As luck would have it, I chose a rather glorious spring morning for our 100th Wainwright. It had been forecast to be dry and sunny, but whenever heading out on the fells I always check, and then I check again before setting off. On this occasion the forecast was correct. Not a cloud in the sky, and the fell tops could be seen from miles around.
An early start meant there was ample space at the tiny car park in the village of Threlkeld, and we didn't see a single soul as we began our walk beneath the trees, and up alongside the beck in the direction of Blease Fell.
There are many different approaches to the summit, but over Blease Fell is known for being the most straightforward and safest route - no challenging 'edges' for me, thank you very much! Also, the views in this direction are rather wonderful.
On this occasion, I even remembered to take along one of our painted rocks. We hid it on this cairn.
After a long climb, and a lot of pauses to enable us to take in the views, we were rewarded with the summit of our 100th Wainwright. Yay!
We have not yet reached half-way in our efforts - for anyone who isn't aware, that will be when we've climbed 107, there are 214 Wainwrights in total - but arriving at triple figures feels like quite an achievement. I had hoped we might have reached the half-way mark already, but the weather during the winter months can be an added challenge, and I know my limitations. Anyway, we're not in any rush, the fells aren't going anywhere, and I would much rather we take our time and enjoy the whole experience.
After a celebratory bar of chocolate at the summit, we retraced our steps back to the car park, stopping part way down the slope to enjoy our picnic lunch. Even though it was still only 11.30, we had eaten our breakfast earlier than usual, so it seemed perfectly acceptable :)
Now, which one shall we climb next?
J. X
