0:00:03 > 0:00:08Nestled in the far north west of England, this is the Lake District,
0:00:10 > 0:00:13a land defined by its natural beauty.
0:00:21 > 0:00:26And known to millions who love the Lakes was the late Alfred Wainwright,
0:00:26 > 0:00:29author, guide writer and talented artist.
0:00:29 > 0:00:33But above all he was the greatest fell walker.
0:00:36 > 0:00:42Wainwright's guides have inspired generations of walkers to roam these glorious fells.
0:00:42 > 0:00:49And now, a century after his birth, it's my turn to go in search of the real Wainwright experience.
0:01:17 > 0:01:21Welcome to one of the remotest spots in the Lake District.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24This is the very tip of the Ennerdale Valley,
0:01:24 > 0:01:28and from where I am here, it's nine miles that way
0:01:28 > 0:01:33to the closest village, and we're at least five miles away from a proper tarmacked road.
0:01:33 > 0:01:35So it's pretty remote.
0:01:37 > 0:01:43I'm here because this is Wainwright's recommended start point for one of his most dramatic climbs.
0:01:43 > 0:01:47Over there is the ominously-named Pillar.
0:01:47 > 0:01:52And today I'm going to find out why Wainwright thought that this mountain
0:01:52 > 0:01:54had the most handsome crag in Lakeland.
0:01:56 > 0:02:02Dominating the side of the Ennerdale Valley, is Pillar, the highest peak in the Western Fells.
0:02:02 > 0:02:08Just short of 3,000ft, Pillar is right up there amongst England's highest summits.
0:02:10 > 0:02:16But it's in terms of drama that Alfred Wainwright thought this mountain really excelled.
0:02:17 > 0:02:22The north face of the fell has a formidable aspect.
0:02:22 > 0:02:28Crags and shadowed hollows, scree and tumbled boulders form a wild, chaotic scene,
0:02:28 > 0:02:32a setting worthy of a fine mountain.
0:02:32 > 0:02:36At the heart of the north face stands Pillar Rock,
0:02:36 > 0:02:41a 500ft tower, the defining feature of the mountain.
0:02:41 > 0:02:47Wainwright highlighted a route that could take determined walkers right through this dramatic scenery.
0:03:02 > 0:03:07The reason I'm able to start from here so early in the morning, with my cup of tea, thank you very much,
0:03:07 > 0:03:12is this place, the Black Sail Youth Hostel, a sort of outpost of civilization in the valley.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15A definite favourite of Wainwright's,
0:03:15 > 0:03:19and just about anybody who wants to get the most out of Ennerdale.
0:03:21 > 0:03:26Black Sail is the only building in the upper reaches of Ennerdale.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29Five-star accommodation it may not be,
0:03:29 > 0:03:34but that's of little concern when the location is unsurpassed.
0:03:34 > 0:03:38Walkers who've already trekked for miles can sit and assess their route up Pillar,
0:03:38 > 0:03:42with little more than the grazing sheep to disturb them.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45When you come here you know you're only ever going to share the valley
0:03:45 > 0:03:49with a handful of people, so you feel quite privileged.
0:03:49 > 0:03:54But there is one man who spends a bit more time here than most.
0:03:54 > 0:03:59One of very few people who can actually claim live in Ennerdale is Tony Hume.
0:03:59 > 0:04:04A former geography teacher, he now has the unique task of managing Black Sail.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07- You never get bored of the view here, do you?- Not at all.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10It's a pretty good office to have, I must say.
0:04:10 > 0:04:15The valley has such atmosphere at any time of day, whatever the weather.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17Even when the wind's whistling around and
0:04:17 > 0:04:21the slates on the roof are rattling, the fire's going inside.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24- So it's snug. - Absolutely, yes, very snug.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28But it hasn't always been a youth hostel. How long has it been operating?
0:04:28 > 0:04:31YHA have run it since the 1930s.
0:04:31 > 0:04:35But it was built hundreds of years before that as a shepherd's bothy
0:04:35 > 0:04:39when the shepherds needed somewhere to stay as they
0:04:39 > 0:04:44brought their flocks from one valley, one market, to another.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48- They needed somewhere to stay overnight.- It was their little stopover.- Yes, yes.
0:04:48 > 0:04:49Still got a few sheep, which I love.
