St Bees – Grasmere - Into the Heart of the Lake District
The route starts on the shores of the Irish Sea in the village of St Bees. After climbing the impressive sandstone cliffs of the headland, the path turns inland and over agricultural land and foothills to Ennerdale Bridge and the start of the Lake District.

The path continues up Ennerdale beneath Pillar Rock, before climbing up to Brandreth, high in the fells with fantastic views of Great Gable and the Buttermere valley. The route then drops into Borrowdale via Honister. With another day of climbing as the trail heads up the remote Greenup Gill and then down either the valley of Far Easedale or over the Lion and the Lamb, to Grasmere. This is a memorable day with views of Lakeland fells in all directions.

Grasmere to Kirkby Stephen - Eastern Lakes & Upper Eden
From Grasmere there is more climbing - the route lies over the Helvellyn range either over the pass at Grisedale tarn, or for the more adventurous, via the summit of Helvellyn, England’s 3rd highest mountain, before dropping down to Patterdale on the shore of Ullswater. The remotest walking of the tour leads from Ullswater over Kidsty Pike, a tremendous viewpoint of the Lakeland fells then down to Haweswater, home to a pair of nesting golden eagles and onwards to Shap.

Having left the Lakes, the route between Shap and Kirkby Stephen is undulating rather than mountainous, following limestone scarps and moorland paths. It passes the delightful village of Orton and travels onwards past numerous prehistoric sites to the market town of Kirkby Stephen.