Our latest excursion was into Sedbergh & up into the Howgills:
http://www.visitcumbria.com/sl/sedbergh_15.jpgFor anyone who knows the area, we walked around the side of Winder (the fell right behind Sedbergh) & up to The Calf, then over &
down by Cautley Spout -- this includes a section with nearly a 40% gradient & it was really, really hard for me, between vertigo, a very narrow path in places along a steep-ish dropoff. (I would have done much better going up actually than trying to go down that.) But one severe panic attack on the rocks & down many many stone steps later, I was at the bottom. It was hard for me to enjoy the waterfall, because if I looked up or, well anywhere really, except where I was putting my feet, then I was in trouble.
The second day we walked up & over Sickers Fell & then onto Knott (two more fells) -- hardly seeing a soul. Some steep, thigh searing gradients there too!
As far as the Howgills are concerned, everyone does The Calf & Cautley Spout. Other than that, you go to any of the other fells there & you're not likely to see anyone else at all.
I could definitely see the benefits of my having been at the gym lately, because at least the first half of the first day -- I was all but running up to The Calf & even Steve was breathless & (he said although I don't believe) struggling to keep up -- but he wasn't feeling 100% well (too much of the Full English beforehand & that fried bread will get you every time). Only problem was that I should have conserved some of that energy for the second half of the day.
Still, it was much better than I would ever have done before -- and there was no one more surprised than me about it!
