Lake District Adventure

It’s been an epic weekend pursuing Lake District adventure with friends new and old, conquering hills both new and old.

Friday evening was spent admiring a clear sunset over the estuary, from Coniston Old Man. Saturday provided stark contrast, with thick cloud providing an enchanting and magical atmosphere across the Langdale Valley & central fells.

Of course I had to get out cycling at some point, Sunday morning took me on a leisurely ride out round Coniston water in order to scratch that insatiable itch!

For all my positivity, the last few weeks in August I’ve been feeling a little run down, tired and a little less enthusiastic than normal. I guess we all go through those short periods where we feel like we’ve kind of lost our way, lost a bit of focus and sense of purpose.

Whilst I’ve been keeping myself busy with my new found obsession with cycling, I kind of lost what my vision was. I like to be fixated on a goal, something to work towards.

If you read my last blog post you will have seen that I was growing frustrated with continually having to changed my planned schedule due to my injury, I kind of lost that focus and end goal as a result.

Realising I had to snap out of this pretty damn quick, I began thinking what’s been missing from my life – what am I not doing that usually makes me so happy and full of life, aside from running and cycling.

Whilst still an adventure, road running & cycling is my escape mechanism – it’s a quick & accessible way to get outside & exercise from my front door, for that reason, it doesn’t always fulfil me in the same way ‘adventure’ does.

I soon realised, I hadn’t been hiking in a fair while! Hiking is a completely unique type of Lake District adventure; one which gets me away from normality & exposed to the wilderness of the great outdoors. Mountains have this pretty epic way of reminding you just how small we really are, they put everything into perspective. A gargantuan, immovable object of such imposing stature, almost belittles & bullies us – yet when carefully explored, they reveal this incredible beauty, complete with some of the most spectacular vistas and landscapes. Mountain therapy, as many call it!

Being outside in the fresh air allows me to think openly, giving me the chance to re-evaluate what I’m doing & ask the question ‘I am I doing what I want to with my life’.

Hiking is so gentile in comparison to any of my other adrenaline fuelled sports, I can think aloud to myself, get things of my mind & work out all my problems (or forget about them!) by simply hiking. Who doesn’t love to just forget about their problems?!

During summer 2017, I spent so much time pursing Lake District adventure in the fells; exploring new valleys and summits, taking in a magnitude of vistas right the way across the incredible National Park. It became my go-to place whenever I had nothing else on. Hiking is so undervalued in my opinion – I never used to pursue it much as it was never fast paced enough, it didn’t offer enough adrenaline – I classed it as boring & associated with middle aged people (no offence to any middle aged readers!!!)

I simply love that feeling of burning in my legs, that feeling that only charging up a big ass hill can bring, feeling that sheer relief when the terrain levels off! Then once the hard work is done, the reward is a simply magnificent  & breathtaking view – Hopefully!

At the end of the day, a Lake District adventure isn’t really a Lake District adventure, until you’ve enjoyed a stunning view right?!

I say hiking is undervalued as its just simply time outside. Time in the fresh air, getting somewhere under your own steam, time with stunning views, time on magnificent mountain routes & time with your thought’s – it is honestly so satisfying!

Best of all, it’s the most easily accessible of all my chosen outdoor adventure pursuits.

One of my more recent hikes, the Fairfield horseshoe gave me a remember why I grew to love hiking so much – it’s not for the rush or the adrenaline, but for inner peace & mental wellbeing. Opting outside gets rid of the complicated & confused mess your mind can find itself in. Opt outside, opt for the hills, take a walk – you’ll come back so much happier, chilled-out, re-focussed & re-invigorated, with no problems left on your mind… 100% guaranteed or your money back! *Insert witty Disclaimer*

The Fairfield Horseshoe is quite a well-known 10-ish mile hike, in the eastern Lakeland Fells, just above Ambleside. Standing at 873m, Fairfield is the pinnacle of this spectacular circular route, offering magnificent views in each direction from the summit. Fairfield is accessible from quite a few different directions; Glenridding & Patterdale to the North East, Red Screes to the South East, Hellvellyn to the North West & Grasmere to the South.

For those on a Wainwright bagging mission, the ‘official’ route takes in 8 Wainwrights – so only another 206 left to bag!

The only issue with Lake District adventure is that the more well-known routes, especially on a mid-summers weekend, is that they tend to get really quite busy. The easiest way to avoid this is simply to use the well-known routes and adapt them to suit your day – take a detour via a different hill, or park somewhere different to the route card you’ve researched.

As I mentioned earlier, the Lake District became my happy place during summer 2017, I spent so much time both during the week and at weekends pursuing adventure in a multitude of different forms. You didn’t even need to ask me where I would be – I was guaranteed to be in my campervan, in Lakeland heaven!

For such a relatively small & crowded space, which is only just over an hour drive from my home, offers adventure in every different form I could wish for!

For me, the kayaking, cycling, & running opportunities are endless! You’re just never far away from somewhere incredible to pursue each of those sports in the Lake District national park. Whilst they’re just a selection of my chosen sports – you see just about everything adventure related that you could possibly imagine going on up here, from the downright weird to the absolutely insane! From the hills & crags, to the water & rivers, from the bustling towns to the famous passes & valleys, it really is a special little place.

I guess I’ve been away from the Lake District quite a lot this year; keeping myself busy exploring the more local Ribble Valley area. It’s been quite simply, an incredible summer & the Ribble Valley has just been continuously breath-taking these last few months. I’ve just been in awe of this beautiful small incredible little place; this quaint & sleepy valley, with soft rolling green hills, farmlands, hills and lanes has been the source of so much adventure and exploration these last few months – there’s just no need to drive far when you’ve got this incredible location, quite literally, right on your doorstep.

Time spent driving is just time not spent adventuring!

But sometimes you just need something that bit bigger; a bigger landscape & just more going on. The Lake District offers everything on a much larger scale – different scenery, magnificent landscapes, vibrant towns, lively atmosphere – all with adventure opportunities as far as the eye can see!

Heading to different destinations helps us to appreciate certain places that bit more if we spent some time away. I guess this is why we love to travel. We are enthused by different cultures, ways of life and adventure – it puts everything into perspective, makes us who we are; the best version of ourselves.

Here’s to more breath taking adventures & preserving the Lake District as a wonderful place to get outside!

Personal recommendations;

• OS Maps. The Explorer range is ideal for walking in the fells, with its 1:25000 scale showing detail of paths and access areas.
• Decent, solid footwear. Most recommend boots for the ankle support, however I tend to stick with my Solomon GTX GoreTex shoes. Although they struggle a little on slippery rocks, I love the breathability and flexibility of being in shoes opposed to boots.
• The ground is always wet in the lake district. Even if it hasn’t rained for a week, if you go off a rocky path onto grassy trails, they will be sodden – guaranteed!
• Always take a waterproof and suncream. Always. Regardless of the weather forecast. Don’t ask questions, just trust me!
• Always pack the obvious essentials; extra layers, safety/first aid kit & tell someone where­ you’re going etc.