Their story, in their words….
On Sunday, after a very long train ride (or two!) we arrived in Oxenholme, greeted by stormy warning clouds and a bitter wind. After shopping for a weeks supply of food we took a bus to our campgrounds and began putting up our tent, in the rain and cold, with Caroline cooking dinner (pasta cooked on a Trangia portable stove). In hindsight, we defiantly should’ve tested the tent in wet weather as on the first night Caroline woke up damp from a leak and the main compartment was flooded! So after some attempted repairs the next morning we set off on one of our many walks. To our delight, around lake Windermere there seems to be a boat house every 5 minuets meaning every direction we walked surprised us with unique architecture and ruins – and near our campsite was a National Trust castle that was great for pic-nics most days. Unfortunately, for every boat house there where hundreds of cows, often blocking our path, that resulted in a lot of running! Our most memorable day and longest walk was on Tuesday, up to Claiffe Heights, we set off at 9:30 and decided to take a more interesting route that turned out to essentially be a stream! We finally arrived at the top at 12:30 after wading through ferns for what felt like forever (here is where our google maps print outs and phone compasses were a real life saver), and needless to say we were all completely knackered. That day we all managed to walk 16.7km, equal to around 26,000 steps each (and the height equivalent of climbing 70 flights of stairs!); but it was undoubtedly worth it, we all felt so invigorated, got some amazing photos and saw a beautiful stag in the woods! Before we left we also managed to rent a canoe from our campsite and paddle around the lake as a last goodbye, something Uma was reluctant to do but triumphed her fears and did anyway! Resulting in an experience with views we will never forget.
This trip has been nothing less than extraordinary, we bonded so much, especially when faced with difficult situations we managed to encourage and support one another to ensure that each member of the team had a great time. Planning and executing a trip has given our group the confidence to be independent and the skills to make the most of any scenario. And most importantly, it was brilliant fun.
A short story by Uma, inspired by their trip: The Last Siren
