Vivienne Crow’s Guide to 60 Unmissable Walks in the Lake District
Vivienne Crow is one of the UK’s most respected outdoor writers, with a deep-rooted passion for walking that began on a muddy field trip and blossomed into a fabulous career and a lifelong love of the hills.
Her latest book, Outstanding Walks: Lake District (which launches for sale on October 3rd) includes 60 of the best walks in the Lake District. However it’s more than just a guide, it’s a labour of love and an invitation to explore the region’s most inspiring landscapes, from iconic peaks to more hidden corners.
Beautifully designed to sit proudly on any coffee table, Outstanding Walks: Lake District is as visually inspiring as it is informative, blending stunning photography with rich detail. It’s the ideal gift for an outdoor lover.
Meet Outdoor Expert Vivienne Crow
In this interview, Vivienne shares the story of how she fell in love with hiking, what makes the Lake District so special, and how her new book differs from her previous guides. She talks about the joy of rediscovering old photos, the challenge of narrowing down 60 walks, and her excitement about lesser-known routes like the quieter side of Skiddaw.
We also discuss how walking culture has evolved, especially for female hikers, and her thoughts on the role of outdoor influencers in shaping how people engage with nature.
Did you grow up walking in the outdoors, or was it something you discovered later in life.
I grew up in London and my parents didn’t have a car, so my access to the countryside was limited. I knew though that I enjoyed walking, even if it was just the 15km home to Hanwell from the West End, a route along a busy main road through Shepherds Bush, Acton and Ealing Broadway. (Radically different to the sort of walking I enjoy now!)
Was there a particular walk or moment that made you fall in love with hiking?
It was on an A’ level geography field trip to the Isle of Wight that I realised how uplifting a simple walk in the countryside could be. I was on my own, doing a land use survey with the help of my very first OS map – which I still have!
I’d trudged through ploughed, muddy fields and battled my way through brambles and hawthorns to reach the top of a little chalk hill, St Catherine’s Down. It’s little more than 230m above sea level, but, sweating and scratched to bits, I’d never before experienced such a sense of elation and freedom as when I stood on that hilltop looking out to sea. I was hooked from that moment on.
What makes the Lake District such a special place for walkers, in your view?
I could wax lyrical about the scenery – the lakes, the fells, the valleys, the woods – and, of course, all of that is very, very special. But the thing that makes it such a special place for walkers is the fact that all of that wonderful scenery is easily accessible. It’s a relatively compact group of hills, with no single point more than a few kilometres from the nearest road. And once you’ve stepped off the bus or out of your car, exploring that landscape is made possible by a massive network of footpaths and vast areas of access land.
There are beautiful valley or low-fell routes for those who don’t want or aren’t able to reach the higher ground. And, for those with their sights set on the high summits… well, this isn’t the Alps. This isn’t the domain of the hardened mountaineer; as long as weather conditions allow, these are very egalitarian mountains!
In what way is Outstanding Walks: Lake District different from your previous guides and what did you love most about creating it?
My other guidebooks have been very much about leading people through the landscape, with detailed route descriptions; this book isn’t intended to be used in the field, it’s more about inspiring readers, with ideas about where to go. There’s usually some scope, within a detailed route description, to talk about what the walker is likely to see, but this book enabled me to go into greater detail about the landscape, the heritage features, the wildlife, local characters… all sorts of things. And I welcomed that opportunity. I also loved the chance to spend long winter days going back through my digital photo library – tens of thousands of images covering 20 years of wonderful Lake District memories. It was very easy to forget I was working!
How has your relationship with walking evolved over the years, and what led you to start writing about it professionally?
My love affair with the hills proper began when I went to university – in Sheffield; possibly one of the best-placed English universities for outdoor enthusiasts at the time. Five years later, my partner Heleyne and I moved to the flatlands of Northamptonshire for work, but we missed the hills so much that, after several years, we started looking for work in the north of England. Top of the wish list – Cumbria. And that’s where we ended up. I worked as a sub-editor on the local newspaper in Carlisle for five years and then the two of us decided to rent out our house and go travelling for a year. When we returned, I went freelance: doing some subbing, writing a few travel features and writing a weekly walking column for my former newspaper. To cut an extremely long story short – because I realise this is already starting to sound like an autobiography! – that column, which I wrote for 17 years, became the foundation of a completely new career in outdoor writing.
