I try and get up to the lakes a least a couple of times a month. Just recently completed the wainwrights in under twelve months and I am currently doing the Birkett's. They are every fell over a 1000ft in lakeland, 541 in total.
My wife and I did the coast to coast in early September and like yourself got caught out in some pretty awful weather, but loved it.
Would like to try some walking in Scotland next year(sent off for the Munro Almanac) and are looking at doing the West Highland Way possibly in May.
Happy wondering....Darren.

\darren,
I have done 147 Munro's in under three years and did the WHW a few years ago. Ive got about 70 Wainwrights to do, but have done many of the highest Lakeland peaks countless times, having not bothered with the lower Wainwrights. I will be up on Great Gable on remembrance Sunday as usual in November along with a couple thousand others no doubt.
Dave.

You're more than half way throught the Munro's, keep up the good work. What did you think of the WHW? Some of the Wainwrights are quite tedious, but once you've started you may as well finish! We will also be up Great Gable on remembrance Sunday this year but not decided on which route to take yet. Tried to get in a YHA the previous night but all are booked up.

Correction...Black Sail and Honister YHA are booked up. They were my first two choices.

WHW, great for company and evenings in the pub. Great mountain views, mostly from valley level though. Too many military roads or tracks for my liking, but its definetly worth doing and I did enjoy it.
Like last year I will be starting out early from Ennerdale car park. Then straight up the valley to Beck Head and back via Kirk Fell the climbers traverse and Shamrock traverse by Pillar Rock to Pillars summit and descend via its North West ridge to Gillerthwaite.
Dave.

HELP!! The bloody wainwright worshiping coast to coasters are taking over the pennine way board.......

Cheers Dave, WHW looks like being a definate for next May. Good route you have picked for remembrance sunday, weather permitting. Pillar Rock is a Birkett, god knows how i am going to tick that one off.
Calm down Nick, you must admit though that Wainwright was a genius....and a Lancastrian...lancashire la la la.
All the best Darren.

Reasons not to think much of miserable wainwright:

He was a miserable git who popularised walking in a way few others have, but.....

He was no friend of the pennines, peoples perception has been ruined by what he wrote.

Once he had popularised the lakes, he then spent the rest of his days moaning about how many people walked on the hills (if he didn't want to make them popular he shouldn't have done the guides for his 30 pieces of silver)

Oh and he didn't like the pennine way (not enough pretty waterfalls)

And last but not least..... he was a bloody lancastrian

Happy walking

Re "30 pieces of silver", see the following regarding his charity work and I live in Yorkshire!:-

http://www.wainwright.org.uk/article/kapellan.html

All I can say Nick, is Wainwright or not, I love the Lakes, Scotland, The Peak and the Pennines, Wales, the Himalaya The Alps, in fact anywhere there sre hills and mountains. However I am not a footpath lover even though I do, do the LDP's. I once bumped into the renowned mountain photographer Gordon Stainforth on Great Gables summit at 6am one Sunday morning. During our discussiuon I remarked that in my opinion we should all get off the paths and find our own way from A to B. I was surpised when he instantly agreed and stated that well known saying "Every man, his own pathmaker" He was later to refer to that very remark in the book he was working on at the time, his book simply titled "Lakeland" and recounted his cold night spent in the summit of Great Gable.
Dave.