Julia Bradbury

Julia Bradbury

Television presenter Julia Bradbury will climb a Lake District peak to help raise funds for rescuers later this year.

Ms Bradbury, who fronted the two series of Wainwright’s Walks for the BBC, will make the ascent of Pillar in Ennerdale as part of the Lakeland 214 Challenge. The event aims to put someone on every one of the hills detailed in Alfred Wainwright’s renowned pictorial guides during a nine-day period in May.

Money from the challenge will go to the Search and Rescue Dogs Association (Lakes) as well as the national SARDA organisation in England.

The Lakeland 214 Challenge is organised by the Wainwright Society, set up to keep alive the works of the Grumpy Old Fellwalker. This summer, Chris Jesty is due to complete the final revised book of Wainwright’s originals, including updated information on changes to routes that have happened since the Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells were published.

Pillar

Pillar

Radio 2 presenter Stuart Maconie has accepted the role of patron for the challenge and he will be climbing Scoat Fell, Pillar’s neighbour between Ennerdale and Wasdale.

Registration for the event – one peak per registration – will be opened to the public this Friday, 16 January. Members of the Wainwright Society have already blagged about 85 of the fells, which leaves another 130 free to register for. Entrants are asked to provide second and third choices.

Challenge participants are asked to contribute at least £10 for their entry. They must also join the Wainwright Society before they can register. Details will be on the society’s website from Friday, when the choice of fells available will also be on view.

The challenge runs from Saturday 9 May until Sunday 17 May. Choice of ascent day is left to the entrants.

Charity challenges in the Lake District are increasingly seen as putting a financial strain on mountain rescue teams as they have to take to the fells to get inexperienced walkers out of trouble. The Lakeland 214 is a chance to put some cash back into rescuers coffers.

Members of SARDA are all trained mountain rescuers who then undertake further training with search dogs to assist teams finding casualties.