THE CUMBRIA WAY

The 70-mile Cumbria Way is an epic walk through England’s most picturesque landscape. Provided you take your time, this spectacular, mostly lowland route is less testing than it might sound, writes Peter Elia

- Peter Elia

The enormous vista at Stake Pass exceeds my expectations. It is wild and dramatic – a place uninhabited and without roads. There’s just one meandering path, which starkly divides the bleak beauty of the Langstrath Valley below.

Adventure is often synonymous with struggles and summits, but could I organise one that was relatively stress-free? I wanted a long-distance trail fit for the intrepid hiker, offering less pain and all the gain, so I decided to try the Cumbria Way. With only two major climbs, it would be the perfect trail to limit the more gruelling highs and embrace the lows – but would the lack of altitude diminish the Lakeland hiking experience?

I invited my walking buddy, Lisa, to join me along the 70-mile linear route heading south from Carlisle to Ulverston. The trail boasts iconic Lake District gems, including Glenderaterra Valley and Derwentwater, plus the chance to meet Cumbria’s most famous residents, the Herdwick sheep.

A WEIGHT OFF THE SHOULDERS

Starting at Carlisle’s Tourist Information Centre, the skies tease us with a lingering promise of rain. With waterproof jackets zipped up, we set off carrying our light daypacks – I had arranged a luggage service to transfer our larger bags from each guesthouse on the route. After a brief stop at the city’s attractive Norman cathedral, the trail continues briefly along a busy dual carriageway – not a place for any budding William Wordsworth. However, the outskirts of a city are never the glamorous part of any trail.