If you know the classic Wainwright fellwalking guide books, there are 214 fells, plus a few "Outlying Fells" in a separate book. The outliers are often quite easy to do naked, especially in the east near the A6 & M6, but what about the "real" Wainwrights?
I've done 3 nude so far. Sour Howes and Sallows, between Troutbeck and Kentmere, plus Green Crag between Eskdale and the Duddon.
I aim to do some of the other Kentmere fells. Some of the Northern and Western ones look likely candidates too. They may have to wait for next year now.
Any one else had a go?
Not those hills in particular but i walk the Sidlaw hills naked every weekday. I have also walked several Munros and Jocks Road mostly naked.
We did three of the "Western Fells" on Saturday: Gavel Fell, Blake Fell and Burnbank Fell, just south of Loweswater. Sadly not naked, as it was cool, cloudy and VERY windy, but we only met 5 or 6 other walkers the whole way (about 3 hours apart from the low sections near the lake) and this area has definite potential if you're up this way. I guess there might be a few more people on a calmer, sunnier day, but I'd not expect many, as it's quite off the beaten track.
Not much of a hill walker,but love the lakes, just back from a weekend on Derwent water, lots of photos, did a quick skinny on Mon morn
A few years back when I worked for YHA I would regularly walk the Ennerdale Horseshoe nude from Black Sail mid week, and only ever met one other person
A few years back when I worked for YHA I would regularly walk the Ennerdale Horseshoe nude from Black Sail mid week, and only ever met one other person
I have done a circuit, starting off clothed in Buttermere but disrobing one away from the crowds, over Red Crag, down into Ennerdale and following it back up for the return.
I’ve probably done a few naked Wainwrights, but haven’t even looked at the list... Another overnigter was from Wasdale over to Ennerdale, via many pools in the beck, camped by the lake then back over Pillar - a spot of yoga on top as too early for anyone else and then back to Wasdale.
Tread lightly upon the earth
Wed. 20th May - best day of the week for weather so quite busy out, but nothing like the crowds reprted at beaches further south.
Mungrisdale Common is one of those fells that barely qualifies in its own right, being more a spur of Blencathra, but Wainwright put it in the book so I've bagged it naked. It's normally very boggy but after nearly 3 months of dry weather it was easy walking this week.
Walked over Blencathra, clothed as there were quite a few folks about including paragliders and one drone operator (not police though). After descending part of the way down towards Mungrisdale Common I got naked for a picnic and was able to remain so for 2 hours, almost down to the bridleway back towards the Blencathra Centre.
Thu 28th May - Great Calva, Northern Fells.
Started 3.30pm, knowing sunset not until 9.30. Great time to go, as we only met one couple soon after starting (while still dressed - we had spotted them a long way off) and one mountain biker labouring up the hill as we came down on the Cumbria Way bridleway. Again we saw him way before he saw us.
I was nude 4 hours out of the 5. Mrs F. just had her light dress fully unbuttoned at the front, as she doesn't like the feeling of her backpack against bare skin.
Amazing number of insects blowing about in the breeze at 2000ft up. Not biting ones, but tickly when they land on you.
Fri 29th May - Three more Wainwrights in the Northern Fells, 5 hour walk. I got over 3 hours naked, and Mrs F got 2 hours because we cut down on stuff and got everything in one bag.
We had to be dressed for the first fell-top, Longlands Fell, which seems to attract more people, being not very high and close to the road. After that we saw only a small handful of people in the distance and I was nude over Brae Fell and Great Sca Fell (NB that's not the famous Scafell or Scafell Pike). Mrs F was nude when I was carrying the bag, so I think she "bagged" Brae Fell nude but not the other two. We got back down to the road at 7.45pm, only dressing about 5 minutes before because we were facing somebody's back garden and picture window.
