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Walking The Cumbria Way

Ulverston to Carlisle - main route with mountain alternatives

A guidebook to the 73 mile Cumbria Way, an easy long-distance walk though the heart of the Lake District National Park, from Ulverston in the south to Carlisle in the north, with good transport links to either end. The route is largely low-level but this guide offers alternative mountain days to climb some of the famous fells en route.

Seasons

official way can be done year-round using B&Bs or Easter to October using campsites. The mountain route is best saved for spring, summer and autumn

Centres

Ulverston, Torver, Coniston, Elterwater, Great Langdale, Rosthwaite, Keswick, Bassenthwaite, Caldbeck, Dalston and Carlisle

Difficulty

official Cumbria Way is easy with only two places where the inexperienced walker can go wrong (in mist) - Stake Pass and High Pike. The mountain routes require mountain experience and the knowledge of how to use a map and compass

Must See

official route visits Coniston, Tarn Hows, Great Langdale, Stake Pass, Derwentwater, Back o' Skiddaw and Caldbeck, while the mountain route adds the Coniston Fells, Glaramara, Skiddaw and Knott
ISBN
9781786311337
Availability
Published
Published
4 Aug 2022
Reprinted
19 Jun 2024
Edition
Second
Pages
136
Size
17.20 x 11.60 x .70cm
Weight
160g
Overview

A guidebook to walking the Cumbria Way, a 188km (73 mile) route between Ulverston and Carlisle. Suitable for walkers with some experience, this long-distance route through the heart of the Lake District can be walked in 5 days, but there is plenty of opportunity to plan your itinerary for a more easy-going 7 to 8 days.

This largely low-level route is described here in five stages of between 19 and 26 kms (12 – 16 miles). Alternative mountain days can be added to include the Coniston Fells, Glaramara and Skiddaw.

  • Route described from south to north with 1:50,000 OS mapping for each stage
  • Detailed information on accommodation, facilities and public transport along the route
  • Variations to the itinerary suggested depending on required difficulty and time frame 
  • Route summary tables and accommodation listings help you plan your itinerary
  • GPX files available to download 

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John Gillham Cicerone author GILLHAM

By John Gillham

John Gillham has been a professional writer, illustrator and photographer since 1989. His first book was Snowdonia to the Gower: a Coast-to-Coast Walk Across Highest Wales. He also pioneered three other long-distance routes: Lakeland to Lindisfarne, Pennine Ways and the Bowland–Dales Traverse, all of which were published in book form. John’s recent books include The Pictorial Guides to the Mountains of Snowdonia Volumes 1–4, Best Day Walks in Snowdonia and the AA Leisure Guide to Wales. John writes for several outdoor publications, and two of his books have won the Outdoor Writers & Photographers Guild Award for Excellence.

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