0:04:49 > 0:04:51- It's great.- Just a few... - Just a few dotted around.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53Now, you're a geography teacher,
0:04:53 > 0:04:58so who better for me to ask about the glaciers,
0:04:58 > 0:05:03there's everything going on here, a lot of geography happening.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05There's a lot going on, yes. Starting with the
0:05:05 > 0:05:12basic shape of the valley, which is what people come for, the dramatic crags and mountain tops.
0:05:12 > 0:05:17A long time ago, millions of years ago, it was a volcanic area.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21What you see on the highest bits are the remains of very ancient volcanoes.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24You have to also try and imagine what it was like during the last
0:05:24 > 0:05:26Ice Age, which finished about 10,000 years ago.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29Everything you see now in the valley would have been covered.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31- Just completely? - Completely covered in ice.
0:05:31 > 0:05:36And then as the ice started to melt, it would have been the valley glaciers, the sorts of things
0:05:36 > 0:05:41you see in parts of the Alps and the Himalayas today, where you have a glacier filling maybe three-quarters
0:05:41 > 0:05:44of a valley, with the peaks sticking out above it.
0:05:44 > 0:05:49The fact that Wainwright recommends this as good start point for Pillar,
0:05:49 > 0:05:53how many people come to you because of that?
0:05:53 > 0:05:57Most visitors are probably here because of Wainwright.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59Not only walking up Pillar and the surrounding mountains, but also
0:05:59 > 0:06:04- because we're on the Coast to Coast route.- So AW's good for business.
0:06:04 > 0:06:08It's fantastic the way the wind just whistles through here.
0:06:08 > 0:06:12- It picks up out of nowhere. - This is what it's like here, yes.
0:06:12 > 0:06:13It just changes.
0:06:13 > 0:06:17It's a good demonstration of what we said about the atmosphere.
0:06:17 > 0:06:22This is, it's suddenly as if we'd just been shot through a wind tunnel.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24My hair's got back to normal now!
0:06:24 > 0:06:29- You're all right, though.- Yes, I don't have those problems!
0:06:29 > 0:06:31That's what I like about the Lakes.
0:06:31 > 0:06:35Pillar, there I go, high-level route.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37Comments, please, Tony?
0:06:37 > 0:06:39Certainly a favourite.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42Dramatic views, quite steep drops.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44Hope you've got a head for heights.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48- Well worth it when you get to the top. - Have you gone the high level route?
0:06:48 > 0:06:50I haven't done the High Level Route myself.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52I knew you were going to say that.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55I don't get out as much as people think.
0:06:55 > 0:06:57But I have been on top of Pillar a few times.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00I just hope the weather stays like this, because it's magical.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04You'll be able to see for miles if it's like this. It will be very clear.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06But it can change in half-an-hour.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09It could be cloudy when you get up there. Have fun anyway.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11Fingers crossed! Please!
0:07:13 > 0:07:17Being at Black Sail means I'm already 900 feet above sea level,
0:07:17 > 0:07:21right amongst the high ground at the end of the valley.
0:07:22 > 0:07:27This will be the shortest distance I've ever had to cover to reach one of country's highest peaks.
0:07:27 > 0:07:32But let's take a look at how parts of the climb more than make up for it in steepness.
0:07:42 > 0:07:47Leaving the hostel, I have to head further up the valley to cross the River Liza.
0:07:49 > 0:07:54The bridge takes me onto the path up to Black Sail Pass -
0:07:54 > 0:07:59a broad grassy slope and the quickest route over the hills to the Wasdale valley.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05But as I reach the top of the pass, I'll turn northwest,
0:08:05 > 0:08:09and step onto the main ridge that leads all the way to the summit.
0:08:11 > 0:08:15The path passes close to the grassy dome of Looking Stead,
0:08:15 > 0:08:19Wainwright's recommended viewpoint for the whole of Ennerdale.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22This is where I'll prepare to leave the ridge and set off on the
0:08:22 > 0:08:27High Level Route, straight across the drama of Pillar's north face.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33The cliffs continue to grow in size, until a long diagonal ledge
0:08:33 > 0:08:36gives walkers the chance to come face-to-face with Pillar Rock -
0:08:36 > 0:08:39Wainwright's most handsome crag.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44But the Rock is not the top.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47There's still 400 feet of steep scrambling to go.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52A challenging end before you've conquered the north face
0:08:52 > 0:08:56and can walk easily across Pillar's rounded peak.
