The power of solitude and summits at sunrise

Alec Waters has decided to take on a personal challenge to complete the 214 Wainwright peaks dotted across the Lake District as he combines his love of the fells and photography. The 39-year-old self-taught photographer has produced stunning images of the Lakes over the last four years in what has become a fundamental element of his wellbeing.

“The picture is the bonus, but the process of putting my prosthetics on and being self-sufficient brings back a real feeling of independence and confidence that I’m still living a relatively normal life,” said Alec, who lost both his legs in an IED blast in Afghanistan 11 years ago. “It brings me a sense of fulfilment, and the Lake District is a special place; the character of it, the history, the constant shifting landscapes… It makes me feel alive when I’m there.”

Alec, from Sheffield, who served in the REME, has completed 53 peaks so far. He bought a camper van to help him travel around the Lake District so he is always in prime position to be the first person on the climb in the morning. A Wainwright is a hill or mountain – known locally as a fell – described in Alfred Wainwright’s ''A Pictorial Guide to the Lake and Fells''. There are 214 in all, ranging in size from Scafell Pike, the highest mountain in England at 978m, to Castle Crag at 290m.

“I use the van to get to the fells, then I sleep in it overnight and start the climbs early the next morning when I get the sun and solitude. I take photographs along the way, some deliberately composed, others just simple ones like a selfie at the top – it depends on the weather and how my legs are performing at each summit,” he added.

“I’ve tried a few things since leaving the Army, but landscape photography has really stuck with me. There’s a fitness element to being in the fells but also a mental health side to it. It has definitely helped me get through the tough times.

“I do the climbs mostly alone in the dark, climbing for solitude and that golden hour at sunrise. I have found it to be my own way of gaining back the independent mobility that I lost for years. It keeps me active and strong on my prosthetics for the future, and I’m building a nice portfolio of images.”

Alec, who lives with his partner Jess, her five-year-old son and their six-month old son is not putting a deadline on completing the Wainwrights but hopes his photographs will create a unique record of the challenge.

“I’m not sure if it’s been done by a double amputee before – and the terrain and weather present difficulties, so it might take a decade to complete – but I will enjoy the challenge, and a portfolio of 214 summits from one of the UK’s best national parks would be something I would cherish.”