The Lake

The author was born in Oklahoma in 1934 and moved to England with his parents and sister in 1939. At the outbreak of War he returned to Oklahoma with his mother and sister, though his father remained in England. At the end of the War the family was reunited in England. During the following years the family spent many summers by the Lake of Geneva, Switzerland. It was partly these memories which brought the author to revisit the Lake, and partly his interest in the great figures of the Romantic movement associated with the Lake. In particular, he retraced the voyage which the poets Byron and Shelley took around the Lake in the summer of 1816. Apart from Byron and Shelley this brought the author to reflect on the lives, thought and careers of other persons associated with the Lake, including Mary Shelley, Edward Gibbon, J-J Rousseau, William Beckford, Benjamin Constant and Mme de Stael, reminders of whom he encountered in the course of his week on the Lake.

This guide describes ascents of 32 Lake District fells that can be climbed from the Buttermere, Crummock, Loweswater and Newlands valleys, including Haystacks, a perennial favourite, and the mighty Grasmoor. An exceptionally scenic corner of Lakeland, the mountains here are characterised by striking ridges, dramatic crags and heather-clad slopes. The walking opportunities are as varied as they are pleasurable, promising spectacular views of the surrounding lakes, fells and valleys and many memorable adventures. Unlike other guidebooks which describe a single or limited number of routes to a particular destination, the aim of the Walking the Lake District Fells series is to offer all the options. These are presented as numbered sections which can be combined to create infinite possibilities - from simple ascents to longer ridge routes. You'll find the classics and popular routes alongside less traditional alternatives perfect for the wandering spirit. The series gives you both the freedom to devise your own routes and the information to make informed decisions, thanks to the clear descriptions of the routes, terrain, hazards, interesting features and safe descent paths should the weather close in. Also included are a handful of classic ridge routes for longer fell days. Mark Richards' inimitable text is complemented by HARVEY mapping and the author's own beautiful sketch topos and panoramas. Perfect for keen hillwalkers and peak-baggers alike and ideal both for pre-planning and use on the hill, Walking the Lake District Fells is the new incarnation of the Fellranger series, which sees the volumes updated and trimmed to a more practical size. These true connoisseurs' guides are sure to inspire you to get out and explore the beautiful fells of Lakeland. For those collecting fell summits, a 'Fellrangers' hill list register can be found on the Long Distance Walkers Association website.

This is the first comprehensive study of an east African lake for thirty years. It represents the culmination of research expeditions which stretch back twenty years and is thus able to pick up long term changes which the individual research activities do not reveal. Lake Naivasha is a tropical lake whose natural fluctuations are now dwarfed by human impacts. Papers show how the irrigation for horticulture and power cooling has reduced the lake depth significantly; exotic arrivals have altered the plant community beyond recognition and its commercial value as a fishery and a tourist feature are reduced by over use. Despite this, the lake has considerable conservation value at present. It provides a different case study in the ever-growing library of the effects of human follies. Lake Naivasha has achieved global importance in the past ten years because its waters are used to sustain the largest horticultural industry in Africa. The book highlights its fragility under such pressure and points out the way towards sustainable use of the water and the ecosystem.

The book presents results of the Defragmenting African Resource Management (DARMA) Project covering the Lake Chilwa basin in Malawi. The central theme is that, in order to ensure resource base sustainability, research and management within the basin should adopt an ecosystems approach. Presently, research and management of the basin is sector-based, hence resource user conflicts are increasing. User demand for various resources is increasing rapidly, mainly due to population increase and lack of alternative economic activities, thereby presenting challenges to sustainable resource management. Specific areas of sectoral interconnections are highlighted and defragmentation options suggested. (Series: Defragmenting African Resource Management [DARMA] - Vol. 1)