0:09:06 > 0:09:12Well, I know there's plenty of rocky ground on this climb, so I'm hoping this morning's fine weather holds
0:09:12 > 0:09:15and surfaces remain dry all the way to the top.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18But, for now, there's just a lot of grass up ahead.
0:09:20 > 0:09:25As with so many Wainwright Walks, you start by heading away from where you're going.
0:09:31 > 0:09:35The approach to Black Sail Pass takes you towards the dome-shaped summit
0:09:35 > 0:09:38of Pillar's biggest neighbour, Great Gable.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43Kirk Fell is to the right, Green Gable to the left.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46Three shapely summits, and a natural blockade
0:09:46 > 0:09:50that have helped preserve the total isolation of this spot.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00From here, you can stand and look over thousands of conifers
0:10:00 > 0:10:05that fill the valley floor all the way to Ennerdale Water.
0:10:05 > 0:10:10By the time Wainwright arrived here, the trees had already been planted
0:10:10 > 0:10:14to replenish wood reserves after the First World War.
0:10:16 > 0:10:22Aforestation in Ennerdale has cloaked the lower slopes in a dark and funereal shroud of
0:10:22 > 0:10:29foreign trees, an intrusion that nobody who knew Ennerdale of old can ever forgive.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37Elsewhere though, this spot is as untouched as England gets.
0:10:37 > 0:10:38Visitors are welcome,
0:10:38 > 0:10:44but anyone hoping to find a tea room or a gift shop will be sorely disappointed.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03There's base camp back there.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06Everything you need getting further and further away.
0:11:07 > 0:11:11And this is the first bit of serious business on the climb as well.
0:11:18 > 0:11:23On a day like today, a walk like this presents a common Lake District problem.
0:11:23 > 0:11:24What should one be wearing?
0:11:25 > 0:11:29The long, steady climb up Black Sail Pass is hot work, but
0:11:29 > 0:11:33as you get higher, the wind begins to bite every time you pause for breath.
0:11:37 > 0:11:41The top end of passes are, by their nature, rather exposed places.
0:11:41 > 0:11:46This well-trodden path is where the air gets channelled between Pillar and Kirk Fell,
0:11:46 > 0:11:52a route once taken by shepherds and miners alike heading towards Wasdale and the Cumbrian coastline.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58Now Wainwright says
0:11:58 > 0:12:02"Watch out for a gate that marks the top of the pass.
0:12:02 > 0:12:06"Only a fanatical purist would think of using it".
0:12:12 > 0:12:17It's been 40 years since this book was written, and they still haven't fixed the gate.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19Don't forget to close it behind you!
0:12:21 > 0:12:27In fact, as you turn north and make your way along the broad ridge to Pillar, the route is clearly marked
0:12:27 > 0:12:32by a strict succession of ageing, rusty fence posts.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36They seem utterly redundant, but have become a substitute cairn for the uncertain walker.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49I'm onto the approach slopes of Pillar now.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52I have to say, so far, it's been a pretty healthy walk.
0:12:52 > 0:12:53You certainly need a bit of stamina.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00And I reckon I'm just about here.
0:13:02 > 0:13:06This is where Wainwright's artistry and eye for detail come to the fore.
0:13:06 > 0:13:10By the way he's angled the drawing and its scale,
0:13:10 > 0:13:17he's managed to fit a very intense, complex, curvy route all onto one pocket-sized page.
0:13:17 > 0:13:22And this is where it looks like its going to start to get pretty interesting.
0:13:25 > 0:13:32From this small unnamed tarn, the broad grassy ridge stretches out for another half a mile.
0:13:32 > 0:13:36You can stride out with the view down into Wasdale opening up on your left.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38Hello, Mr Sheep.
0:13:40 > 0:13:46But it's to the other side of the ridge that AW suggests a brief detour.
0:13:46 > 0:13:52Looking Stead is a small pinnacle jutting out 1,000ft below the main summit.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55An ideal vantage point to assess the view down into Ennerdale,
0:13:55 > 0:14:00one of Lakeland's more controversial valleys.
