As the name suggests, the focus will be on exploring the beautiful Lakeland fells. Each walk will be planned with the season and weather conditions in mind, ensuring the length and level of challenge are appropriate. To make things easier, a convenient meeting point will be arranged for car sharing.

If you’d like to join this new group, or be added to the group’s email list, please contact me at the following email address: johnday100@gmail.com

Next Fell Walk:-

Tuesday 14th April

Blencathra.

The forecast for this month’s fellwalk is looking settled and favourable. We’ll depart at 09:30 on Tuesday 14th April for an ascent of Blencathra. This is the easiest way up the mountain, though it still calls for reasonable fitness. Our route follows a rocky track from the road end above the Blencathra Field Centre, neatly avoiding the first 300m of climbing.

As we climb onto Blease Fell, views open across Derwent Water towards Grisedale Pike. The steepest pull comes before Knowe Crags, after which a gentler ridge leads us to the summit. From the top, the panorama is superb: Skiddaw, the Solway Firth, the North Pennines, the Helvellyn range, Borrowdale, the Scafells and, to the north, the hills of Scotland.

We’ll return by making a circular route via Mungrisdale Common. The descent begins on loose slate before crossing broad grassland. Mungrisdale common's top is passed en route to the Cloven Stone, where the ground can be boggy. A broad bridleway then contours around Blease Fell, guiding us back towards the parking area.

If anyone would like to share lifts from Penrith, please let me know and I’ll put people in touch with each other. Otherwise meet at the car park you will find by passing through Threlkeld and heading past the Blencathra field centre to where the road ends. 

Hope to see you all then

John Day

U3A Fellwalking Group – Walk Report, Tuesday 10 February 2026

On Tuesday a dozen intrepid fellwalkers set out from Glenridding beneath glowering skies, bound for Red Tarn. The weather forecasters were swiftly confounded when the rain evaporated, giving way to a surprisingly dry February day.

We reached an atmospheric Red Tarn wreathed in mist  in time for lunch, and as we settled by the water the cloud briefly lifted, revealing the snowy East Face of Helvellyn in all its wintry drama. Our descent into Grisedale rewarded us with fine views across to Place Fell and the green fields in the valley below.

We rounded the walk off with a flourish by adding the delightful summit of Keldas, with its classic view of Ullswater framed by mature pines. Afterwards, convivial drinks in the Ullswater Hotel gave us the perfect chance to warm ourselves through and reflect on a rewarding day’s outing in the lakeland hills.