Lakes Weekender Trip Notes
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` Lakes Weekender Trip Notes TRIP OVERVIEW The Lake District National Park lies in the county of Cumbria and covers around 700 square miles of England’s most beautiful scenery. It’s a region of high mountains, deep valleys, large lakes, remote tarns and spectacular waterfalls. It’s an excellent location to find out more about wild swimming in the Great Outdoors with all swims of a manageable distance and broken up with some spectacular fell walking in - between swims. This trip also gives you the opportunity to work on both confidence and technique in the water whilst being escorted by experienced swim coaches and safety craft. WHO IS THIS TRIP FOR? The swimmer looking for a weekend of escorted crossings and swim coaching in the wonderful waters of the English Lake District. LOCATION SUMMARIES Central Lakes Grasmere and Rydal Water are situated to the north of Windermere, and are as picturesque as any spot that you are likely to find in the Lakes. Unique to the Lakes, each of these bodies of water contain an island located centrally, so there’s always an opportunity to have a rest on your crossing. Southern Lakes The horizons from the southern lakes of Windermere and Coniston are familiar to regular visitors. The characteristic shapes of Old Man of Coniston, Langdale Pikes and the Fairfield Horseshoe provide startling backdrops to swimming across these Lakes. TRIP SCHEDULE Start Point Brathay Hall, Ambleside LA22 0HP www.brathay.org.uk Start Time 16:00 on Day 1 Finish Point Brathay Hall, Ambleside Finish Time 16:00 on Day 3 SwimTrek Ltd. 6 Hove Manor, Hove Street, Brighton & Hove, BN3 2DF, U.K. Tel: +44 (0) 1273 739 713 | E-mail: [email protected] | Web: www.swimtrek.com Page 1 ` Lakes Weekender Trip Notes Day 1 From our accommodation we walk via the River Rothay to Rydal Water. It’s the shallowest of the lakes, which keeps the temperature relatively warm! Heron Island, located in the middle is an ideal resting point. You can clearly see High and Low Pike as well as Great Rigg. On arriving at the end of the Water there’s time for a hot drink and lunch. We then walk to the southern shore of Grasmere with its idyllic pebble beach. From here we swim up towards “The Island” and back along its western shore. During this swim you can see the peaks of Heron Pike and Helm Cragg. After finishing this swim we then head back to our accommodation at Brathay Hall bringing an end to this weekend of swimming and trekking. Day 2 We leave Brathay Hall and walk down to Brathay Bay on the shore of Windermere. From here we swim directly south via Seamen and Brock Crags before crossing Lily Bay and arriving at the island of Bee Holme. There’s time for a brief pause and a spot of refreshment before we head off again and aim for Wray Castle a prominent landmark on Windermere’s west coast. We get out near Wray Crag and change in the vicinity. From here we travel by minibus to Grizedale Forest, which lies at the heart of the Southern Lakes between Windermere and Coniston Water. From here we walk through the forest until we reach the central ridge. We then walk down into the Coniston valley where a double crossing of Coniston awaits. The Old Man of Coniston guides the way on our first crossing and there is even a sandy beach to rest on before we head back. Day 3 We meet at Brathay Hall overlooking the northern banks of Lake Windermere on the Friday afternoon where we will hold a pre-trip briefing. We then stroll down to the lakeside and hold a short acclimatisation swim and coaching session. Following time for a shower we then head out for dinner. TRIP INFORMATION Essential Equipment Checklist In addition to ‘normal’ daily clothes, you will need to bring the following: ITEM ITEM Swimming Costume (x2) Sweater and Fleece Swimming Goggles (x2)* Sun Hat and Sun Cream Torch / Head Torch Towels (x2) Woolly Hat and Gloves Waterproof Jacket *Try to bring 1 clear lens and 1 tinted lens for different light conditions. Please note that SwimTrek will supply swim hats. If you think you will want to use flippers or a rash vest, we recommend you bring these with you in order to