0:14:00 > 0:14:04You can really see the work that's being done to the valley from here.
0:14:04 > 0:14:06Huge swathes of conifers have been taken out.
0:14:10 > 0:14:15Acres of evergreen forest give Ennerdale a rather unfamiliar look.
0:14:15 > 0:14:19More Canadian Rockies than English Lakes.
0:14:19 > 0:14:24But you imagine that AW would have been quite pleased with the current Wild Ennerdale project.
0:14:24 > 0:14:30This scheme is steadily removing conifers and introducing areas of mixed woodland.
0:14:32 > 0:14:36In years to come, the valley should have a more natural beauty
0:14:36 > 0:14:40to accompany one of Wainwright's favourite mountains.
0:14:40 > 0:14:44"It is an offence to the eyes to see Pillar's once-colourful fellside
0:14:44 > 0:14:47"now hobbled in such a dowdy and ill-suited skirt.
0:14:47 > 0:14:51"Yet such is the majesty and power of this fine mountain
0:14:51 > 0:14:58"that it can shrug off the insults and indignities, and its summit soars no less proudly above."
0:15:02 > 0:15:04This is my first view of the drama up ahead.
0:15:04 > 0:15:08You can see all the rocks and cliffs of the north face of Pillar,
0:15:08 > 0:15:11and the high-level route traverses across,
0:15:11 > 0:15:14which is, hopefully, what I'm going to do.
0:15:16 > 0:15:23But, for the moment at least, the grassy eastern slopes of Pillar are a simple fell-walking pleasure.
0:15:23 > 0:15:27And, at around the 2,000ft mark, there's a view down the opposite
0:15:27 > 0:15:33valley all the way to the head of Wast Water, the deepest lake in England.
0:15:33 > 0:15:38My walk today, though, is about to change.
0:15:38 > 0:15:44Walkers looking for a real adventure have to look for the easily missed diversion.
0:15:44 > 0:15:48As the grand peak of Scafell appears in the background,
0:15:48 > 0:15:52there's a small cairn - the turning point for the high-level route.
0:15:53 > 0:15:58Wainwright thought this was the start of one the best miles in Lakeland -
0:15:58 > 0:16:00a route of engrossing interest.
0:16:00 > 0:16:06And, to kick things off, whilst the main path continues up, the high-level route takes me down,
0:16:06 > 0:16:08steeply down!
0:16:13 > 0:16:19Stepping onto the north face of Pillar is like making a leap to an entirely new mountain.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22This really can't be described as a "walk" any longer.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25This is a true and testing fell climb.
0:16:43 > 0:16:48Your gaze is tempted up to the ever heightening peaks above you,
0:16:50 > 0:16:55but you can't absent-mindedly stroll along the high-level route.
0:16:55 > 0:17:00Every ten metres or so there's something new to negotiate -
0:17:00 > 0:17:02scree,
0:17:02 > 0:17:07boulders and occasional outbreaks of very wet rocks.
0:17:14 > 0:17:18This rocky climb was more of what I was expecting from Pillar,
0:17:18 > 0:17:20based on what I've read and heard.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22But I was hoping,
0:17:22 > 0:17:27as I came round that corner, to catch a glimpse of Pillar Rock,
0:17:27 > 0:17:30but not quite yet, it would seem.
0:17:30 > 0:17:32A bit more rocky terrain to tackle.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37The high-level route twists and turns its way around
0:17:37 > 0:17:40the many spurs and buttresses that support the mountain.
0:17:40 > 0:17:47Unlike the ridge path far above, there's rarely a chance for an unobstructed view.
0:17:47 > 0:17:51But there is one large man-made feature to look out for.
0:18:01 > 0:18:03That must be Robinson's Cairn over there,
0:18:03 > 0:18:07which is Wainwright's big, last landmark before you get to the Rock.
0:18:14 > 0:18:19John Wilson Robinson was a local man and a pioneer of rock-climbing
0:18:19 > 0:18:24who established many of the now famous routes up Pillar Rock.
0:18:24 > 0:18:30When he died a century ago, his friends came here to build a cairn in his honour.
0:18:30 > 0:18:34Well, this is definitely an appropriate spot to build a cairn
0:18:34 > 0:18:40because that is a cracking view, finally, towards Pillar Rock.
