LLN: 25-28 AUG - LAKE DISTRICT - AUGUST BANK HOLIDAY - GRASMERE
Details
Spend the August Bank Holiday hiking the highest mountains in England in the heart of the Lake District.
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You'll climb the highest peak in England and be inspired by the beauty of the mountains, made famous by the poet Wordsworth.
SATURDAY - SCRAMBLING/HIKING HELVELLYN
Helvellyn (950 m) is the 3rd highest mountain in England. We will approach from Striding Edge, the knife edge ridge to the East of the mountain. This classic walking route is not for the faint-hearted.
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SUNDAY - HIKING - SCAFELL PIKE
Scafell Pike (978 m) is the highest mountain in England. On a clear day you can see Ireland and the Isle of Man from the top. This is a hard walk of 12 miles. Height gain and loss is 1175 m.
NB Routes for Sunday may change, depending on weather conditions and the overall fitness level of the group. A second route option will be sought for those keen to take on a different challenge.
The route we take may not look huge in the picture below (as we will be coming along the ridge from left to right. It is likely to take about 4 hours for us to summit from the Langdale side.
If weather and progress are good, the fittest members of the group may be able to return via Esk Pike (885 m) and Bowfell (902 m). This option will take 3 to 4 hours. The rest of the group will descend steadily, again, the same route as the ascent. This is also likely to take 3 to 4 hours.
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HISTORY - WORDSWORTH THE LAKES POET
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Daffodils
I wandered lonely as a cloud
On high o'er dale and hill
When all at once I saw a crowd
A host of golden daffodil
Wordsworth (1770-1850) lived and worked in Grasmere at Dove Cottage, describing Grasmere as the "Loveliest spot that man hath ever found". He was inspired by the Lakes to dedicate his life to writing about the area and during his lifetime these poems generated the first tourism to the Lakes.
MONDAY - GHYLL SCRAMBLING/WORDSWORTH'S COTTAGE/GRASMERE LAKE CIRCULAR WALK
There are several options for Monday, depending on the weather and the group's interests, and of course, the plans of your car driver.
Ghyll Scrambling up a waterfall and mountain stream in Langdale, is a very different and exciting way to get in touch with the landscape. Please advise ASAP if you are interested. The cost is likely to be £35 per person.
A walk around Grasmere Lake, will be a nice and gentle way to wind down at the end of the weekend. This is a 4-5 mile walk. You can purchase warm dark gingerbread from the famous Grasmere Gingerbread Shop to accompany you on your journey.
Visiting the excellent WIlliam Wordsworth's Dove Cottage Museum is the best way to understand how the Wordsworth family lived and where their inspiration came from. You can also see examples of Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poems in the museum.
FOOD
We will eat a cooked breakfast each morning. Packed lunch materials will be provided in the mornings for you to make up your own. On Saturday evening, tables will be booked at two or three restaurants in Ambleside so you can choose which you prefer. On Sunday evening there will be a barbecue at the hostel. We will prepare this ourselves, so all help is appreciated. Monday lunch will be at a pub in Ambleside.
Please bring extra energy snacks for the walks, such as nuts and dried fruit.
ACCOMMODATION
Accommodation is in Grasmere. This is in shared dormitories of 4 with en-suite facilities for all but one bedroom. There is a drying room. And a sauna is available for an extra charge of £1 per 20 minutes.
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COST
£165 (£20 deposit now to secure your place)
Cost includes: Accommodation, Guided Walks, 3 Breakfasts, 2 Packed Lunches, 1 Evening Meal
Cost excludes: Friday Evening Meal, Sunday Evening Meal, Monday Lunch
TRANSPORT
We will leave London at 5.30pm and arrive in the Lakes between midnight and 1am. A minibus will be arranged to be charged at £60 per person. This will depart Hatton Cross (near Heathrow on Piccadilly). Those wishing to travel by train will need to get a taxi from Windermere station to Grasmere, which is about 10 miles away. Buses stop running early in the evening in the Lakes.
We will drive 30 minutes to Glenridding on Saturday and 25 minutes to Langdale on Sunday.
CAR PARKING
Free car parking is available at our accommodation in Grasmere.
On Saturday, we will drive to Glenridding to climb Helvellyn. Free car parking is available at the Inn on the Lake hotel car park.
On Sunday, we will drive to New Dungeon Ghyll Hotel in Langdale. Car drivers will need National Trust membership cards displayed on the dashboard. If you are a member please bring your card, to lend to car drivers. Otherwise there may be a car parking charge.
HEALTH & SAFETY
The Saturday on Helvellyn is a relatively tough start to the weekend so you'll need to be fit. Please be aware that if you suffer from vertigo, you will be exposed to steep drops on Striding Edge. So this walk may not be for you.
The Scafell Pike route on Sunday, following on from the previous days walk, is a very gruelling walk. Attempting this is not suitable for people who are not fit enough, or who have poor quality footwear.
If you have aching joints after Day 1 on Helvellyn, taking a steamer along Lake Windermere to visit the Beatrix Potter Museum will be the advised option. If you are uncertain about your fitness, perhaps take a sketch pad so you can take it easy on the Sunday?!
Please note that all walking routes are dependent on the weather and people's abilities. Alternative routes will be adopted in the case of adverse weather conditions.
There is always a risk of twisting ankles or slipping in mountainous terrain, so please ensure you bring walking boots or walking shoes with "rigid" soles and good grip. You will be responsible for your own safety.
Also consider knee/ankle supports and walking poles to prevent leg joints giving way on the descents.
You must also be sufficiently fit to climb a mountain. An 8-mile mountain walk is equivalent to at least a 20-mile walk on the flat.
You should also be very careful along the ridge just before Scafell Pike where you have to step from boulder to boulder. If wet these rocks are slippery. Good footwear is essential to avoid a twisted ankle.
Walks will be led by a trained Mountain Leader and Outdoor First Aider.
INSURANCE
This is an adult group and you are ultimately responsible for your own health and safety. You are required to take out your own insurance to cover accident and injury from walking. Your guide will provide a health and safety briefing to encourage you to take due care and avoid risks.
We advocate British Mountaineering Council's Trek insurance policy (https://www.thebmc.co.uk/modules/insurance/).
EQUIPMENT
Please ensure that you have waterproof jacket and trousers, woolly hat, water bottles, sun screen, warm layers, a waterproof cover for your rucksack, energy snacks, and if needed, strapping for your knees and ankles and a walking pole. Most important of all is the right footwear. Walking shoes/boots to reduce the risk of sprained ankles should not twist easily in your hands, but must be rigid. This will provide more ankle protection than any other measure. See this guide to selecting footwear:
This guide is about waterproofs.
Your safety and enjoyment of the weekend depends on you being properly equiped for all weather conditions.
Please bring:
• walking boots or walking shoes
• waterproofs (jacket and trousers)
• woolly hat, gloves, fleece
• 2 x 1 litre water bottles
• water
• day sack - 15-25 litres backpack, with waterproof lining bag or cover
• whistle, compass, map for safety
• sun cream and sunglasses
• snacks
• mobile phone and charger - there is very little mobile reception across most of Snowdonia, as it is reserved for emergency calls
• walking stick(s) - if you need
• knee support straps - if you might need these, please use them on Day 1 as a preventative measure to allow your legs to strengthen, rather than as a treatment after a knee injury is sustained on the descent of Tryfan
• painkillers?
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Contact: John 07557 022393
Mountain Leader and Outdoor First Aider.
London Loves Nature has a legal obligation to comply with The Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations Act 1992.
LLN: 25-28 AUG - LAKE DISTRICT - AUGUST BANK HOLIDAY - GRASMERE