🏔️ NEW Winter in the Lake District

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Explore Britain’s most stunning trails in a small group of up to 14, travelling together by private minibus to beautiful, remote locations not easily reached by public transport.

We’ve created a list of FAQs to help answer your questions.

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The Lake District is England's largest and by far the UK's most popular national park. In 2017 the Lake District was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, joining the likes of the Taj Mahal, the Great Wall of China and the Grand Canyon on the illustrious list. Winter in the Lake District is a truly magical time! With snow-peaked mountains and the peaceful serenity of the lakes, the landscape takes on spectacular winter beauty. Pull on your boots and step outdoors with us on this new exciting weekend trip to the heart of the Lakes!

On Saturday, we'll climb the mighty Helvellyn – England's third highest peak, at 950 metres. A gentle warm up through the woods will be followed by a straightforward, but relentless climb to Nethermost Pike, gaining over 600m in height rapidly. From the col between Nethermost Pike and Helvellyn, we'll enjoy glorious views of the narrow and rocky ridge of Striding Edge – a popular, grade 1 scrambling route up Helvellyn for experienced mountaineers (our route avoids any scrambling). Once we reach the summit of Helvellyn, we'll see the glacial lake of Red Tarn below, the exposed ridge of Swirral Edge and the perfect cone summit of Catstye Cam. The return route is along Browncove Crags, with fantastic views of Thirlmere Reservoir and its two islands. After the hike, we'll take a scenic drive along Bassenthwaite Lake to our hotel, where we'll have dinner and rest.

Sunday will be much more relaxing! Today's walk is low-level, and will take us to the summit of Walla Crag (379m), which offers spectacular panoramic views of Derwent Water (lake), the Borrowdale valley and the iconic Cat Bells ridge. After the hike, you’ll have free time in Keswick, widely regarded as the adventure capital of the Lake District. Surrounded by dramatic mountains and shimmering lakes, it’s the perfect place to unwind – whether that’s in cosy cafés and tearooms, browsing excellent outdoor and souvenir shops, or relaxing in a traditional pub before heading home.

ITINERARY

Saturday:

06:45 Meet outside Hotel Novotel London West, 1 Shortlands, W6 8DR (a five-minute walk from Hammersmith Station)
07:00 Sharp departure
13:30-18:30 Climbing Helvellyn (950m) and Nethermost Pike (891m) from Thirlmere (difficulty: Difficult, distance: 11km, ascent: 820m)
19:30 Check-in at Premier Inn Whitehaven, dinner and free time

Sunday:

07:00 Breakfast
08:00 Departure
08:45­-12:45 Hike to the summit of Walla Crag and Ashness Bridge (ancient packhorse bridge) (difficulty: Moderate, distance: 11km, ascent: 450m)
12:45-14:30 Free time for lunch and to explore souvenir shops in Keswick
14:30 Departure
21:00 London, Hammersmith

DIFFICULTY & EQUIPMENT

Please note that this trip requires a very good level of fitness. Sturdy hiking boots with good ankle support and waterproof clothing are essential.

Approximately one week before departure, we'll confirm whether micro spikes and trekking poles are recommended to ensure a safe and enjoyable winter experience.

PRIVATE ROOM

The default option is a shared twin room at the hotel (you'll share your room with somebody from our group of the same gender). A small number of private rooms, for your own use, is available for £30 extra – let us know if you would like an upgrade!

LUGGAGE

You can bring two small bags with you: one cabin size personal item bag (up to 10kg) and one smaller hiking backpack to fit under the seat. During the hike, you can leave your luggage in the minibus.

BOOKING

To keep ticket prices down and avoid PayPal/Meetup fees (£20 extra per ticket), we kindly ask for payment by bank transfer. Please include your Meetup name and the trip as the payment reference (e.g. John Lake District). As places are limited, we can hold your place for 24 hours.

Business Account Name: London Social Hiking Limited
Sort Code: 20-17-20
Account Number: 63116514

We'll let you know by changing your status to “Paid” as soon as the payment is cleared. You can check your status next to your name in the attendees list of the event. You don’t need a paid Meetup subscription to do this – just close any pop-up windows and continue.

THE PRICE OF £268 INCLUDES

• Transport throughout the trip
• Experienced, professional PSV minibus driver
• Guiding on all hiking routes by an experienced and qualified Mountain Leader
• One night's accommodation at a hotel in shared twin rooms (you'll share your room with somebody from our group of the same gender)
• Professional event organisation
• Group first aid kit with qualified first aiders
• Admin fee
• 20% VAT

THE PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE

• Personal insurance (for cancellation, accident, health, emergency evacuation and loss, theft of or damage to baggage and personal effects, and personal trekking insurance)
• Food

HOW TO CONTACT US

For all enquiries, please PM Anna (the main organiser) via Meetup. Alternatively, you can email us at info@lshiking.co.uk We'll usually get back to you within 4 hours.

Your guide will be Anna (07596844467, only for use during the hike). Please get in touch if you have any difficulty locating the meeting point or need help during the trip.

WHAT TO BRING

• Suitable hiking shoes with ankle support
• Waterproof and windproof jacket and trousers
• Gloves/hat/cap
• Water bottle (min 1L)
• Head torch
• Nuts and energy snacks to last you during the trip
• Walking poles (optional)
• Gaiters (optional)

REVIEWS ⭐

We have hosted over 600 events on Meetup and received an incredible number of positive reviews from our community. We’re proud to have achieved an average event rating of 4.8 out of 5. Please keep sharing your feedback – it helps us continue to improve and make every trip even better!

JOIN US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

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Facebook group link and Instagram

REFUND POLICY

You can check our refund policy here.