0:18:40 > 0:18:46I can just make out the path from here - that rather ominous looking ledge on the left
0:18:46 > 0:18:50cuts diagonally across all the way to the top.
0:18:50 > 0:18:55Now, of course, what I could have done is twinkle-toed, nice and easy,
0:18:55 > 0:19:00across the top there, but then, you wouldn't get this view.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02Robinson's Cairn is the first place where
0:19:02 > 0:19:07you begin to see how a mere walker could hope to negotiate Pillar Rock.
0:19:07 > 0:19:11Shamrock Traverse is the steep and narrow ledge
0:19:11 > 0:19:15that leads you almost level with the topmost pinnacle of rock.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21At this point, it is possible to enjoy the view
0:19:21 > 0:19:25before taking the direct path back to the valley floor,
0:19:25 > 0:19:29but that would only leave this Wainwright chapter incomplete.
0:19:29 > 0:19:33For me, there's 900ft still to the summit
0:19:33 > 0:19:36and it's clearly going to be steep all the way.
0:19:38 > 0:19:46'The Rock had a well-established local notoriety long before tourists called wider attention to it.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50'An object of such unique appearance simply had to be given a descriptive name.
0:19:50 > 0:19:55'The Pillar was an inspiration of shepherds.
0:19:55 > 0:19:59'Men of letters could not have chosen better.'
0:19:59 > 0:20:01And so it was that the Lake District's most
0:20:01 > 0:20:06notorious rock formation became the name for an entire mountain.
0:20:06 > 0:20:13As you approach, it dominates your horizon, a full 500ft from base to summit.
0:20:17 > 0:20:24Eventually, the Rock blocks out the sunlight and you climb the scree to get on to Shamrock Traverse.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37You can feel that you're
0:20:37 > 0:20:40high up here.
0:20:40 > 0:20:42I'm a little vertiginous.
0:20:46 > 0:20:55Wainwright rated this spot, Shamrock Traverse, as one of his favourite places in the whole of Lakeland,
0:20:55 > 0:20:57excluding the summits, of course.
0:20:57 > 0:21:01And it's certainly an experience.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03Loose stones,
0:21:07 > 0:21:08a big drop,
0:21:08 > 0:21:10a narrow ledge
0:21:10 > 0:21:13and today, a little bit slippy.
0:21:13 > 0:21:15I think I'm going to go up and round.
0:21:28 > 0:21:35The vast majority of ascents up Pillar never come anywhere near this stretch of high drama.
0:21:35 > 0:21:42It's an ingenious route, allowing fell-walkers a rare chance to scale vertical cliff faces.
0:21:43 > 0:21:48The name Shamrock has nothing to do with Irish clover leaves, however.
0:21:50 > 0:21:54It is, quite literally, a "sham rock".
0:21:54 > 0:21:58From a distance, it appears to be part of the same crag as Pillar Rock,
0:21:58 > 0:22:03but as you reach its top, you realise the two are separated by a mighty chasm.
0:22:05 > 0:22:12The most handsome crag in Lakeland is now staring you in the face, but, as Wainwright makes unusually
0:22:12 > 0:22:16clear, this is as close as one gets without ropes and a harness.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24'Pillar Rock is positively out of bounds.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27'Don't even try to get a foothold on it.
0:22:27 > 0:22:31'The climbing guides mention easy routes, but these are not easy
0:22:31 > 0:22:36'for a walker who is not a climber, and lead into dangerous situations.'
0:22:40 > 0:22:42Rock climbers, or "crag rats"
0:22:42 > 0:22:46as they're known in these parts, are drawn to Pillar by its history.
0:22:46 > 0:22:51The main jagged peak at the centre was first conquered in 1826
0:22:51 > 0:22:55and arguably marked the birth of an entire sport in this country.
0:23:00 > 0:23:05My route past the peak of Pillar Rock traverses the top of Walker's Gully,
0:23:05 > 0:23:11but, like the Rock, this is actually no place for walkers, quite the opposite, in fact,
0:23:11 > 0:23:17for this ever-steepening crack is where a man named Walker once tried to descend the mountain.
0:23:17 > 0:23:21It was a decision that cost him his life.
0:23:23 > 0:23:27Above the rock, my ascent suddenly becomes very exposed.
