Celebrating Movement, Wellbeing and the Joy of the Outdoors
In October 2025, Cycling Without Age Stockton’s lead ambassador, Alison Watson-Shields, completed the 40 for 40 challenge: climbing forty Wainwright fells in the year she turned forty. The journey took her through valleys, ridges and summits across the Lake District and became a powerful reflection on movement, confidence, resilience and the importance of time spent outdoors.
Although a personal challenge, the experience echoed the values at the heart of Cycling Without Age Stockton: that movement should be accessible, joyful and shared, and that outdoor experiences can transform wellbeing at any age.
The 40 Wainwrights
- Latrigg
- Castle Crag
- Fellbarrow
- Low Fell
- Barf
- Lord’s Seat
- Broom Fell
- Hallin Fell
- Sale Fell
- Ling Fell
- Great Mell Fell
- Little Mell Fell
- Glenridding Dodd
- Sheffield Pike
- Loughrigg Fell
- Black Fell
- Gowbarrow Fell
- Arthur’s Pike
- Bonscale Pike
- Arnison Crag
- Birks
- Barrow
- Outerside
- Raven Crag
- Holme Fell
- Silver How
- Burnbank Fell
- Blake Fell
- Gavel Fell
- Knott Rigg
- Ard Crag
- Binsey
- Carlside
- Skiddaw
- Walla Crag
- Bleaberry Fell
- High Seat
- High Rigg
- Cat Bells
- Maiden Moor
The Power of Outdoor Movement
The challenge became a year-long reminder of what many Cycling Without Age passengers describe during trishaw rides: that fresh air changes how a person feels. Being outdoors can restore energy, calm worries, and bring gentle confidence even on difficult days. Each walk reinforced that outdoor movement does not need to be fast or demanding — it simply needs to be accessible, meaningful and paced with care.
Highlights, Hurdles and Hilltop Memories
Walk 1: Latrigg – A Sudden Reality Check
Only one kilometre into the first walk, Alison wondered whether she had been overly ambitious. The climb felt bigger than expected, but reaching the summit set the foundation for the months ahead: slow, steady progress, taking in the views, and embracing the challenge with humour.
Walk 4: The First Scramble and a Muddy Mishap
This walk included the first serious vertical scramble of the challenge. It was steep, intimidating and nearly ended the day early. To add comedy to tension, Mark became stuck in mud mid-route, offering much-needed laughter at just the right time.
Walk 9: The Most Difficult Walk
Sideways rain, bogs, fog and narrow edges made Walk 9 the most demanding of all forty. Alison described it as the moment she relied on the same mindset often shared by trishaw passengers: “just keep going one small bit at a time.”
Walk 10: Loughrigg – The Unexpected Slide
A routine descent turned suddenly into a slip down the side of the fell, resulting in torn leggings, a grazed arm and a slightly dented sense of balance.
Walk 11: The Famous ‘Rock That Wasn’t’
What looked like a large boulder ahead was, in fact, a decomposing cow. The speed at which Alison moved away from it was among her quickest of the entire challenge.
Walk 20: Knott Rigg & Ard Crag – Walking With No Feeling in One Leg
A jump over a stream resulted in a pinched sciatic nerve and complete numbness in one leg. Despite the shock, the walk continued safely and steadily. This incident later linked to a slipped disc confirmed on 26 June, meaning eight of the final walks were completed while managing a significant spinal injury, under osteopath guidance.
Walking Through Injury
For much of the summer, Alison walked with a protruding disc and intermittent nerve symptoms. Progress became slower, rests more frequent and routes more considered. This period mirrored the experiences of many people who use CWA Stockton’s services, who often describe adapting to changing mobility with courage, creativity and acceptance. The challenge became not just physical, but a deep appreciation of movement in all its forms.
Shared Movement and Outdoor Connection
Some of the most meaningful moments came not from the summits but from the shared journey: conversations between climbs, moments of stillness to admire a ridge line, laughter during difficult scrambles, and the quiet satisfaction of reaching each top together. These mirrored the experiences seen on trishaw rides — moments of connection, joy, memory and companionship brought alive simply by being outdoors.
Walk 25: The Final Summit (Without a Trig Point)
The final walk delivered a gentle surprise: no trig point at the top. After 39 summits marked with pillars or stones, the last simply ended without ceremony. Yet it carried its own sense of completion — quiet, reflective and full of accomplishment.
What the Numbers Reveal
- Total walking time: 5,609 minutes (93.5 hours)
- Total distance: 206.05 km (128 miles)
- Total elevation climbed: 11,445 metres
- Total steps: 310,486
- Average pace: 28 minutes per km
- Average heart rate: 128 bpm
- Average temperature: 12°C
Standout achievements included:
- Longest walk: Walla Crag, Bleaberry Fell & High Seat – 13.8 km
- Fastest summit: Little Mell Fell in 51 minutes
- Highest calorie burn: Carlside & Skiddaw – 2,989 calories
- Most elevation in one day: 867 metres
Countdown to the Next Adventure
A full series of photos and videos from all forty summits will be shared in the run-up to Alison’s next birthday across Cycling Without Age Stockton’s social media platforms, including YouTube. The countdown will celebrate movement, nature and the joy that comes from stepping — or riding — into the outdoors.
Supporting Cycling Without Age Stockton
The 40 for 40 challenge raised funds to support free and low-cost trishaw rides, helping older people, disabled people and those with mobility concerns enjoy wind in their hair and freedom in their days. The final fundraising total will be confirmed at the end of the year.
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