The Cumbria Way

The Cumbria Way is our local thru-hike. It’s a 71-mile (112km) trail that winds its way through the Lake District National Park. Most hikers go northbound, starting in Ulverston, and finishing in Carlisle 5 or 6 days later. 

There are long and challenging days, but also plenty of resupply opportunities and cafes right on the route, and you’re never more than a few hours away from a bus stop if you’re not having a good time. It’s a perfect trail to try thru-hiking for the first time. For my partner and I, it is also close to home, so we decided to hike it over 5 days in early April. 

Day 1

The trail meandered through sheep fields, through gates and over stiles, mostly uphill until we reached Beacon Tarn where we had our first rest and filled up on water. The section after Beacon Tarn was long and hot and we were desperate to reach Coniston Water. When we eventually flopped onto the jetty there, we realised that we didn’t have very far to go until our first campsite so stayed there a while soaking our feet in the cold water. 

Our first day was over in a flash. I was pleased with how quickly we had found a rhythm to our hike, spending most of the time just chatting and wandering. We rocked up to the campsite tired but happy and looking forward to some dahl that Amy had made and dehydrated the week before. It worked really well with instant mash! 

Day 2

On day 2 we started a bit groggy after not sleeping much. The campsite had been noisy and we regretted not finding a secluded spot in the woods to camp instead. We arrived in a sleepy Coniston before any shops or cafes were open and pressed on up the hill to Tarn Hows, an absolute gem that I hadn’t visited before. A series of lanes and ancient-feeling footpaths led through the fells and we wound up at Chesters-by-the-River for a spectacular lunch. I really loved this morning; it felt like I was sinking into the thru-hiker lifestyle again. 

We left feeling full and strolled up the river to Elterwater on the busiest stretch of trail of the whole hike. Our next pit stop was at Old Dungeon Ghyll pub where we were hoping to have a pie for dinner but the power was out. We paid for our pints with cash, left to find a wild camping spot further up Langdale and settled for another night of dahl and mash. We were treated to a beautiful sunset over Crinkle Crags and a starry night sky which made for a perfect wild camp.

Day 3

Again we got up early before the heat of the day. We had a quick camp coffee and summited Stake Pass before we knew it. As we reached the summit, more and more skylarks were also waking up and joining us in their morning routine. We had a long break and a hot cross bun each at the summit cairn whilst we watched the skylarks soaring and darting around– a much more energetic morning routine than ours. 

It was a gorgeous sunny day, but still far too chilly to consider a wild dip at Black Moss Pot, noting that we'd come back another day. By getting up early we banked so much time that we could relax at the Flock Inn cafe in Rosthwaite and eat a hearty lunch. Did I mention that this was not just a thru-hike but a culinary tour?! 

I was very familiar with the next section and I’ve always loved the trail on the west side of Derwent Water. We still never quite made the commitment to swim in the lake, despite the mid-afternoon warmth. We reached Keswick and immediately stocked up on snacks at Booths and headed home for a mid-thru-hike shower and real bed. 

Day 4

Day four was different from the others– we got up late and had a big cooked breakfast. I finally ditched my spare trousers, after not using them for two days and Amy also took the opportunity to leave some things at home. 

We started walking up the steep path out of Keswick wearing our waterproofs as the weather had deteriorated. It was nice to hike the drizzle and wind for a day as it suited the landscape we were in. The section between Keswick and Caldbeck is more bleak and rugged and the wind and rain made us feel alive. One refuge from the treeless moor is  Skiddaw House hostel where we met a few other hikers and had a coffee with them. One couple were Atom Packs users and I had spoken to them over email before so it was great to meet them on a thru-hike!

Our first and only real mishap of the trip happened just after Skiddaw House. In a happy mood, Amy and I followed some hikers along the path away from the hostel in the wrong direction. Luckily, after checking the map, we saw that we could head up the Bob Graham trod to Great Calva, then head over to Knott and rejoin the Cumbria Way at Lingy Hut. It was a quick decision to embrace a bit of adventure rather than backtracking, and we didn’t regret it. 

The summits were windy so we couldn’t chat, and we walked briskly to the hut. We arrived just as the first hail stones started stinging our faces and scrambled inside. Over the next hour, small groups came and went, sheltering for a few minutes at a time before heading out into the stormy weather again. We sat contentedly eating lunch and decided that the latest time we could leave would be 4pm as it would take two hours to walk to Caldbeck. At about 3.45pm, the rain stopped. We felt extremely lucky! We had witnessed at least ten sodden and cold people come and go from the hut while we sat there completely dry, and then we avoided rain all the way to High Pike and down into Caldbeck!

Day 5

Day five is a hot topic on the Cumbria Way. A lot of people say that it isn’t worth hiking because it’s “flat and boring”, and some people finish at Caldbeck or Dalston. The trail follows the river Caldew all the way into Carlisle, initially winding through woods, then sheep fields, and then a tarmac bike path. My assessment is that the woods were lovely, but the fields were samey, and the bike path was tiresome. 

Lunch in Dalston was the highlight of day five– a toasted sandwich and salad in a delightful little cafe where we bumped into another hiker. After that, we were mentally prepared to finish the trail. I understand why people say that you could finish the Cumbria Way in Dalston and take the train into Carlisle, and it’s unfortunate that the last few miles are certainly the least exciting part of the trail. But, there is still beauty to be found in the hedgerows, birdsong and urban waterways. 

The finishing stone of the Cumbria Way was obscured by a hot dog stall at the market in the centre of Carlisle which felt like an appropriately understated ending. We had a celebratory beer nearby and headed for the train station. 

Overall, it was a perfect five days of gentle adventure. As a thru-hike, the Cumbria Way exceeded expectations. It was busier with hikers than I expected, which was lovely to see. I got to experience the Lake District in a different way to my usual charging around in the fells. We ate so much wholesome food it didn’t feel like a thru-hike at times, and a night at home in the middle was a true luxury. As I set out in my packing blog, I chose to bring a sketchbook and my film camera in order to go slow and capture the experience like I haven’t in the past. It was a resounding success in that regard, too.

Photos by Alex Ing-Simmons and Amy D'Agorne