0:23:27 > 0:23:31There's a direct climb of 400ft left,
0:23:31 > 0:23:34not helped by the fact it's just starting to rain.
0:23:41 > 0:23:47I might not have to tackle the Rock, but this is pretty intense scrambling!
0:24:06 > 0:24:11Final hurdle, just make the rock nice and wet why don't you?
0:24:11 > 0:24:13Thank you.
0:24:21 > 0:24:25As you approach the summit, you can see much further down the valley.
0:24:25 > 0:24:29It's clear there really is some severe weather in the area.
0:24:29 > 0:24:34A twisting column of rain cloud is passing some way to the north.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36Not a time to be hanging around.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42Nearly there now, I can smell the summit.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45But the weather can't make up its mind. The sun is back out.
0:24:45 > 0:24:49And look, a little rainbow, a little bit of magic on the way up.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55To the south, sunshine.
0:24:55 > 0:24:59To the north, storms.
0:24:59 > 0:25:03This is the sort of weather the Lakes are famous for.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06You end up playing a guessing game, wondering if the bad weather in the
0:25:06 > 0:25:08neighbouring valley will ever reach you.
0:25:08 > 0:25:13But at this late stage, the threat of rain isn't going to stop me reaching the top.
0:25:16 > 0:25:17Nearly there,
0:25:17 > 0:25:19final few steps.
0:25:25 > 0:25:26Ah, blimey,
0:25:26 > 0:25:30all that climbing, all those rocks,
0:25:30 > 0:25:32and it's completely flat!
0:25:34 > 0:25:38Ah, but look, that is the first proper view
0:25:38 > 0:25:42of Ennerdale Water, which looks as if it's
0:25:42 > 0:25:44underneath a big old rainstorm.
0:25:44 > 0:25:46I can hear thunder over thataway.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51And if you look round to the north,
0:25:51 > 0:25:56far, far, far beyond the hills, that's actually Scotland.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01It always feels good to get to the top of a summit.
0:26:07 > 0:26:11On a clearer day than today, I'd be able to see the entire
0:26:11 > 0:26:15Cumbrian coastline from this western edge of the Lake District.
0:26:15 > 0:26:20From the Scottish hills right round to Morecambe in the south.
0:26:20 > 0:26:25Today, though, only the giant tops of Scafell and Scafell Pike are clearly visible,
0:26:25 > 0:26:34and disappearing into the haze, a vast number of peaks, all of them charted in detail by A Wainwright.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38This little book was the final instalment of Wainwright's pictorial
0:26:38 > 0:26:43guides, but the real closing chapter is over there in the east.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46Above the tiny youth hostel
0:26:46 > 0:26:51lies Haystacks, which is a walk I've done, and, of course,
0:26:51 > 0:26:53it's AW's final resting place.
0:26:55 > 0:26:59Directly across the valley, with Pillar standing guard
0:26:59 > 0:27:03in the background stands the lowly summit of Haystacks.
0:27:03 > 0:27:09In 1991, this is where Betty Wainwright came to sprinkle her late husband's ashes,
0:27:09 > 0:27:13to be forever amongst the hills that had given him so much.
0:27:14 > 0:27:20In my walks so far, I've only touched the surface of one man's life ambition.
0:27:20 > 0:27:27Alfred Wainwright left us with a seven-volume, 2,180-page guide.
0:27:27 > 0:27:33It was, he said, his love letter to the English Lakes.
0:27:33 > 0:27:40In 1965, it was here, on the fells around Ennerdale, that Wainwright finished his final pictorial guide.
0:27:40 > 0:27:45His plan was to climb and to walk in the summer and to write during the winter.
0:27:45 > 0:27:47He thought it would take about 13 years.
0:27:47 > 0:27:49He finished one week early.
0:27:57 > 0:28:03'The fleeting hour of life of those who love the hills is quickly spent,
0:28:03 > 0:28:06'but the hills are eternal.
0:28:08 > 0:28:12'Those who seek and find while there is yet time
0:28:12 > 0:28:15'will be blessed both in mind and body.
0:28:15 > 0:28:23'There will be fair winds and foul, days of sun and days of rain.
0:28:23 > 0:28:25'But enjoy them all.'
0:28:39 > 0:28:43Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:28:44 > 0:28:46E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk