Bassenthwaite Lake

Bosses of a Lakeland landscape scheme are looking for volunteer walkers to top off the project in style before it closes.

Bassenthwaite Reflections aims to find teams to scale every fell over 2,000ft (610m) in the area as part of a finale for the scheme which is winding up after supporting 30 projects around Bassenthwaite Lake.

Proceeds from the finale walks will go to the Fix the Fells project that repairs upland paths in the Lake District.

There are 40 peaks up for grabs, from England’s third highest mountain Helvellyn to the more modest Rosthwaite Fell, just over the mark at 612m (2,008ft), and Martin Varley, who heads Bassenthwaite Reflections, said he wanted the finale to bring people of all ages together, rather than making the event a race to the tops.

He said: “This is for everyone who enjoys walking and wants to help us pay tribute to this fantastic place. We are looking for individuals to help make up teams, families, community groups and businesses.

“People can choose a peak, so it might be 3,117ft [950m] Helvellyn, the Lake District’s third highest peak, or a modest fell like Rosthwaite, in Borrowdale. As far as we know, this hasn’t been done before, so on 19 September, we’ll be making history.

“To have all 40 summits covered we are going to need around 150 contenders. Naturally there will be a Reflections’ team and we want plenty of others to pick up the gauntlet and join us.”

The Reflection programme finishes in December and Mr Varley said the festival – from 15 to 19 September – would mark far-reaching achievements. Among other festival events are guided walks, archaeology events, a trip to a farm and viewing a wood fuel heating system – along with a chance to visit the Keswick sewage treatment works.

Bassenthwaite Reflections is a partnership of the Environment Agency, Lake District National Park Authority, National Trust, Forestry Commission, Grampus Heritage and Training and Cumbria County Council. It received £2.8m of Heritage Lottery funding and its 30 projects ranged from creating new footpaths to tracing Borrowdale place-names. All were based in the lake’s water catchment area and were designed to increase the understanding of the landscape’s special qualities.

Details of the festival events are on the Bassenthwaite Reflections website and can also be obtained by phoning 017687 73204 or emailing the team.