Easter Walking Holiday 2017
Our popular Easter walking holiday returns to the English Lake District for 2017, for three days of spectacular scenic walking and enjoyable social evenings.
Come and join us for a memorable Easter walking holiday with optional accommodation at YHA Ambleside and a mix of mountain and lower level guided walks, including a walk on the classic Helvellyn mountain range.
As England’s 3rd highest mountain, and the 3rd highest in the Lake District, Helvellyn is arguably one of the Lake Districts most popular fells. With its numerous routes to the summit, walkers return to walk on Helvellyn time after time to enjoy the finest views.
As Alfred Wainwright said himself, “There is some quality about Helvellyn which endears it in the memory of most people who have stood on its breezy top.”
Highlights
- Fully guided Easter walking holiday
- View from the summit of Helvellyn
- 3 days of scenic guided walks
- Breath-taking mountain scenery
- Walking several Wainwright summits
- Easter Treats & enjoyable social evenings
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Accommodation
YHA Ambleside, situated on the shores of Lake Windermere, offers an unbeatable location, stunning views and state of the art facilities for people looking for a base right in the centre of the Lake District National Park. YHA Ambleside is a 4 Star YHA shared bunkroom type accommodation with modern restaurant and bar area. The hostel has a private onsite car park, with alternative Pay & Display and free roadside parking nearby.
* Easter walking holiday price, excluding YHA Ambleside accommodation, available on request contact us.
Additional information
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Friday – Welcome Evening
Guests can check in to YHA Ambleside from 2pm and the holiday will start at 8.30pm with a welcome introduction. It’s a chance for everyone on the Easter walking holiday to meet and the Country Adventures tour leader will be on hand to answer any questions about the planned walks.
Saturday - Walk Day
Grade 4 – Helvellyn 8.4 miles (13.5km), with 3014 ft (919m) of ascent
Complimentary transport from Ambleside takes us to the start of today’s walk. Our route to the Helvellyn summit starts from Wythburn Church, a quaint little church located in the foothills of Helvellyn, once frequented by the ‘Romantic poets including William Wordsworth and Samuel Coleridge. A short walk uphill from the church, through a wooded plantation, quickly brings you out in the open landscape and the route on good ground steadily rises for 2½ miles and 2550ft ascent, which is most of the day’s total ascent, to the Helvellyn summit.
On a clear day, the views from the top are magnificent and we will have our packed lunch just off the summit with views towards Striding Edge, one of the finest ridges in the Lake District. For most part, the second stage of the route is downhill as we walk on the slopes of Nethermost Pike and Dollywagon Pike, two further Wainwright fells. The downhill route is steeper in sections but on suitable footpaths which are very safe and there should be time to have a short break at the mountain lake of Grisedale Tarn before we join a 2-mile downhill section of the Coast to Coast Long Distance footpath to finish the walk just outside of Grasmere village at the Travellers Rest Lakeland Inn, the perfect place to treat yourself to a refreshment following a good days walk, before the return transport to Ambleside.
Tonight’s evening meal and social evening at YHA Ambleside is included in the Easter walking holiday.
Sunday - Walk Day
Grade 3 – Steel Fell & Helm Crag 8 miles (12.9km), with 2263 ft (690m) of ascent
Starting from the idyllic Lakeland village of Grasmere, today’s scenic guided walk features Helm Crag, also known as the ‘Lion and the Lamb’, a highly regarded Wainwright walk in a stunning mountain and valley setting overlooking Grasmere village. With Steel Fell combined, it’s the perfect match of good mid-range mountain footpaths whilst taking in the views of loftier mountain tops.
There may be some time to explore Grasmere village at the end of the walk before taking the complimentary transport back to Ambleside but also an option to extend your walk with an optional 4 mile guided walk back to Ambleside alongside Grasmere & Rydal Water
For tonight’s social evening, Country Adventures will organise meeting up for drinks and an optional meal in Ambleside.
Monday - Walk Day & Departure Day
Grade 2 – Latterbarrow & Claife Heights 7.5 miles (12km), with 1394 ft (425m) of ascent
Departure day. Check out is 10am but for anybody wishing to spend a little more time in the area there is an (optional) 3rd day of walking. Across Windermere lake from YHA Ambleside, the delights of Claife Heights and the viewpoint on top of Latterbarrow offers forest and hill top walking with stunning views alongside and overlooking England’s largest lake, Windermere.
The holiday finishes back at YHA Ambleside between 3-4pm.
