familiar with at all... Proved invaluable and spot on.
Saving the Outlying Fells for when I retire... I also loved the series he did with that bloke off Look North in the late 80's or possibly early 90's, I was a young spotty teenager at the time and most of my weekends would be doing a fell or 2 from his books, happy days

I think 'the bloke off Look North' you refer to may be Eric Robson??
If so, I remember it too; it was good TV

That's him, for some reason I was thinking Alan... You're correct though!
Derry Brabbs, now that's a name nobody will forget, also synonymous with AW :)