Your tour: Lake District The Lakes are the ideal destination for adventures in the great outdoors, says Marcus Leach
If you enjoy the challenge of outdoor adventures in glorious countryside, there’s no better place to head for than the Lake District, as Marcus Leach discovers
take a deep breath in an attempt to calm my rapidly rising heart rate, trying not to look down or think about anything other than the process I need to go through to make it around the edge of the rock face. A task easier said than done, suspended from a sheer cliff face hundreds of feet above the valley floor, held by little more than a rope and two small carabiners.
I must admit, this isn’t the usual predicament a visitor to the Lake District would expect to find themselves in, but then, this has been anything but your usual trip to what is, without doubt, one of the UK’s most alluring regions.
Autumn colours
At the time of our visit to the Lakes, the already beautiful scenery had been heightened by the gentle touch of autumn’s hand. Great swathes of golden brown and burnt orange contrasted with the fading greens of summer, looking very much like an oil painting.
My original plan had been to come and spend a day exploring the area on two wheels, weaving
my way up and over the many peaks using a mix of gravel tracks and bridleways to get away from the more popular road routes.
However, given that the Lakes are such a huge draw for lovers of the outdoors, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to extend my trip and find out what makes this area so popular with those seeking adventure. My son Harrison was back at school, so this would be a trip without the family – although I wouldn’t be heading off alone.
Adventure awaits
Having met and ridden with Nick Howard, Bailey of Bristol Managing Director, during my recent John O’Groats to Land’s End trip, it was apparent that he was just as eager to do seemingly crazy things as me, which made him the ideal person to invite along for company!
He didn’t take much convincing and we were soon packing the motorhome with our bikes, wetsuits, walking boots and waterproofs – the Lakes in late September is no place to go without the right kit. But we began our journey north under glorious sunshine, hoping it would last.
Our base for the trip would be Burns Farm Caravan & Campsite, a picture-perfect site set in quintessential Lakeland scenery, at the heart of the Northern Lakes.
I’ve stayed at a number of sites post-lockdown and I can safely say this was one of the best, both in terms of their protocols to ensure the safety of those staying, and for the sense of good spirit among fellow campers and motorcaravanners, all of whom were only too happy to chat – from a safe distance – and share the great enjoyment of being outdoors. Which brings us back to the present…
Heading for the sunrise
The gentle buzz of the alarm on my watch wakes me at 5am. The temptation is to ignore it and go back to sleep, but knowing that we have two days of good weather, at best, I pull back the curtains and peer out of the ’van window.
The sky’s still dark and there’s a smattering of stars burning brightly, but I know it will soon be dawn and with it, the first slivers of light. If we are to make it to our planned destination for sunrise, we need to get a move on! Bleary-eyed and in urgent need of a reviving cup of hot coffee, I drag myself out of bed and turn on the gas stove to boil the kettle.
Up to the mountains
The first pedal strokes are always the hardest at this time of day, but once we are moving and the caffeine has kicked in, it becomes easier – that is, until we start climbing a steep gravel track that leads straight up the mountain filling the sky in front of us. The final few hundred metres force us off our bikes, to climb a series of wooden steps leading up and over the peak. Neither of us expected