The Insane Wainwrights Challenge
30 days. All 214 Wainwright fells. The ultimate Lake District expedition — a fully guided, structured campaign through every one of Alfred Wainwright’s seven guidebook areas, led by a qualified Mountain Leader.
About the Challenge
Every Wainwright. One Expedition.
Alfred Wainwright’s seven Pictorial Guides describe 214 named Lakeland fells, grouped into seven geographic areas: the Eastern Fells, the Far Eastern Fells, the Central Fells, the Southern Fells, the Northern Fells, the North Western Fells and the Western Fells. Most walkers take years, even decades, to complete the full round. The Complete Wainwrights Challenge is our flagship attempt to compress that into a single, structured 30-day expedition — moving through all seven areas in turn, with a qualified Mountain Leader planning the route and leading every walking day.
This is the natural extension of Walking the Wainwrights, our multi-day horseshoe collection, for participants who want to go all the way. It is a serious undertaking — sustained big mountain days for the best part of a month — and is aimed at very fit, experienced hillwalkers rather than first-time challenge participants. As with our other multi-day challenges, this is guiding only: Ikigai Adventures provides the qualified Mountain Leader and route-planning; accommodation and travel between bases are arranged independently by each participant.
The 30-Day Structure & Calendar
Book | Area (Wainwright’s guidebook) | Fells | Walking days | Suggested base |
1 | Eastern Fells | 35 | 4 | Patterdale / Glenridding |
2 | Far Eastern Fells | 36 | 4 | Patterdale (Hartsop) then Kentmere / Bampton |
3 | Central Fells | 27 | 3 | Grasmere or Great Langdale |
4 | Southern Fells | 30 | 4 | Coniston, or Eskdale/Boot |
7 | Western Fells | 33 | 5 | Wasdale, or Buttermere/Ennerdale |
6 | North Western Fells | 29 | 3 | Keswick or Braithwaite |
5 | Northern Fells | 24 | 3 | Keswick or Threlkeld; Caldbeck for the outlying fells |
Days 1-4
- Area: Eastern Fells
- Base: Patterdale / Glenridding
- Difficulty grade : Hard / Very Hard
Days 5-8
- Area: Far Eastern Fells
- Base: Patterdale / Kentmere
- Difficulty grade : Hard
Day 9
FREE DAY!
Travel to Grasmere/Langdale
(self-arranged)
Days 10-12
- Area: Central Fells
- Base: Grasmere / Great Langdale
- Difficulty grade : Hard
Day 13
FREE DAY!
Travel to Coniston/Eskdale
(self-arranged)
Days 14-17
- Area: Southern Fells
- Base: Coniston / Eskdale
- Difficulty grade : Very Hard
Day 18
FREE DAY!
Travel to Wasdle
(self-arranged)
Days 19-23
- Area: Western Fells
- Base: Wasdale / Buttermere
- Difficulty grade : Very Hard
Day 24
FREE DAY!
Travel to Keswick / Buttermere
(self-arranged)
Days 25-27
- Area: North Western Fells
- Base: Keswick / Braithwaite
- Difficulty grade : Hard
Days 28-30
- Area: North Fells
- Base: Keswick / Threlkeld
- Difficulty grade : Moderate / Hard
CONGRATULATIONS!
You've completed all of Wainwrights 214 summits in 30 days!
Example Day Groupings by Area
Rather than a single fixed route for each day, the fells in each area are typically covered through a small number of big linking days — similar in style to the horseshoes on our Walking the Wainwrights page, extended and combined to sweep up outlying summits along the way. The examples below illustrate the kind of days used; final day-by-day fell allocations for all 214 summits would be confirmed as a detailed route-planning exercise before this goes live.
Eastern Fells (Days 1–4)
- Day 1 — The Helvellyn Range — Very Hard
- Clough Head, Great Dodd, Watson’s Dodd, Stybarrow Dodd, Raise, White Side, Helvellyn Lower Man, Helvellyn, Nethermost Pike, Dollywaggon Pike.
- Day 2 — Striding Edge & St Sunday Crag — Very Hard
- Birkhouse Moor, Striding Edge, Catstycam, Swirral Edge, St Sunday Crag, Birks, Glenridding Dodd, Sheffield Pike.