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Go to the shopHow did you go about selecting the walks featured in the book and was it difficult to narrow them down?
There are 60 walks in the book and I worked with my editor, Kevin Freeborn, to come up with a range of walks chosen to showcase the best of Cumbria and the Lake District – its landscape, its wildlife, its history. Most walks were taken from existing books in the Pathfinder and Short Walks Made Easy series – many of which I’ve worked on with Kevin – so that made the selection a little easier. I also added a few, less well-known routes that I’ve come to love during my 30 years of living and hiking in Cumbria.
Are there any lesser-known or unexpected routes in the book that you’re especially excited for readers to discover?
I’m always excited to share my love of the Lakes, but I particularly enjoy sharing my passion for leaving the crowds behind on the most popular mountains and finding routes that have a greater sense of remoteness. I think the Skiddaw route in Outstanding Walks Lake District has that in abundance: it climbs England’s fourth highest mountain via the busy ‘tourist path’ but then returns via much lonelier country.
How do you recommend building confidence in the outdoors for those new to hiking or nervous about navigation, especially when hiking solo?
If you are at all nervous about hiking, then it’s probably better to go out with friends or walking groups who have a little more experience – and simply build confidence that way. But don’t attempt anything too challenging on your first outing; if, for instance, you’re at all nervous about grappling with rock or you’re unsure of your head for heights, Striding Edge can wait!
If you’re hiking solo, it’s even more important to start off gently – probably on a valley walk or a low fell. Choosing a popular route is a good idea because there are always people around to offer help or support if you need it. And choose days when the weather is reasonably good. You’re almost guaranteed to put yourself off hiking for life if your first experience of the hills is of getting cold, wet and lost in low cloud on Helvellyn.
I learned basic map-reading skills by using maps in conjunction with reliable guidebooks, but signing up for a navigational skills workshop can also be a great starting point. There are lots available all around the country.
Outdoor influencers have a huge reach these days. What are your thoughts on their role in shaping how people engage with walking and the countryside? Are there any messages or values you feel they should be sharing more often?
It’s great that outdoor influencers are sharing their passion for the countryside and introducing more and more people to the wonderful experiences they can have in the great outdoors – social media is no different to any other channel of mass communication in that sense; it just reaches an often different and usually larger audience. And it’s no different from other media in the sense that it comes with responsibilities too; influencers need to be aware of the effect their words and images might have. By showing respect for the landscape, the wildlife, the local people or other outdoor users, they’re setting an example.
As a woman who’s spent years exploring and writing about the outdoors, have you noticed any changes in how women engage with hiking and walking culture?
Oh yes! Massive changes! And the biggest of all is in the numbers… Even just 25 years ago when I first started hiking solo on the fells, I rarely encountered other women unless they were with men. Now, I see almost as many lone women as I see lone men. That’s reflected in all sorts of things, including in outdoor magazines, guidebook writing and social media, where there are now large numbers of female contributors. And that, in turn, inspires more women to take to the outdoors. I think it was Billie Jean King who popularised the phrase, “You have to see it to be it.” Well, that goes for hiking as much as it does for tennis or any other activity where there is an imbalance in the demographic of those empowered to take part. Long may those numbers continue to rise!
Find out more about Vivienne on her website www.viviennecrow.co.uk and visit our Women Outdoor’s Hub for more stories of inspiring women.
After hearing Vivienne talk so passionately about her love of the Lake District National Park, it’s easy to see how Outstanding Walks: Lake District came together with such care and insight. With 60 handpicked walks, 48 must-see sites and 42 picture essay locations, it brings together over 300 inspirational features across the Lake District and Cumbria. From gentle strolls to full-day hikes it’s designed to cater to all abilities and schedules.
The book makes an ideal gift for an outdoor lover. Beautifully illustrated and designed to inspire, whether you’re planning your next adventure or simply enjoying the view from your armchair. With practical details, local knowledge and a free OS Maps digital subscription included, it’s a guide that brings the outdoors to life — and makes you want to get out there and experience it for yourself.
Outstanding Walks: Lake District is available from October 3rd. Whether you’re planning your next hike or dreaming from your kitchen table, this book is the perfect companion for exploring the Lakes.
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OS Shop
We are with you every step of the way. Shop our trusted walking and hiking maps and guidebooks so you can explore the outdoors with confidence.
Go to the shop
