There are occasionally good suggestions for alternative ways of starting the walks (eg getting the boat from Keswick for the Cat Bells walk) which can be useful, but especially on some of the climbs it doesn't quite make it clear how far up you're going and how quickly; the aforementioned Cat Bells walk has a very stiff (if not that long) climb with some scrambling up rocks at the end that isn't mentioned for example.

Nevertheless, an interesting and generally reliable book with a good selection of walks, info about things you may see on the walk, and backed up with a section of OS Map that means you'd have to go very wrong to get completely lost.


One of the best guides, with particularly clear maps   February 18, 2001
 65 out of 66 found this review helpful

A solid collection of circular walks around the broad area of the Lake District, ranging from hour-long strolls to strenuous hikes.

The key advantage of this book over similar titles is that the (already clear) route descriptions are backed up by colour extracts from Ordnance Survey Landranger maps - a definite improvement over the crude line drawings often found in guides.

The routes are graded into three ability groups, but this classification is rough and there's no indication of other factors such as height climbed; so when choosing a route, a good read of the description and an intelligent look at the map are wise. Instructions on how to get to, and park at, the start point are sometimes sketchy too.

Despite these niggles, this is an excellent guide offering unusually good value. Consider also the companion title "More Lake District Walks", which contains a complementary collection of routes.