- Day 3 — Fairfield Horseshoe, extended — Hard
- Low Pike, High Pike, Dove Crag, Hart Crag, Fairfield, Great Rigg, Heron Pike, Nab Scar, Stone Arthur, Seat Sandal.
- Day 4 — Kirkstone & Scandale — Moderate
- Red Screes, Middle Dodd, Little Hart Crag, High Pike (Scandale), Hartsop above How, Arnison Crag.
Far Eastern Fells (Days 5–8)
- Day 5 — High Street from Hartsop — Hard
- High Street, Rampsgill Head, High Raise (Mardale), Kidsty Pike, Rest Dodd, The Knott, Angletarn Pikes.
- Day 6 — Kentmere Horseshoe, extended — Hard
- Yoke, Ill Bell, Froswick, Thornthwaite Crag, Mardale Ill Bell, Harter Fell, Kentmere Pike, Shipman Knotts, Sallows, Sour Howes.
- Day 7 — Mardale & Swindale — Hard
- Branstree, Tarn Crag (Sleddale), Grey Crag, Selside Pike, Harrop Pike.
- Day 8 — The Ullswater East Shore Fells — Moderate
- Loadpot Hill, Wether Hill, Arthur’s Pike, Bonscale Pike, Steel Knotts.
Central Fells (Days 10–12)
- Day 10 — The Langdale Pikes & High Raise — Hard
- Pike of Stickle, Loft Crag, Harrison Stickle, Pavey Ark, Thunacar Knott, High Raise (Langdale), Sergeant Man, Blea Rigg.
- Day 11 — Helm Crag Ridge — Moderate
- Helm Crag, Gibson Knott, Calf Crag, Steel Fell, Ullscarf.
- Day 12 — Grasmere & Easedale Outliers — Moderate
- Silver How, Lang How, Dow Bank area tops, Sergeant’s Crag/Eagle Crag (Langstrath side).
Southern Fells (Days 14–17)
- Day 14 — The Scafell Massif — Very Hard
- Scafell Pike, Broad Crag, Ill Crag, Great End, Scafell (via Foxes Tarn), Symonds Knott.
- Day 15 — Bowfell & Crinkle Crags — Very Hard
- Bowfell, Crinkle Crags, Cold Pike, Pike of Blisco, Esk Pike, Rossett Pike.
- Day 16 — The Coniston Fells — Hard
- Coniston Old Man, Dow Crag, Brim Fell, Swirl How, Grey Friar, Wetherlam.
- Day 17 — Dunnerdale & Eskdale Outliers — Moderate
- Harter Fell (Eskdale), Green Crag, White Pike, Hard Knott, Ulpha Fell, Great Worm Crag.
Western Fells (Days 19–23)
- Day 19 — The Great Gable Group — Very Hard
- Base Brown, Green Gable, Great Gable, Kirk Fell, Brandreth, Grey Knotts, Fleetwith Pike.
- Day 20 — Mosedale Horseshoe, extended — Very Hard
- Pillar, Scoat Fell, Steeple, Red Pike (Wasdale), Yewbarrow, Caw Fell.
- Day 21 — Buttermere Horseshoe, extended — Very Hard
- Red Pike (Buttermere), High Stile, High Crag, Haystacks, Starling Dodd.
- Day 22 — Ennerdale & Wasdale Outliers — Moderate–Hard
- Seatallan, Middle Fell, Buckbarrow, Great Borne, Grike, Crag Fell, Lank Rigg.
- Day 23 — The Loweswater Round — Moderate
- Burnbank Fell, Blake Fell, Gavel Fell, Hen Comb, Mellbreak, Low Fell, Fellbarrow.
North Western Fells (Days 25–27)
- Day 25 — Coledale Horseshoe, extended — Hard
- Grisedale Pike, Hopegill Head, Crag Hill (Eel Crag), Sail, Scar Crags, Causey Pike, Outerside, Barrow, Sand Hill, Whiteside.
- Day 26 — Newlands Horseshoe, extended — Hard
- Catbells, Maiden Moor, High Spy, Dale Head, Hindscarth, Robinson, Ard Crags, Knott Rigg, Rannerdale Knotts.
- Day 27 — The Grasmoor Group — Hard
- Grasmoor, Whiteless Pike, Wandope, Crag Hill (if not already climbed).
Northern Fells (Days 28–30)
- Day 28 — The Skiddaw Massif — Hard
- Skiddaw, Skiddaw Little Man, Carl Side, Long Side, Ullock Pike, Carsleddam, Bakestall, Lonscale Fell.
- Day 29 — Blencathra — Hard
- Blencathra (via Sharp Edge or Hall’s Fell), Foule Crag/Atkinson Pike, Bannerdale Crags, Bowscale Fell, Souther Fell.
- Day 30 — The Uldale & Caldbeck Fells — Moderate
- Great Sca Fell, Meal Fell, Great Cockup, Knott, Brae Fell, Longlands Fell, Grey Fell, Lowfell, Great Calva.
Suggested Areas to Stay
Recommendations only — Ikigai Adventures does not book or arrange accommodation.
Eastern & Far Eastern Fells (Days 1–8) | Patterdale or Glenridding throughout; Bampton or Kentmere/Staveley are worth considering for the southern end of the Far Eastern leg (Days 7–8) if it saves a long daily drive |
Central Fells (Days 10–12) | Grasmere, or Chapel Stile/Elterwater in Great Langdale |
Southern Fells (Days 14–17) | Coniston for the Old Man group; Eskdale/Boot or Langdale for the Scafell/Bowfell/Crinkles days |
Western Fells (Days 19–23) | Wasdale Head itself is very limited — Gosforth or Nether Wasdale offer more choice; Buttermere is an alternative base for the northern part of this leg |
North Western & Northern Fells (Days 25–30) | Keswick (widest choice) or Braithwaite; Threlkeld is well placed for Blencathra |
What's included
- One of our qualified, first-aid trained Mountain Leaders guiding every challenge day — delivered by a small team of leaders sharing the expedition, with handovers built in between legs
- Full route planning and navigation across all seven Wainwright guidebook areas
- Group safety cover on the hill throughout
What's not included
- Accommodation — arranged independently by each participant
- Travel to, from and between valley bases — arranged independently by each participant
- Food and drink — please bring your own snacks and water for each challenge day
Who's it for?
The Insane Wainwrights Challenge is aimed at very fit, highly experienced hillwalkers — people who have already completed several of our Walking the Wainwrights packages, or who arrive with equivalent multi-day mountain experience of their own.
This is not a corporate team event or a first multi-day challenge; it’s a serious personal expedition, best suited to individuals or small groups of experienced friends with a genuine ambition to complete the full round.
The Insane Wainwrights Challenge
What is the Insane Wainwrights Challenge?
A guided 30-day expedition to complete all 214 Wainwright fells across the Lake District, moving through all seven of Alfred Wainwright’s guidebook areas in a structured itinerary.
How many days are actual walking days?
26 of the 30 days are guided walking days. The remaining 4 are free days for travel between valley bases. There is no unallocated buffer day — the schedule uses the full 30 days.
Is this suitable for a first multi-day challenge?
No. It’s aimed at very fit, highly experienced hillwalkers, ideally with prior multi-day mountain experience such as our Walking the Wainwrights packages.
Do you arrange accommodation or transport between valleys?
No. Ikigai Adventures provides the guided walking only. Participants arrange their own accommodation and travel between valley bases, though suggested areas to stay are given for each leg.
Can I book with a private group, or do I join an open group?
Both options are available. Open/shared-group bookings join you with other participants at a per-person price; private-group bookings reserve the Mountain Leader for your own group, priced per guide and split among the group.
Will the same Mountain Leader guide me for all 30 days?
No. The expedition is delivered by a small team of our qualified Mountain Leaders sharing the load across the 30 days, with handovers built in between legs — rather than one leader covering the whole month alone.
What happens if the weather stops a day's walking?
The 30-day schedule is fully allocated, with no spare buffer day built in. Over a full month in Lakeland weather, losing a day is a real possibility, and any lost day would need to be made up by combining two lighter days rather than absorbed by spare time — worth building some flexibility into your travel plans.
Ready for the Ultimate Wainwrights Challenge?
214 fells.
Seven areas.
One expedition.
Get in touch to start planning your Insane Wainwrights Challenge.