We came to Lake District with a mindset we are here for the hikes and stayed there driving around all amazing places for a week in a VW Campervan. Read more about staying in a Campervan here.
Unnatural for us, we didn’t do our homework very well planning what should we see or do every day and that was quite stressful, but we were going 400 miles with a toddler in a car seat and decided we should just go with a flow. We had some things scribbled and mapped all over the place, but could’t say how far would we go and how well behaved our child would be.
Interesting fact we found out during the trip – mountains are called fells, valleys are dales and lakes are called water or tarns in Northern England, especially in the Lake District.
#1 Catbells
Parking was a real nightmare with around 5 spaces in total. Come early! We had to drive further and walk just a little more up the same road to get to the starting point. We started at Skelgil Bank, which is the steepest to go up. I wouldn’t want to go down this way.
Elevation of 451 meters (1,480ft) at highest point. Yes, this is not a high climb, but it’s hard when you normally sit in the office or on the sofa and now one was carrying a child on his back, whilst other was carrying supply for all 3 for lunch, drink, nappies, extra clothes etc. It’s classified as a moderate walk in all guides.
This hike is probably most popular, but we didn’t feel like we would meet loads of people. I suppose Lake District is such a wast area with endless options for walks and hikes that it naturally spreads out.
And second unnatural thing for us was leaving to hike in the afternoon rather than early mornings as we are normally used to being just two of us – might be less people as everyone goes early and ends up in a pub.
We felt Catbells has a bit of everything, including amazing views over Derwent waters, some steep walking and scrambling (not whisking eggs at the top of the mountain). If you need to bend over and use your arms finding your way – you are scrambling.
It took us around 3h to go the loop up one way, with stops for views, taking photos, having lunch and to go down following other route by the lake to get back where the camper was parked.
#2 Blea Tarn
It’s a very pretty little lake you can casually walk around. Road to get here is rather narrow (it’s a mountain pass) and driving here is intense, not for a fainthearted. It’s extremely narrow and steep and almost no place to pass with upcoming traffic and there was a running competition on the same road, which didn’t help to navigate. Small car would be doable, but campervan was definitely a challenge.
The actual lake is just across the road from the car park so ideal to have a beach kind of break as you can swim here. We walked around a bit to enjoy the view and a little woodland that goes around the edge of the Blea Tarn.
But we came to Lake District for hikes, so turned back across the road shortly and headed up the Mart Crag 342 meters (1,122ft)to see Blea Tarn from above. The weather was turning a bit of grey and cloudy, the climb was a little steep going up and looking at the sky made us a bit nervous with a child in a backpack as the idea of sliding back down in slippery path was not the most welcoming.
Didn’t make it to the very top. Nevertheless it was worth to go up to appreciate how amazing was the whole area with Langdale Pikes as a backdrop. Making a self note to come back here to explore more as this area has a lot of moderate hiking trails that we would have liked to do.
Always check the weather forecast – it might change very quickly and multiple times per day! Good waterproofs and sunscreen are an absolute must. It might be nice and warm at the bottom of the fell, but the higher you climb the colder and windier it get’s. And let’s be honest it’s extremely hard to predict a good weather for UK adventures.
#3 High Snockrigg
We stopped here by chance on our way to lake Butermere. We were after a hike which would open a view over a lake or even better more than one from the top and this particular fell was recommended by a local as easy/moderate after we asked around people going down from fells around.
It was the highest Lake district hike we did over this road trip at 526 meters (1,726ft)and I feel very proud we took our little human up there. The path of this climb is quite steady to start with and then becomes really steep at 350 meters for the next 1,5 kilometre or so, you can feel you have legs.
We were stopping to catch our breaths looking back at amazing views of Sail Beck valley. It was better than I could even imagine.
Reaching the top didn’t take too long and we sat down to eat our sandwiches, make the backpacks a bit lighter and soak up that view in.
High Snockrigg felt like an off beaten track as there was no one else there and we had all area to our own leisure – only proved going with a flow and a little wanderlust was the best decision.
The views up there are 360 wherever you look – one way Butermere village, Crummock Water and Loweswater in the far distance, other way much higher Fleetwick Pike, turn more and you can see distant Derwent water where we did Catbells hike.
Going down was much easier and faster, but had to be careful on the steep section not to trip on any unsteady rock. At the bottom we stayed a little longer to look more at the beautiful valley and waterfall streaming down through a massive rock.
Lake District has endless opportunities for walks and hikes from a proper hardcore and dangerous to moderate and easy on offer and I feel we could have spent there much more time even with a toddler in a backpack exploring and finding more off beaten paths and hidden tiny lakes.
Read more about what to do and see in Lake District here.