When Alfred Wainwright was working on his pictorial guides to the Lake District, in the 1950’s and 60’s, he did not drive and would use the public transport of buses and trains to travel from Blackburn and then Kendal to access the fells. His first books, the Eastern Fells and Far Eastern Fells, were relatively close but transportation became more complicated when working further afield – though he did make use of car transport later with his wife and friends. In those days there would have been more public transport and a lot less cars on the roads. Over the years the number of visitors to the Lake District has grown greatly and also the use and reliance, by many, on cars.

The Eden Valley Mountaineering Club is based in Penrith and the Eden Valley, and at the AGM at the end of 2022 Robin Illingworth, a member of the Club, put out the idea of the Club collectively ascending all the Wainwrights without the use of a car during 2023. This challenge was duly taken up and members made their ways by bus, train, boat, bike and foot during the year to ascend the 214 fells detailed in the pictorial guidebooks of Alfred Wainwright.

Details of the ascents were recorded on the Club website and details of the various routes taken were on a special Facebook page. Author Ron Kenyon began to think about the idea of a book about this challenge and also much more to promote the use of public transport and getting folks to leave the car behind and this is his book.

The book is split into various chapters including the following -