UKC

Could anyone advise a decent route for a solo 2-3 day fast walk/run please in the Lake District? Stopping off at b and b/pubs for overnight. And about 10-15 miles per day. I'm planning a surprise for my husband. He's an experienced runner/walker and can happily use a map/compass and do a bit of scrambling where needed. But not completely fit right now, so no BGR in 24 hours type route! Ideally looking for a switch off for him for 2-3 days to enjoy the hills and challenge himself a bit but some down time in a comfy bed, away from work, kids etc! Don't mind circular or point to point. Thanks! 

Abraham’s Tea Room Round over 2 days would be good. Start and finish in Keswick. Stay overnight at the Bridge in Buttermere. 

https://www.georgefisher.co.uk/tearound

https://thebridgehotel.uk/

Must be loads of possibilities depending on where you want to go!

 If transport isn’t an issue, how about starting in Wasdale, going over Scafell Pike to Esk Hause, then up to Bowfell and down to Langdale (possibly via Crinkle Crags and Pike of Blisco if you want to add some extra). Stay the night e.g. at the Old Dungeon Ghyll.

Day 2 up to Harrison’s Stickle and High Raise, then down Far Easdale to Grasmere, up Fairfield and either over St Sunday Crag to finish at Patterdale or add Helvellyn and finish at Glenridding.

ah wonderful thanks so much for replying. This looks really good.

thank you! I'm going to do some planning. Too many great options. I was considering the lakes sections of either the coast to coast or the cumbrian way but perhaps that might be too much for a 3 day jaunt! 

You could book him some accommodation a suitable distance apart and leave him to work out how to get there from the start point. Maybe have the 2nd night address in a sealed envelope that he's not to open until he gets to the first overnight. I don't know if he likes silly things like that but my other half would love it.

oh gawd that's a great idea. I think he would LOVE that. I think I'll buy a map and take it from there. I walked a section of the Ridgeway solo last year, which is obviously waymarked and pretty flat, but it was so cathartic and good for the soul that I aim to get out by myself once a year for one or two days to do something similar and just be outside, and want to make my husband do it too as he would also love it but never gives himself time off to do something like this (kids, job etc etc) and he loves the mountains so yes, great idea!

You've not mentioned time of year, this could be relevant. 

Then I have a gift idea for you:

https://github.com/ripred/Reverse_Geocache_Box

If you want big long high lines (which is great if fitness isn’t quite up to normal) then look at the long N to S, (or S to N) lines....

Say Ambleside start, up one side of the Fairfield Horsehoe,  then on up over Helvellyn,  etc. You could book accommodation at either King's Head, or Lodge in the Vale. More ambitious,  carry on up to Threlkeld. Head around Blencathra (Doddick Fell is nice) then Skiddaw House, Skiddaw, and back to Keswick for another stop over or just a celebratory drink and a £2 bus ride back to the car. Or....

Start Troutbeck, up Garburn Road, then long run over the High Street Range.  Could overnight at Glenridding,  or carry on to Pooley Bridge  (Loadpot, Arthur's P etc). Transport back a bit more complicated as the direct bus over Kirkstone only runs in the summer. 

Main thing is climb early, stay high, run far!! Hope you sort something nice! 😁

Start Threlkeld, first day leg 2 of Bob Graham but from Fairfield finish down to Grasmere, wide range of accommodation. Or skip Fairfield and descend from Grisedale tarn to Grasmere.

Day 2 up to High Raise and leg 3 of BG (skip peaks en route and can descend to Wasdale head from esk hause if wanting shorter route) to Scafell Pike then descend to Wasdale for a night in the Wasdale Head Inn. (Alternatively shorten and descend to Borrowdale for a choice of accommodation).

Day 3 Gavel neese and Moses trod to Honister,  to finish at Keswick either low along west side of Borrowdale and Derwentwater or over Dale Head, high spy maiden moor catbells. 