Essential Info
Accommodation
Accommodation for the Easter walking holiday is YHA Ambleside, Lake District. Rooms are shared male and shared female bunkrooms. Private rooms can be reserved on request subject to availability and an additional room supplement.
Food & Drink
Meals included during the holiday: all breakfasts, 1 evening meal at YHA Ambleside, 2 days of packed lunches.
For two of the evenings we will go and eat in the town of Ambleside (optional extra) where there are several restaurants and Country Inns to choose from.
Transport
For guided walking tours that require transport from the meeting point to the start of the walk, we use a minibus or where necessary local transport. There is no extra charge for this, it is included in the tour price.
Fitness Levels
Our walks are by no means designed to be endurance tests where everyone sets off at a blistering pace. Far from it, it’s about a fine day in the hills in good company enjoying the best of fell walking with exceptional views but it is important to state that for everyone’s walking enjoyment walking does require a minimum level of fitness and stamina. Hill / Mountain walking experience is not essential as long as you have a reasonable level of fitness. For the higher level graded walks (i.e. Challenging Grade) it is advisable that you are someone who enjoys regular cardio exercise or have experience of mountain walking and have the stamina/ leg strength in order to be better prepared for longer sections of uphill & downhill walking associated with higher mountain treks.
Walking Grades Explained
Grade 1 (Leisurely) Normally 5-8 miles, may include gentle ascents and descents of up to a total 1100ft of ascent and similar descent over a day’s walk. Easier scenic walking at lower altitudes along paths and tracks.
Grade 2 (Moderate) Normally 6-10 miles on paths and tracks, between 800ft – 1700ft of total ascent and similar descent. Longer walks, on hills and moorland.
Grade 3 (Moderate Mountain) Normally ranging from 6-10 miles, between 1700ft – 2600ft of ascent, similar descent. Longer walks, over higher ground with possibly steeper ups and downs on paths and tracks.
Grade 4 (Challenging) Normally ranging from 8-13 miles, between 1500ft – 3000+ft of ascent, similar descent, over undulating mountain terrain, walking at higher levels with steep ups and downs. Suitable for people with a good level of fitness.
Kit List
What you need to bring with you for the walks
- Good, comfortable walking boots with a cleated sole and good ankle support are essential.
- Waterproof jacket and over-trousers.
- Warm, dry walking clothing. Unsuitable clothing includes Jeans or cotton tracksuit bottoms and cotton t-shirts (cotton is a poor insulating fabric and when wet it takes a long time to dry, which can lead to a rapid loss of body heat as well as being uncomfortable).
- A number of thin layers are better than one thick/ heavy jumper. We suggest a fleece for extra warmth especially when we stop on the hills for lunch.
- Hat and gloves (even in summer – any wind chill on the mountain tops will lead to cooler temperatures).
- Sunglasses, sun cream.
- Hot or cold drinks (i.e. a minimum of 2 litres of water).
- Plenty of food and drink for lunch and snacks.
- A rucksack large enough to carry it all in (20-30 litres), ideally with a waterproof liner.
- Any medication you need.
- Thermos flask. We recommend bringing warm drinks with you, as even on sunny days it can occasionally feel cooler, especially on the summits of the higher-level mountain walks.
- Walking poles (if you use them).
We want you to enjoy your time with Country Adventures and have the best possible adventure experience. Please be aware that if any participants are not properly equipped for the walk (i.e. with walking boots and waterproofs), at the guide’s discretion we reserve the right to not allow them on the walk for reasons of safety for both the individual and the group. If you need clarification any of the equipment requirements, please don’t hesitate to ask.
Tour Schedule & Activity Meeting Times
Please ensure you give yourself plenty of time to get to the meeting point at the required time. The transport for our day walks will leave promptly at the stated time and due to the nature of scheduled tours, we are unable to provide refunds if unfortunately, you miss the departure time.
Meeting Point
Please meet at YHA Ambleside, details will be included with your booking confirmation.
Address: YHA Ambleside, Waterhead, nr Ambleside, Cumbria, LA22 0EU
Tour Reviews
Excellent holiday. What a lovely hostel in a perfect setting with comfortable rooms, good food and Black Sheep beer! I found the walking tough at times but the views and the company made it all worthwhile. And I can say I got to the top of the third highest mountain in England! Roll on the next Country Adventures holiday!
A wonderful Easter weekend walking with a fab group of people. Joe combined his very professional and experienced approach with humour and personal care. We were so well looked after and taken on interesting and varied walks in the Lake District. This was my third walking holiday with Country Adventures and can’t wait to book on another trip!
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