Their story, in their words…
On our first day, we began our journey from Windermere Station to BaysBrown Farm campsite, also enjoying some of the custom trail mixes we made on our journey! The views were stunning – we made our way over footbridges, past babbling brooks and fields of sheep! We set up camp with our hot meals and some warm squash and settled down for a rainy night.
The next day, after breakfasting on some jam and bagels, we made our way to Coniston. Day 2 was easily one of the most challenging days of our hike. The weather was humid and rain was almost constant, and we were also experiencing lots of navigational issues: hiking down to Little Langdale before learning that buses from there only ran on weekends. After discussing our options, we hiked back to Eskdale, where we waited for the bus to Coniston in a nearby pub. Despite the challenges of the day, our motivation was truly fuelled by the kindness of strangers, who listened to our stories, offered advise and, most of all, offered a warm, friendly pub to regroup. From Coniston, we began our hike up Furness way, where we scaled Walney Scar and journeyed to Turner Hall Farm Campsite. In the last light of day, we debriefed the issues we had encountered and discussed our plan of action. Although our initial plan was to scale Scafell Pike, we realised that the hikes over the next three days were highly ambitious, especially with the extreme weight of our bags, given that we were carrying all of our supplies between only three people. So, we made the group decision to adapt. We decided that hiking up Scafell would not be a safe option for us, so planned to travel back to Coniston and complete hikes in more populated areas, where we could have access to public transport if necessary.
On day three, we scaled Walney Scar once again. Although exciting, the weather almost forced us to postpone the climb for the next day, with extremely high winds, heavy rain and less-than-ideal visibility. We stayed close together, braced against the wind when necessary and triumphantly made it back over the peak! From Coniston, we journeyed down to Coniston and Hoathwaite Campsite, where we fashioned a clothing line inside the tent for our wet clothes and warmed up with pesto pasta and hot chocolate.
Once again, we grouped together to plan for day four, coming to the decision of hiking around Coniston Water for the day. After the events of previous days, a safer hike was more than welcome, not to mention the beautiful views of the water were stunning.
Finally, on day 5, we made our way back to Windermere Station. After hiking back up to Coniston, we took the bus to Ambleside and hiked again to Windermere. It was lovely to see the water again – we will all miss the beauty of the Lake District. Of course it had to be this day where trains were experiencing major travel disruptions! We replanned our route and finally made it home safely, if a bit later than we’d have liked.
Although our journey seemed to pose a new challenge at every turn – such as issues with transport and intense conditions – it has brought us closer together: we communicated well at every decision, strategised to accommodate our budget and functioned independently in an unfamiliar place. Even though we changed plans, the journey was still the most challenging any of us have ever undertaken, and one we will never forget. It’s definitely sparked a new enjoyment of hiking in nature and adventuring.
Thank you, Mark Evison team for this amazing experience!