Yesterday (Sunday) we returned to the Northern Fells to tick off another 3: Great Cockup, Meal Fell and Knott, which actually meant repeating Great Sca Fell from Friday. We were nude 15 minutes from leaving the car, and saw nobody except one chap (60-ish) who came over the brow of the first fell when we were only 200-300 yeards away. Mrs F sat down and put her dress on discreetly, while I just carried on holding the OS map in front of me. I sai "Hiya" as I passed at a very good social distance, and he basically blanked me, so probably a bit surprised at best. No trouble though. After that I was naked all the way and Mrs F was except when carrying the bag, and when some annoying cloud came over on the way down and it was too chilly for her.
Today we stayed closer to home and repeated Sallows and Sour Howes above Troutbeck. Again, no people at all except one couple in the far distance and another middle distance. I was nude 3 hours, Mrs F 1.5 hours in total plus most of the rest of the time "dress open at front" while carrying the bag. Very satisfactory.
Has anyone walked from Mardale Head area and if so is it worth making a 2 hour trip to walk naked around.
Thanks
Davey
I haven't tried from Mardale, but going south from there towards Longsleddale should have possibilities, particularly if you get off the main bridleway (as I remember it). All the fells and moors between Longsleddale and the A6 are pretty deserted. Watch out for bitey things though - ticks and horseflies in particular at theis time of year!
After a dull start the forecast proved accurate with warmth and sunshine from 4pm. We had 3.5 hours walking in the Howgills from Newbiggin-on-Lune, of which for me 2.5 hours were naked. A bit breezy on top of Green Bell at 2000 ft but managed OK. Mrs F stayed dressed this time.
Not strictly "Wainwrights" I know, although Wainwright did do a book on the Howgills - long out of print now, I believe.
Saw nobody once we were past the farm. Easily reached from the M6 junction at Tebay if you're not already in Cumbria.
Another "Wainwright" fell walk in Cumbria - Green Crag from the Birker Fell road between Eskdale and the Duddon. I did 3.5 hours naked out of 4.25 hours in total. There were folk about, and I think we saw 12 people in all, but mostly at distance. I didn't risk climbing the final summit naked (Summit? - it's only 1500ft) because there were people already up there, but they left as we arrived so I dropped the shorts and took some photos of the view. Then a couple hove into view about 200 yards away; I'm sure they saw I was nude but they were happy enough when we passed them a few minutes later.
It being the first hot day for some time, there were lots of annoying large flies, which certainly liked landing on us if not actually biting, so Mrs F kept her dress on, while I used my shorts as a swisher to keep them at bay.
Well, I've been wrong twice this week in my expectations of how busy different areas would be.
Sat 15th Aug we got out really early and parked at Sadgill, far end of Longsleddale. Walked up the track to Gatescarth Pass in a cool breeze, so dressed. Met 3 solo men, 2 backpacking out after (illegal) wild camping, so probably would have been no problem if we'd been nude. By about 9.15 there were already parties of 2-3 coming up from Mardale/Haweswater - I guess also wanting the parking and the cool morning air (forecast 25C later), so my hopes of bagging 3 Naked Wainwrights were dashed.
We climbed Harter Fell and returned along the ridge by Kentmere Pike and Shipman Knotts, taking in Goat Scar (a side peak with view of Longsleddale). In total we met about 30 other walkers, when I'd expected not more than 10, but is was a hot August Saturday I suppose. I managed an hour or so naked walking, and we had a naked picnic just off the path and out of view. Probably a weekday in term-time would be much more conducive, so will have to try again.
Wed 19th Aug we drove up Borrowdale to walk Rosthwaite Fell from Seatoller car park, expecting it to be busy on a warm morning before forecast rain later. Although there are several farm campsites around the foot of this 1800ft fell, we saw only 8 other walkers (in 3 parties) and 3 rock-climbers in the course of 5 hours, all quite a distance away. Some of the paths are steep and winding, so there was risk of meeting people suddenly at close quarters and I kept the shorts on, unnecessarily it turned out. Another one to try again. There's quite an extensive area to explore once you're up there, and you could continue to Glaramara on its quiet side too.