Weather will be a factor but Leg one can be shortened anywhere by descending to A591 and hopping on a bus, Leg 2 is commiting but would be less so if you went for accommodation in Borrowdale as the route length could be adjusted up or down either way depending on conditions. Buses also run in Borrowdale if knackered and wanting to shorten day 3.

Time of year and hours of daylight will also be a factor. Could make it 2days by heading back from Grasmere to Borrowdale and Keswick.

What an excellent idea!

I love doing walks like this, especially linear walks where I am on a journey from A to B. I would focus on crossing a large chunk of the Lake District, starting say in the south west, and finishing in Keswick. There are so many possibilities.

Last summer I did a 3 day walk from Greenodd to Keswick via Scafell Pike with my eldest son (details on my wildaboutwalking blog), which could be adapted to include accommodation at the Newfield Inn in Dunnerdale, and somewhere in the top of Borrowdale (rather than wild camp, which is what we did).

Hopefully this link will work 

https://www.komoot.com/tour/1143304279?ref=wtd&share_token=aJjIsXDvc86j...

Lots of good suggestions in already, if I was planning something like that for myself with fixed dates for pre booked accommodation, I would try and look at overnight stops that could be linked by high level routes over summits and along ridges, but could also be linked by routes along valleys and over passes.

I love to be up on the tops if the weather is good, but would much prefer a low level walk mainly below the cloud base if its 50 m visibility and 40mph winds on the summits.

Maybe I'm soft.

Nope, just wisdom gained from experience. I've often said to people "I've done all that getting to summits in the cloud stuff when I was young".

Start in Langdale, walk to Wasdale, walk to Borrowdale, walk back to Langdale?

Or Langdale, Eskdale, Wasdale, Borrowdale.

Some great walks to be had. If you're willing to do a wild camp, Langdale to Wasdale (pub), then Wasdale to a high wild camp in a remote coombe above Ennerdale, then walk to Borrowdale (pub).

Something more low level and with I suspect, not having done it! easier nav could be the first half of the Cumbria Way from Ulverston to Keswick.  Forty odd miles with overnights in Coniston and Great Langdale.

https://cumbriaway.co.uk/cumbria-way-route/

I've used public transport on a few occasions to enable linear rather than circular options. There's a train that leaves the West Coast main line at Lancaster (or Carnforth) and goes round the Cumbria coast to Ravenglass. From there you could make your way inland to Keswick or anywhere else along the route of the 555 bus, which will get you back to Lancaster. It's also possible to get on/off this bus to enable linear walks. I've done Staveley to Keswick this way. Buses are still £2 a single journey so economical right now (but for how much longer?).

Couple of ideas to add to the mix...

Lakes 3000-ers plus a bit (or you could call it a poor person's Bob Graham minus a lot):

https://www.ukhillwalking.com/articles/destinations/the_big_routes_lakeland...

https://www.ukhillwalking.com/logbook/r/?i=483

Patterdale parish boundary:

https://www.ukhillwalking.com/logbook/r/?i=840

Now that would be an excellent way to spend 3 days. Have walked bits of the Cumbria Way, Ulverston to Coniston, and Langdale to Keswick, but don't know the route between Coniston and Langdale, looks like a short day - might be tempted to adjust the schedule, perhaps stay Torver on the first night, or press on over Stake Pass to Borrowdale on the second day.

Ulverston and Keswick do have the advantage of being good transport links. 

re: Coniston to Langdale

There are quite a few ways to make this longer, but the way I have done is to go straight across little Langdale and then do a circle around the head of the valley (Lingmell, Pike of Blisco, Crinkle crags etc - we did Bowfell and came down Rossett Gill). There are numerous ways off the route if you are having a bad day. 

In reply to katerinaemalina:
An alternative that I would consider would be to do some of the big race routes over a few days - e.g. Lakes in a Day or Lakes Traverse as I can see places to stop on both of these routes. It might inspire him!