Winter Skills in the Lake District Hills

Weekend Course 

Dates:  27-29 January, 3-5 February, 17-19 Februray, 24 – 26 February 2012

Price: £195.00  

• Weekend course – 2 days practical course in
• the Lake District to give you the skills for safely walking in the mountains in winter with an experienced instructor.  Ideal introduction to winter hill walking.
• 2 nights’ accommodation at Derwentwater Youth Hostel – all meals included from Saturday breakfast to Afternoon Tea on Sunday
• Specialist equipment included – use of crampons and ice axes
• Minimum of 4 people – max of 8
• Minimum age 16

For further information please email: 

contact@derwentwater.org or

telephone:  017687  77246 

Following the success of 2011, do you fancy an inexpensive family activity holiday during the easter or summer holidays in the Lake District?  Look no further, we have teamed up with the Youth Hostels, at Borrowdale YHA and Derwentwater, to offer a fantastic outdoors experience over 5 days and 6 nights.

Unlike many activity holiday providers we are all local operators with local knowledge.  We do not offer countless holidays to various destinations.  We concentrate on one holiday and make sure we get it right.

“What a fantastic holiday! All three generations of the family loved every minute. The hostel was beautiful, inside and out, and the staff bent over backwards to accommodate us from the booking stages to the end of the holiday. The food especially was outstanding, we didn’t eat out once. The activities were very well organised and both challenging and great fun, rain or shine. We got hot, cold and sometimes very wet but did not stop smiling once. There was an age gap of nearly 60 years across our three generations but we were all able to take part in all of the activities and ended each day exhausted but very happy. Boy did we sleep well!Great holiday, great value, many thanks to all involved”

Leyanne, Colin and Kya McNeice (guests in 2011)

“I had the most brilliant week. It was my first youth hostelling experience and I will definitely come back again. The staff were so friendly and helpful, the food was great and the hostel was very comfortable. The family activities were a great way of meeting new people and trying new experiences. I loved every minute and can’t wait to come back and do it all again!”

Kas Stageman (young guest in 2011)

There is a great deal of flexibility in what you can do and you have the choice of staying in either Hostel.   Prices start from just £300 per person.

Details including available dates:

The holidays provide a range of great outdoor activities in the glorious Lake District for all the family – Activites:

• Via Ferrata at Honister;
• Half  Day Gorge Scrambling;
• Water Sports on Derwent Water;
• Rock Climbing and Abseiling;
• Family Challenge Day

Prices: £380 for adults – £340 for 10 – 17 years – £300 for 8 & 9 years

Dates:  31 March; 7 April; 22 July; 29 July; 4 August; 11 August; 18 August; 25 August; 27 October

• check out the Derwentwater Youth Hostel website

• or email: contact@derwentwater.org

• or call 017687 77246

 CHECK OUT THE VIDEO

The inevitable heavy rainfall during part of the week did not dampen the enthusiasm of all the delegates.  As previously reported, Newcastle University ran the educational part of the programme. This included surveying and guaging river flows, soil moisture experiments and the role of hydroelectric power.  A visit to the Eden River Trust in East Cumbria included invertebrate sampling, river habitat  mapping and demonstrations of test catchments.

The delegates worked with the National Trust on various flood defense projects in the local area. Glaramara demonstrated the leisure side of water by taking delegates canoeing and ghyll scrambling. The cultural side of the programme involved team challenge events and presentations by delegates from each of the countries about their regions and the water issues which affect them.

In addition, there was a wine appreciation event organised by Martin Ward of Wine Educators International. The tutored tasting session was designed specifically to identify the many links between wine & water.  The delegates tasted four diverse European wines to understand tasting technique and their palates and came up with a number of very good connections including the realities of water use in vineyards and wineries,

The event was organised by the South Yorkshire based charity, Go Away and Learn (GOAL). It was jointly funded by the youth in action programme and various local private sponsors including Caterite Limited, Eden Recycling Limited, Shortridge Laundries, Stargazer Disco and John Hoban Travel, to whom we are very grateful.

Special thanks to GOAL, Newcastle University and the National Trust for their organisation skills and assistance.  Thanks must also go to the delegates and their organisers for making the event such a success. We all look forward to the continuation of BWBL in 2012 and beyond. The website can be found at www.bwbl.co.uk.   Any suggestions and comments can be passed on through the Forum which is linked to the website

Some kind words from delegates:

‘I hope to see everyone in the future! Moreover, thanks for this week, the best week of my life!!!!’ Amedeo Mascitti (Italy)

‘Amazing. made so many friends. a bit sad to see them go .. but i am so tired from the week’. Alex Clark (UK)

‘Best time ever…Awesome place and more important awesome people!!! Wish I was still there...’ Kyle Mifsud (Malta)

‘It’s been absolutely unique‘ Michael Gatt (Malta)

‘Best week of my life’ Francine Farrugia (Italy)

‘The intercultural element made it for me’ – (Russia)

‘I will hold the memory of this project always in my heart’ – (Turkey)

On Saturday the 30th of July Glaramara had some special visitors to the centre.  Ivan, Nadine & Seb Hollingsworth came to stay after a marathon of a day! The Hollingsworth’s have set up a charity called Seb4CHUF in aid of the children’s heart unit at Freeman’s hospital in Newcastle a place where there son Seb has been a patient.  Ivan along with some friends and collegues including tv star Ben Shepherd were in the midst of a hefty challenge for the cause.  They had already cylced Coast to Coast in 2 days and on the saturday had run a marathon+ (28 miles) from Whitehaven to Keswick.  They arrived at the centre tired and hot but a quick dip in the river and a cold drink soon perked them up.  The group had dinner and stayed overnight at the centre only to depart in the morning for Keswick to start another marathon of a day.  We are happy to report that they reached Tynemouth on Wednesday afternoon after completing the 7 day cylce and run for a great cause.

www.seb4chuf.org.uk- find out more information and how to help the Unit

Andrew said ‘he was very grateful for the continued support of Glaramara to host the race and that the race was now well established in the fell running calendar’.  Ann Bland, fellow organiser, praised the efforts put in by the Glaramara staff and considered it a perfect setting for a fell race.

We look forward to their return in 2012.

Class 4 of Braithwaite School went on a trip to Glaramara from 29^th -31^st March. First they took on a 3 hour walk over Walla Crag. There were some remarkable views at the top. Class 4 thought a 3 hour walk was worth those views! Then when they had stopped admiring the views they all started to trudge back down the hill.  After lunch they reached Derwent Water in canoes they did some amusing actives like ‘Head, shoulders, knees and jump’ , Wheelies, Racing, Mexican wave and paddling standing up.  After this they swapped to a wooden longboat. Following the water activities, they travelled by minibus to Glaramara, all unpacked and were told our groups and our activities. At dinner there was a scrumptious variety of different foods. After Class 4 were stuffed they all had a fun game of bingo with awesome prizes. Then after that when they were all shattered all went to bed getting ready for the next day ahead.  The next day the weather had completely changed from sun to precipitation but there was another action-packed day ahead for them.

One group went Ghyll Scrambling and when they came back they were drenched from head to toe. One of the groups went to archery and problem solving and were the same as the Ghyll scramblers – sodden! At least the climbers kept warm and dry at the climbing wall!  Class 4 thought the residential was a great experience to have but by the time they departed they were heartbroken and never wanted to leave.

By Robert, Catherine, Joe, Ria & Arun