There are twenty walks described in this guidebook, and one alternative (Walk 14 A Climb to Side Pike). Great Langdale is one of the best known and popular mountains valleys in the whole of Great Britain. Around its heads, Oxendale and Mickleden, are arrayed a rugged and spectacular skyline of high fells: The Langdale Pikes, Bowfell, Crinkle Crags, and Pike O'Blisco.

 A world of spectacular scenery whose fine ridges, airy tops, and rocky steeps have long been a favourite with hill walkers, mountaineers and rock climbers. However, as important as the high fells are, and they have been my great passion for over fifty years, they are only part of The Langdales experience.

In fact, there are two very beautiful Langdale Valleys. Each has its own intrinsic character and each a wealth of both low and high-level interest. Here,  using this guidebook, in addition to the stunning heights you will discover intriguing woods, cascading waterfalls, sublime tarns and a mere (a lake), mountain streams and rivers, calming meadows and the fascinating evidence of man's habitation of these special places since the stone age.

The walks selected offer a balanced range of difficulty and duration from easy valley and lakeside outings, with local cafes never far away, walks over moderate hills to very difficult routes over the high fells.  Each walk is presented on a double-page spread with a route summary, a walk description, a clear map outlining the walk, a Fact File box, and photographs illustrating the walk.

The Fact File gives you an instant reference to what you need to know about the walk:  CLASS  (Valley, Low Fell, Intermediate Fell or High Fell), LENGTH, TIME (the expected time it will take for a walker of average fitness and ability), DIFFICULTY (Easy, Mildly Difficult, Difficult and Very Difficult), START & FINISH (the location with Ordnance Survey map reference), Maps (the numbers of the Ordnance Survey maps that cover the walk - L is at the scale of !:50,000 and OL is at the larger scale of 1:25,000), HOSTELRIES which detail inns and cafes to be found on or nearby the walk.

They say one photograph is worth a thousand words and within this book, there are a number of additional photographs, of or taken on,  a featured walk. Each has been chosen to reflect the sublime beauty and variety of the walk and the area. All photographs are captioned and referenced on page [ii].

The ring-binding keeps the guidebook flat in your pocket and always allows it to open on the page of your chosen walk.