Sharkey's Dream - About me


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About Me

My name is Paul Sharkey and I live in Wigan Lancashire which is roughly about an hour’s drive from the south of Lakeland. I guess I started my Fell Walking career by means of a way to keep fit whilst at the same time enjoying the fantastic scenery the Lake District has to offer.

It all started back in 2006 whilst on a camping trip based at Pooley Bridge, Ullswater, back then I was 32 years old and was recovering from various footballing injuries ie: broken fibular back in 2005 and after that, two badly damaged cruciate ligaments, my twenties wild days were well behind me, in fact, due to starting a family at a young age I never really had a wild era, family came first I guess.

So, let’s get back to that Ullswater campsite, because it was whilst there did my passion for the Lake District begin as I watched the sun go down behind the eastern fells, back then the fells looked like obstacles of which I would never get over. I shared that night with a good friend Steve Harrison, with the light fading and the midges biting I uttered the words "I'm going to climb all these fells one day" I think if I'm right in thinking Ste's reply was ever so enthusiastic somewhere along the lines of "are yer Sharkey" We may have had a few alcoholic beverages beforehand but deep down I meant every word I'd said.

The first snow of winter, November 2015

Before long Steve and I were planning singular fell walks around the Lake District, our first of which was Helm Crag from Grasmere followed by two consecutive tours of High Street then Helvellyn. By then it was mid 2008 an era when I look back did my love for the Lakeland Fells begin.

Steve and I continued to walk conquering Scafell Pike and even Ben Nevis before my career as a novice fell walker began, I guess I couldn't blame Steve one bit as my eagerness overtook Steve's own ambition to be on the fells, before I knew it I was returning to Mardale unrecorded, over and over, it was during those early years did I teach myself to self-navigate whilst at the same time when I wasn't on the fells, I more than likely had my head buried in various Ordnance Survey maps.

When I look back over 2006-07 at those unrecorded walks memories remain on how much I wanted to share my experiences, back then I didn't even own a camera with the exceptions of a mobile phone that simply wasn't fit for purpose! Years on my enthusiasm hasn't faltered, if anything it grows and will continue to grow as long as I have the legs that will carry me to the fells, through the valleys and around the beautiful lakes.

By November 2011 I had self-navigated my way around all 214 Wainwright Fells, it was also during those years did my passion for Lakeland and indeed fell walking take over my life. I am often asked what are my new goals and for now my answer is simple, I don’t have any...I started this website to share my walks, I named it Sharkey's Dream, simply because I never ever thought I'd be able to climb all the Wainwrights and with that goal achieved all I want to do is enjoy my fell walking.

I hope all that makes some sense.

TGO Magazine ‘5 great Lake District blogs’

Please click the image to view more on this article.

July 2017

September 2021

Below are the original images of my hand written pages of all the Wainwright Fells where week by week, month by month I was able to cross a highlighter through them, those pages will always mean more to me than just a figure, I guess they can be called my legacy in a sense, this website together with my fell walking, my passion.

Paul Sharkey 2009