Nick Hallissey, Deputy Editor

Miles walked this month: 122

Arwen’s wrath

On a trip to the Lakes this month I headed to one of my favourite secret places: Lanty’s Tarn, behind the little hill of Keldas above Glenridding. I first came here as a kid and returned since with friends, wife, and children. Got stopped in my tracks though: the path around the tarn has been closed off after Storm Arwen toppled its flanking pines back in November, blocking the path completely. Easy to forget how much damage storm season does – and how long it lasts.

Great snakes!

As a Tintin nut of old,

I was delighted to find my hero and Snowy (wooah wooah) taking a break in the Rambler’s

Bar at the Inn on the

Lake in Glenridding. Even better, it’s an image from my favourite Tintin book,

Tintin in Tibet, in which he hikes both the Alps and the Himalayas. No idea what connects him to Glenridding, but I’m glad he’s there.

Sorry, Stuart

Our columnist

Stuart Maconie has quite the crusade against the rising popularity of wild swimming (he had a dig at it again on

Radio 6 Music the other day). I don’t know how to break it to him that I’ve decided to try and swim in all the lakes and tarns in the Lake District before I shuffle off. I’m currently on seven out of a rumoured 213, so don’t worry Stuart. It’ll take me a while. Note to self: Imagine what the plot of Tintin in Glenridding would actually be.