Winter Tour 2022 - Lake District

Winter tour 2022 was a success! We went to the Lake District for some hiking and bouldering, and despite getting cold (first day), wet (2nd day) and windswept (3rd day), we had a great week.

We had a lot of train strikes to deal with, so three of us got a coach up to Lancaster while the rest drove in Treasurer Luke’s car. Because of the snow, the car couldn’t get all the way to the hut, so we had a steep, mile-long walk with all the shopping and everything we needed for a week of winter mountaineering up an icy road, where we met someone who had got their car stuck in the snow. Once we got to the hut, we were confidently informed by Secretary Evan that the heating, hot water, and cooker were all broken (don’t worry, they weren’t - just needed turning on).

Day 1: A Short Hike

We used our first, and snowiest, day to get to know our surroundings. The Langdale valley, one of the most beautiful in the lakes, was to be our home for the next few days, and Equipment Officer James, who had been in the area before, led a relatively short hike up to the end of the valley, along a snow-covered ridge past the Langdale Pikes and the Pike of Stickle, down the steep and slippery steps to the New Dungeon Ghyll pub - where we arrived just in time to watch France v Argentina in the world cup final.

Day 2: Rain on the Pike of Blisco

God was the weather awful. Cold, windy and wet, we set out to attempt a shorter hike up the scenic Pike of Blisco. It is a really confusing mountain to navigate because of it’s level, grassy sections followed by short scrambles, but we made it to the top. On the way down we had a last-minute change of plan to avoid the worst of the weather, which meant the final walk was over in only eight kilometers.

We finished the day with a well-deserved Outdoor Club Christmas Dinner at the Sticklebarn.

Day 3: Scafell Pike

It wouldn’t be an Outdoor Club trip without a suitably unusual hike: once we were confident about everyone’s ability, we used the third day to attempt a hike up Scafell Pike (22km round trip) on the second-shortest day of the year. We worked out that the 8 hours of daylight would give us exactly the right amount of time to make the hike - and it did. After a cold but beautiful day of hiking we stopped for a much-needed pint in the Old Dungeon Ghyll, Langdale’s third pub and made the walk home up the hill in the dark.

Day 4: Bouldering at Langdale Boulders

Our final day in the Lakes, with trains booked for the evening, saw us head to the Langdale Boulders for some bouldering on the huge erratic boulders strewn across the valley floor.

All in all, we had a very successful trip to the Lake District - and at a cost of only £90 all-in, it was really great value too!