Product Description

The Western Fells lie within a wide sector, driving deep into the heart of Lakeland at Sty Head. They are bounded in the north-west by the Cocker valley, jewelled by the lovely lakes of Buttermere and Crummock Water. South-west their boundary is Wasdale, running towards the sea. The rugged territory around Sty Head is crowded with fine peaks: the hoary old favourite, Great Gable, the magnificent Pillar, the fascinating Haystacks and the exhilarating spine of the High Stile ridge. Further west the slopes are smooth and rounded, declining into grassy foothills and rolling sheep pastures - terrrain described by Wainwright as splendid walking country, but comparatively unexciting and unfrequented. This second edition of The Western Fells has been brilliantly revised by Chris Jesty, a trained cartographer who worked with Wainwright on some of the maps in his later large-format guides. All footpaths have been rewalked, all routes checked, all maps and text updated. Paths and routes are picked out in red to make them easier to follow, and parking information is included. This new edition of the classic walking guide is Wainwright for the 21st century.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2359 in Books
• Published on: 2009-10-08
• Binding: Hardcover
• 336 pages

About the Author
Born in Blackburn in 1907, Alfred Wainwright left school at the age of 13. A holiday at the age of 23 kindled a life-long love affair with the Lake District. Following a move to Kendal in 1941 he began to devote every spare moment he had to researching and compiling the original seven Pictorial Guides. He described these as his love letters to the Lakeland Fells and at the end of the first, The Eastern Fells, he wrote about what the mountains had come to mean to him: I suppose it might be said, to add impressiveness to the whole thing, that this book has been twenty years in the making, for it is so long, and more, since I first came from a smoky mill-town (forgive me, Blackburn!) and beheld, from Orrest Head, a scene of great beauty, a fascinating paradise, Lakeland's mountains and trees and water. That was the first time I had looked upon beauty, or imagined it, even. Afterwards I went often, whenever I could, and always my eyes were lifted to the hills. I was to find then, and it has been so ever since, a spiritual and physical satisfaction in climbing mountains and a tranquil mind upon reaching their summits, as though I had escaped from the disappointments and unkindnesses of life and emerged above them into a new world, a better world. In due course I came to live within sight of the hills, and I was well content. If I could not be climbing, I was happy to sit idly and dream of them, serenely. Then came a restlessness and the feeling that it was not enough to take their gifts and do nothing in return. I must dedicate something of myself, the best part of me, to them. I started to write about them, and to draw pictures of them. Doing these things, I found they were still giving and I still receiving, for a great pleasure filled me when I was so engaged I had found a new way of escape to them and from all else less worth while. Thus it comes about that I have written this book. Not for material gain, welcome though that would be (you see I have not escaped entirely!); not for the benefit of my contemporaries, though if it brings them also to the hills I shall be well pleased; certainly not for posterity, about which I can work up no enthusiasm at all. No, this book has been written, carefully and with infinite patience, for my own pleasure and because it has seemed to bring the hills to my own fireside. If it has merit, it is because the hills have merit. A. Wainwright died in 1991 at the age of 84. Chris Jesty trained as a cartographer with the Ordnance Survey. He devised Scafell Pike Panorama, a guide to the view from the highest mountain in England, for which Wainwright provided illustrations. When Wainwright's health deteriorated, Chris helped him with the maps for two of his large-format books. Shortly before he died, Wainwright said that if ever the Pictorial Guides were to be revised, Chris Jesty should be given the job. He lives in Kendal.

Customer Reviews

Very book, the best 'til last ?
I was directed to the Lake District by the BBC programme with JB which I'm sure every one here will have seen or heard about.

I have developed a kinship with the Lakeland fells over the last 3 years or so and have collected these revised books as they have been released. I use them in conjunction with a deep fascination and amazement of the technology behind GPS and Google earth, electronic mapping and also web sites where you can download pre-packaged walking routes, some times complete with uploadable GPS waypoints.

Wainwright is of course still the definitive reference for all things Lakeland Fell related. Were you may wish to invest in additional research or money is the actual route plans them selves. There are a great many classic well trodden routes in the Lakes and these books do not necessary give one an easy route off the page for a days walk. They make excellent reading as back ground study for the routes though. Indeed if ones objective is simply to climb Great Gable and explore the myriad alternatives and nooks and crannies then this is your book.

All to often when out walking on the fells you will see large groups of people all trudging up the same path to the same meeting place on the top of a fell. The expenditure of half an hour with this book and a little forethought and planning could easily turn a great day out into a spiritually uplifting , exciting adventure away from the masses where one can enjoy their own space. All that is needed is an understanding of where any main 'touristy' lines of attack reside and then a little work with the WR books.

So far as this book in particular goes, it is pretty much on par with the others in the series, Wast water and Wasdale head are probably a tad too much effort for the main accommodation areas of the Lakes, so it can be a bit quieter around these areas. You will also find that those who do make the effort to get this far ( upto 2hrs drive from Ambleside for example ) will often be heading up ScaFell Pike or Gable..

A great part of this book and all the others in the series is the summit panoramas. If one is fortunate enough to find oneself on top of any particular fell when there is a clear day, one inevitably wishes to put a name to all the visible peeks. I suggest a photo copy of the panoramas to prevent having to take the book itself, assuming you are using a printed out route ?

So far as the revised edition goes, I think the revised editions have undeniably added to the usefulness of the books. Assuming one's main reason for buying this book is as an informational tool to assist in planning a days walk obviously. There will of course be some who prefer the 'original' as intended. I have one of the original editions which I bought before the revised one was published so I can compare them. I would say that the updates are very well considered, made in such a way as to have limited visual impact to the general style of the book ( you can not differentiate the hand written lettering for example ) and of course they are highly useful. Missing or altered paths and fences , car parks, changed features.. the odd demolished land mark or rebuilt cairn.. it makes a big difference, I have a lot of faith in the revisions.

In summary the sheer amount of detail, care and loving attention that has gone into these book, means it has got to be money well spent. If you like reading about what's out there in the Fells, you want to wet your appetite for adventure, or if you want to explorer a new way to get to the top of your favourite then this is to be recommended. If you just want to do a Sunday afternoon jaunt from the car park or join a gang of your mates to race up the shortest route to Sca fell pike and be back , showered and in the pub by 5pm then I would say don't bother..

A great read also
As like the previous six guides,it's an invaluable fell walking pocket map/book. also I find them (all seven) a great fireside read when at home.Recommended.

2nd Edition of the Wainwright Series (final volume - Western Fells)
Excellent.
The series of 7 books enhances the pleasure of walking the Fells. This 2nd Edition offers the security of a recent update and route inspection. The drawings incorporate colour (red) for paths - a distinct benefit.

We have walked 130 of the Wainwright peaks so far and would not dream of setting off without the appropriate 'book'. Compact and easy to carry.