Life on the Edge: Ridges, Summits, and a Lakeland Bothy
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This event will be open for booking from 10pm on Tuesday 15th February 2022. Please take note of the event difficulty and other details below before booking!
Important notice: There is no way of transporting any resources up to the bothy, so everything we use will need to be carried over Striding Edge and Helvellyn summit. I will take in some fuel for the wood burner prior to the trip, but extra would be gratefully received if you can fit some in your bags (no coal please). There are also no toilets at the bothy, so participants will be required to be responsible of their own human waste disposal (trowel to bury waste or remove from the hill using other appropriate methods).
If you're a sucker for challenging walks and sleeping out in the wilderness, then this may be the event for you! This two day overnight expedition will be sure to entice your sense of adventure...
The start of the weekend will be to hike to the summit of Helvellyn (950m) via Striding Edge, probably the most well known grade 1 scramble in the Lake District. In good weather the views down to Red Tarn are truly spectacular, but make sure you have a head for heights to pass along the exposed ridgeline. Some experience of scrambling would be useful as parts do require some climbing skills, especially on the final ascent to the summit. After summiting Helvellyn, the descent route will take us across the top of several glacial corries to Grizedale Tarn. This is where we then descend down to a quaint bothy in the middle of the mountains, complete with a large wood burning stove, gas cooking facilities, and two large sleeping platforms. On return our route would take us back up into the summits onto Fairfield and St Sunday Crag, to then descend back down into civilisation.
The bothy itself is a simple building away from any roads, electricity, or water supplies (except the mountain stream). There is a large wood burner which will have some fuel stocks already there (I'll have a trip up earlier in the week to sort this) however any extra fuel brought in bags would be welcomed. Sleeping will be on a large wooden platform, basically like sleeping on a wooden floor, so you'll need a good sleeping mat and a warm sleeping bag. Think of it as indoor camping! The bothy will also be sole use only for people on the event.
Needless to say, this walk will require a good level of fitness, with a requirement to carry everything you'd need for the two days as you will be almost totally self sufficient for the duration. There will be limited/no phone signal throughout much of the weekend too. Please think about whether this event would be suitable for yourself before you book, and if in doubt please get in touch.
Cover Image: Own Photo (Simon Percy, 2022)
Image 1: "Happy July 4th from Striding Edge!" by nordique (licenced to freely use provided curator is credited)
Image 2: "Striding Edge" by The_Boatman is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Image 3: Own Photo (Simon Percy, 2022)
Image 4: Own Photo (Simon Percy, 2022)
Image 5: Own Photo (Simon Percy, 2012)
Image 6: Own Photo (Simon Percy, 2012)
Image 7: "St Sunday Crag from Deepdale Hause" by markhorrell is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
IMPORTANT! - Participation Statement
You MUST complete a Participation Statement, in addition to booking your event space before attending an OutdoorLads event. You only need to complete this Participation Statement once, not for each event you attend.
Anyone with COVID-19 symptoms, even if they are extremely mild, or who has recently tested positive for Covid-19, is asked not to attend.
What to bring
Please make sure you have all the following items for the weekend:
Clothing
Rucksack: Large enough to carry all of the items below.
Waterproof jacket and trousers: Breathable fabrics are more comfortable and dry (this is lakeland...)
Footwear: Hiking boots are a must for this walk. Make sure you also have long socks to avoid blisters. You may also want some lightweight flipflops or similar for the bothy too, but definitely not essential!
Layered clothing: Lets you quickly adapt to changes in the weather and body temperature. Go for a base layer (vest or t-shirt) and a mid layer (a micro fleece or shirt) and in cooler weather add an outer layer (a windproof jacket or thick fleece)
Spare Clothing: Fleeces are great in case clothes get wet, along with a change in underwear/socks/tshirt. It may also be advisable to have a complete full change of clothes in your car on return, especially if you go for food in the local pub afterwards.
Trousers: Not jeans which become heavy and cold in the rain, but breathable, lightweight fabrics are more comfortable and dry. Base layers may also be useful for legs too, especially for keeping warm in the evening.
Hat and Gloves: Having a spare set of gloves is beneficial if the weather gets a bit moist.
Dry bags: To keep your bits all lovely and dry.
Overnight
Sleeping Bag: Even in May, the temperature can get cold. Having a good sleeping bag is essential for this trip.
Sleeping Mat: The wooden platforms are hard, so having a sleeping mat to sleep on is definitely advisable.
Pillow: Mini blow up pillows can be a luxury item (I have a little one from Alpkit), but rolling up clothes in your bag also does just as good a job.
Headtorch: Essential as there's no lights in the bothy...
Fuel: Wood for the stove will be taken up early by myself, however any extra would be greatly received if you end up having space and are able to carry more weight (no coal please!).
Food: See the food and drink section.
Other general items
Sunglasses and suncream: You may be surprised...!
Hand sanitiser and a face covering: Whilst we are living with Covid-19, please bring your own to events to help keep everyone safe.
Medicines: If you have hay fever, diabetes, minor ailments etc.
Other personal equipment you may use (toiletting trowel and tissues, walking poles, whistle, tissues for toileting, jelly babies...) and remember your bright and happy selves!
Maps can be provided, but feel free to bring your own. If you'd fancy doing some navigation then a compass may also be useful. I will have all the group safety equipment such as First Aid, Emergency Shelter, Poo shovel, etc. Please let me know of any medical needs I should be aware of to keep you healthy and safe.
You may be advised not to walk if you have equipment that would compromise the safety of yourself or the group (i.e. inappropriate footware/waterproofs/overnight equipment). Please ask if you have any questions or need advise on what to bring.
Food & drink
Important notice: There is no way of transporting any resources up to the bothy, so everything we use will need to be carried in.
Food: You will be responsible for bringing your own food for the weekend. This will need to incorporate food for two lunches (Saturday and Sunday), Saturday night dinner, and Sunday morning breakfast. Example food is shown below:
- Lunch: Sandwiches/sausage rolls/wraps etc... you could also cook pasta and whack it in a box! Make sure you have enough for two days.
- Nibbles: Nuts, energy bars, biscuits, chocolate, pretty much anything with high energy to munch on during the day.
- Dinner: Boil in the bag food is good. I tend to go for 'Look What We Found' ready cooked means, with pre-cooked rice. If anyone wants this sorting I'm happy to purchase in bulk! Other options would be to arrange as a group and cook in the bothy (dependent on an attendee having food hygiene certificate...). Flapjack/cake and custard is also a great dessert too.
- Breakfast: If you're really keen you could do a fry up on the stoves, however I'd probably suggest porridge (or similar). I sometimes use the Wayfarer all day breakfast, also used on Outward Bound expeditions too.
Drinks/water: Bring at least a litre, and a flask would also be a great idea too if you have one. Water can be boiled using the stoves at the Bothy to refill hot drinks. We will have a water filter to refill bottles from the Lakeland streams if needed. Other drinks can be carried up at your discretion...
If you have any questions about food provision, please drop me a line and I'm happy to discuss options.