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The Finest Route in the Eastern Fells? The Raise Beck Trek
This surely has to rank as one of the finest routes in the Eastern Fells – The Raise Beck Trek to Helvellyn. And yes, that is a bold statement considering it has to compete with Striding Edge for the same title! Scroll down or read below for a video guide to the trail. It’s a…
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Helvellyn: via the Wythburn Route
Of all the routes to the summit of Helvellyn, this one has to be one of the most straightforward. In exchange for some hard and steep hiking, you get a faff-free path, almost nothing in terms of navigational difficulty, and then a superb view of Thirlmere (even in bad weather!) Not a bad deal. Scroll…
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When do you turn back in the mountains? Helvellyn – The summit is optional.
We’ve all been there. You’ve worked hard to get the time off work, driven for hours, carefully prepared and packed all of your kit and are mega psyched to summit the Big One in the Lakes – Helvellyn. Except, the weather forecast isn’t great, it’s blowing a gale, feeling pretty grim. Should you just battle…
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How to Nail the Nine Edges Trail – 13hrs/45km
What have you done on Grit? (If you get the joke then you’re a climber) This, my friends, is what I have just gone and done on Grit. Completing the Nine Edges Trail. All I have to do now is link all the sections together in one go, but that’s for longer daylight hours in…
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Walking the Gritstone Edges: Part 1
Do you have your sights set on a challenge walk this year? If so, this blog series might just help you achieve your goal. I will be covering a famous challenge walk in the Dark Peak area of the Peak District National Park, called the ‘Gritstone Edges Challenge’, or sometimes also known as the ‘Nine…
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”Do Nothing in Haste…” Life lessons from a mountaineering classic
I begin the epic reading challenge with this – Whymper’s classic account of alpine mountaineering in the 19th Century. In particular, this book is about repeated attempts to climb the Matterhorn, and what we can learn as a result about gaining success in our lives. It might not be on the Boardman Tasker winning list,…
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Happy New Year! Goal setting in January.
January 1st – there’s really nothing like it for feeling fresh and ready to take on a New Year. If every other year is to judge by, there’ll be the lows as well as the highs, and it’s about how we manage them as they happen. But starting with a focused mindset and some very…
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Let’s focus on 2024…
So, with January 2024 just around the corner, and the West Yorkshire Heritage Trail project wrapped up and ready to ‘ship’, what’s next at Lead for a Living? Glad you asked… I will be using this website and blog to bring my outdoor writing and photography into one place so I can focus on writing…
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An Ilkley Circular – Winter has arrived!
What a way to kick the cold season off! I must have hiked across Ilkley Moor nearly a hundred times in my life, but never in conditions as amazing as those I saw today. Crisp winter perfection. So why was I there for the hundredth time? Why not head to somewhere new? Well, as you…
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Getting a sunrise shot – Grindslow Knoll 11th November
I’m making a calendar at the minute, and one of the images I want to capture and include is a sunrise shot. So, how do you do it? What goes into the planning, and then the hiking to location? Planning the shot: With any creative, artistic activity (photography included), it always pays to do a…
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