🏞 Day 4: Fawns, Feels & the Perfect Finale

Day 4 of 4 – Lake District Trip #6 of 2025

Date: July 27, 2025

📍Route: Rosthwaite → Grange Fell → Great Crag

📏Distance: 8.7 km

⬆️Ascent: 563 m

⛰️Wainwrights: 2

Birketts: 2

Weather: Cloudy skies, no wind - the perfect hiking weather. No blazing sun, no rain, no drama. Just soft light and stunning views.

Mood: Reflective, joyful, peaceful. Emotional at times (unexpectedly so), but in the best way. A bounce in my step, a smile on my face, and full heart energy by the lake. 💚

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After the Mordor cosplay that was Day 2, I wasn’t exactly holding my breath for the Central Fells to redeem themselves. I’ve tried them twice before, and both times the weather was like: “Welcome to hell. Enjoy the view (there isn't one).”

But… third time lucky?

Spoiler alert: YES. YES IT WAS.

🎒 Pack Light, Feel Lighter

I started the day with a tiny backpack filled with snacks, a Belvita, one Boost, and 500 ml of water. No sandwich crimes today. Just pure, unburdened Mira energy. I knew it’d be a short one, 3 hours max. And after three long days on my feet, my soul said "yes" to a gentler pace.

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🦌 Fawn of the Dead (but make it cute)

Half an hour in, alone on a ferny hillside, I heard a rustle and suddenly a young fawn burst out in front of me like some magical Lakeland jump scare.

No one else was around.

Just me, the bracken, and Bambi’s mini-me bolting downhill.

Honestly, highlight of my morning.

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🏔 Grange Fell: Wainwright #200

My first summit of the day and my 200th Wainwright - Grange Fell.

Touching that cairn, I actually felt it. Joy.

Gratitude.

Pride.

Maybe even a little disbelief. I’ve walked every one of those peaks into my memory . I remember each one: what happened, how I felt, what chaos unfolded.

This one? Pure happiness.

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🌤 Great Crag: #201, Views for Days

Onward to Great Crag, in what I can only describe as perfect hiking weather: no sunburn, no wind, no drizzle.

Just moody clouds, soft light, and me bouncing along the ridgeline like a woman who’d finally forgiven the Central Fells for their crimes.

I took my time descending.

I stood often.

I stared even more.

I could name every peak around me - Glaramara, Bowfell, Dale Head, Great Gable (obviously). I joke I’m going to name my shed “Great Gable” because I talk about it so much. But honestly? It’s not really a joke.

📸 "Excuse me, would you like a photo?"

On the way down, I offered to take a group’s picture.

That turned into a chat, which turned into me saying I’ve done 201 Wainwrights, which turned into some very amazed faces.

It’s always surreal when I say it out loud - 201!

Two hundred and one. 🙃

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🥟 Keswick Traditions & Emotional Exits

No Lake District trip is complete without my sacred Keswick ritual. I wandered into town and gave myself the full works:

• A pint 🍺

• A very nice vegetarian pasty 🥟

• Ice cream (because of course) 🍦

• A long, slow walk around Derwentwater 🚶‍♀️

• And then I sat at the lake’s edge, soaking in the views, not wanting to leave.

I never want to leave.

I say that every time.

And every time, I mean it.

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🧭 Trip Totals:

• Wainwrights this trip: 13

• Wainwrights total: 201

• Wainwrights left: 13

I wanted to finish this trip with exactly 13 left and somehow, I did.

Planned chaos or divine mountain maths? Who knows. But it feels right.

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🔜 Next Stop: The Pre-Final Push

Mid-August, I’m heading back for what will be my second-to-last Lake District trip.

The plan?

Tackle 7 Patterdale peaks, including the legendary Striding Edge which, surprisingly, I’m actually looking forward to.

If all goes to plan, I’ll be left with just 2 Wainwrights. The final duo waiting for me at the end of August in Wasdale.

The grand finale.

The emotional crescendo.  A quiet moment at the cairn, where every step, storm, and summit will come together and I’ll finally let it all sink in.

Stay tuned. The end is in sight and it’s going to be glorious. 🏔️💚

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Peaks bagged:

⛰️ Grange Fell (417 m)

⛰️ Great Crag (Stonethwaite) (449 m)