Summer is nearly over, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t time for more outdoor adventures. A location that I have been to several times in the UK, and one that I will certainly go to again, is the Lake District. Bordering Scotland, the Lake District not only features many lakes but also beautiful mountains and hills, so-called fells, in a stunning scenery. On one occasion, I stumbled over an offer from Mountain Hikes, which united two activities I like a lot in one weekend trip: Hiking and yoga.
The weather in the Lake District is very changeable. As a former colleague once said to me, there isn’t such a thing as a dry weekend in the Lakes – and I can echo this from all but one previous trip. This time though, the forecast was dry as I took the train to Windermere, arriving at around 8 pm. Yen and Kevin, hiking and yoga instructors operating their tour business from the Lake District, picked us up from the station and swiftly took us to the beautiful Ambleside YHA. The hostel is located right next to the peaceful Lake Windermere. Since we were a group of about ten people, I joined the others in the hostel bar that evening for a bit of socialising. Aside from one guy, it was an all girls’ group and I was in beer mode but told myself not to go crazy – this was supposed to be a healthy weekend after all. Plus, I didn’t want to be the hungover one in the yoga class the next morning.
The session started bright and early at 7:15 am. From the large windows facing the lake behind our yoga instructor Yen, we were able to see the beautiful scenery whilst she guided us through gentle stretches as well as energising and strengthening postures. I thoroughly enjoyed the class and after a hearty breakfast mix of cooked items, toast, cereals, juice, yoghurt and tea and coffee, we were ready to hit the road.
As promised by the weather forecast, it was dry as we headed from the hostel through the village, past the Waterhead Pier and through Rothay Park, towards the small, natural lake of Loughrigg Tarn and onto the dramatic waterfall of Skelwith Force. From there we went to Elterwater and up to Little Langdale, where we were rewarded with beautiful views for miles across the valley and surrounding, green hills. We looped back through Colwith Force and the village of Skelwith Bridge towards Clappersgate.
The hike took around six hours and upon returning to the hostel, we were welcomed with tea, coffee and cakes. We enjoyed our treats right next to the lake in the sunshine, while the barks were rocking gently in the glistening waters. Then it was time for another hour-long yoga session, this time a lot more based around relaxation and stretching. I was surprised to realise that of all things, stretching my toes was the most painful!
For the evening, we were treated to a 3-course dinner, consisting of Butternut Squash Soup, a choice of three main courses, out of which I chose Beef Stew, as well as Bread and Butter Pudding and Custard. It all felt well-deserved after this eventful day and I didn’t go easy on the wine this time around. In consequence, I slept like a baby in my hostel room, which I shared with three of the other girls.
The next day we had to pack right after yoga and breakfast since we went on a shorter, four-hour hike heading through Rothay Park again, towards Rydal Cave and up to Loughrigg Fell. From here we could again enjoy beautiful views of the region for miles. And after a short and final yoga session, it was time to head back to London although I would have very much liked to extend my stay for at least a couple of days.
Check out more hiking & yoga weekends: www.yogahikes.co.uk