maximise your enjoyment of the trip. If you prefer to use your own drink bottle, please feel free to bring one along. SwimTrek Ltd. 6 Hove Manor, Hove Street, Brighton & Hove, BN3 2DF, U.K. Tel: +44 (0) 1273 739 713 | E-mail: [email protected] | Web: www.swimtrek.com Page 2 ` Lakes Weekender Trip Notes Swimming and Walking Distances Swim Distance Walk Distance Brathay Bay - Wray castle 2km Grizedale - Coniston 5km (Windermere) Machell Coppice - Torvor Common 2km Brathay Hall - Rydal Water 4km (Coniston) Length of Rydal Water 1½km Rydal Water - Grasmere 1km Grasmere - Grasmere Island 2½km Grasmere - Brathay Hall 5km We walk on recognised tracks or paths, which can sometimes be challenging and tricky underfoot. In some cases we walk on small roads, although we limit this where possible. The walks to Coniston on Day 2 and to Rydal Water and from Grasmereon Day 3 are through nice scenery and of low difficulty. Temperatures Month Water Temperature* Air Temperature* July 17˚C 21˚C August 18˚C 22˚C * Please note that these temperature are indicative and should be used as a guide only. Group Size Up to a maximum of 16 people, with 1 swim guide and 2 escort canoeists. Swimming Conditions Swimming in lakes is a fantastic experience but you need to be aware that water quality can sometimes (although very rare in our experience) be an issue with water run off from fields, Blue Green Algae & Weil’s Disease all possible contaminants. If you do feel unwell at any stage during or after the trip, you should go to your GP immediately, telling them you have been lake swimming. Weather Caveat For obvious safety reasons we rely on decent weather conditions when carrying out any swims. As a consequence, open water swimming does require an inherent degree of on-trip flexibility, so required changes in the planned itinerary will not be uncommon and will add to the uniqueness of each tour. GETTING THERE The nearest train station for Brathay Lodgeis Windermere. To use public transport from Windermere, you need to catch a bus to Ambleside (these are frequent) and then connect onto either a 516 or X33 Bus stopping at Clappersgate which is a short walk from Brathay Lodge. For more informationon bus times, fare options and prices please contact the Windermere Tourist Office on 015394 46499 or CumbriaCounty Council. If travelling by road, please check out www.brathay.org.uk for directions and a postcode. SwimTrek Ltd. 6 Hove Manor, Hove Street, Brighton & Hove, BN3 2DF, U.K. Tel: +44 (0) 1273 739 713 | E-mail: [email protected] | Web: www.swimtrek.com Page 3 ` Lakes Weekender Trip Notes PRACTICAL INFORMATION Accommodation For this tour we are based at Brathay Hall, which sits on Windermere’s northern shore. It is a beautiful Georgian mansion with good quality accommodation. Our holidays are based on twin-share and en-suite facilities. Single rooms are available at a supplement. Meals All breakfasts and lunches are included on this trip. Dinners are not included but are available from local pubs and restaurants in the area. We will generally dine as a group, although it is entirely up to you if you wish to join. Extra Expenses You should bring money with you to cover items such as entertainment, dinner, snacks, souvenirs, etc. Passports and Visas If you are from outside the UK, you will require a full passport to enter, and it should be valid for 6 months beyond the expected length of stay. Holders of Australian, Canadian, New Zealand, South African and US Passports are given "leave to enter" the UK. Citizens of the EU do not need a visa to enter. Visa regulations do change, please check. Vaccinations There are currently no essential vaccination requirements for the Lake District but you should ensure that your tetanus and polio are up to date OTHER INFORMATION If there is any further information that you require before your trip, or if you have any questions whatsoever, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us using the contact details at the bottom of these Trip Notes. Happy swimming! SwimTrek Ltd. 6 Hove Manor, Hove Street, Brighton & Hove, BN3 2DF, U.K. Tel: +44 (0) 1273 739 713 | E-mail: [email protected] | Web: www.swimtrek.com Page 4 .