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Finding Your Words In The Fells.  Explore writing with award winning author and poet, Julie Carter, Mindfell 

Move from ‘How do I find the words’, to feeling the satisfaction of engaging in a creative process as emotions become words on the paper in front of you.  Inspired by what is under your feet, what you can hear, see & feel as you move around the fells with Julie.

“…for going out, I found, is really going in.” John Muir

Dates:  Monday 20th October - Wednesday 22nd October 

Location: Glenridding, Ullswater

Our writer in residence for our 3-day break is Julie Carter, author, poet, fellrunner and climber.  Julie is a 2025 Lakeland Book Of The Year Award Winner (link) for her book The Dreamtime Fellrunner.  For information on Julie’s other books, theatre show and other creative works have a look at www.mindfell.co.uk

Julie is joining Hiking Highs to help guide us in the wonderful ‘art’ of writing. To start to put emotions to paper, inspired by what is under our feet, what we can hear and see and feel as we move around the fells.

Day 1: ROCK

Explore the meaning of rock for you.  How do you interact with our earth’s foundation?  With origins in deep-time rocks can be cold, inhospitable and connect us to fear, anger and awe.  But rock has many textures and colours, provides stability and substance, and is the home from which life emerged and is nurtured by. 

Evening: Red Deer Talk and mountain flora talk from Lee Schofield

Day 2: RED DEER

A boat trip on the Ullswater Steamers will take us to Howtown, the start of our special Red Deer Day.  Today’s workshop, in the tiny church of St Martin, Martindale, built in the 1660’s, connects us with echoes of roaring deer and clashing of antlers, autumn light on the fells and the cycles of life.

The walk, led by Hiking Highs guide, Nicky, will take us deep into Martindale and Bannerdale valleys and a slow roam up and over Bedafell, with binoculars in hand.  Whatever the weather the echoing of the magnificent stags is guaranteed during October. 

Martindale is home to England’s oldest red deer herd. They have inhabited these fells for over 300 years. We can guide our hikes with kind permission of the McCosh family, with whom Hiking Highs works closely, from the Dalemain Estate who own this valley.

Please note: The Ullswater Steamers may not sail if the winds are high, and we will organise a car share to Martindale.

Evening: Readings and films

Day 3: WATER

The freedom of water.  The flow takes its course, we can't control it, we shouldn't control it, but we need it.  It is free to run away down the fellside. Sometimes sitting amongst our bogs or hiding in our glorious Sphagnum moses. We will touch and feel these mosses, and listen to the becks in full autumn flow, maybe raging, maybe trickling, maybe underground with echoes to listen for - shhhhh… it’s a secret. How might it feel to walk on the cold wet ground?  How you connect to the water will be up to you…. We are all different.

Take away pages containing your words, emotions and sensations as a lasting reminder.

NOTE: The taste of your water during your stay is different to any you have drunk before, it runs down the face of Helvellyn and Red Tarn Beck and into your taps here at the hostel for you to drink and run over your body - minimal chlorine, just ultraviolet cleaning…. The taste is clear and clean… you should bottle it and take it home; its energy is magic.

 

Cost:  £390 per person

Included in the price:

• 2 nights Hostel accommodation: Almond Lodge Helvellyn .
  You will have an upper and lower bunkbed to yourself; we will be taking 2 spacious bunk rooms sleeping a max of 3 people in each room.  with a shower room and a bathroom. If numbers grow, we will add another 2 dorms, with 2 more shower rooms for your stay.  You need to bring your own bedding and pillow and towel.
  (If you choose to stay elsewhere, you are welcome to join us at the hostel for all meals and chat, but the price is the same.  Your host, Nicky, has a beautiful private room with a view or a secret hut in her garden next door to Almond Lodge - £100 per night for either)

• 2 vegetarian evening meals - homecooked (all allergies catered for)

• 1 x 90 min & 2 x 1 hour writing workshops all with Julie Carter

• Evenings of film and talks and chat.

• 2 half days’ hiking & 1 full day’s hiking - guided by fully qualified Mountain Leader, Nicky Merrett
  (Please be aware these are fell walks and it is essential that you are confident to walk on our typical Lakeland paths, and onto the fell with some ascent, although they will not be speedy hikes, we need to move a reasonable hiking pace).

What is not included in the price:

• Breakfast and packed lunches (there is a great kitchen for you to make your own)

• Ullswater Steamer fair (£10)

(if you would like to secure your place, and only pay a 50% deposit of £195, and the balance by 10th October, please email [email protected] to arrange this.)

 

Required for all Hikers heading into the fells with HIKING HIGHS guides:

• Rucksack for your kit for the day, lunch, and spare kit

• Boots or trail shoes/approach shoes with good trail grip

• Walking Socks, or Waterproof socks if weather not in our favour

• Waterproof top with taped seams, so fully waterproof

• Waterproof bottoms with taped seams, so fully waterproof

• (waterproofs above are essential even on dry day, as these are your emergency layer too)

• Warm jacket, preferable not down as this can collapse if wet in the rain

• Spare midlayer/jacket for emergency that you don't intend to wear for the walk

• Warm hat

• Warm gloves, or waterproof gloves if due to be wet (we have spares if you advise us you need some)

• Thin gloves or liner gloves can be useful if warmer weather with a chilly breeze for the top sections of the walk

• Lunch & snacks that are easily accessible in your pack

• Cold drink

• Warm drink (we have spare a spare thermos or two if you don't have one - please advise us if you need us to bring you a warm drink)

• Head torch - this is essential emergency kit for each member of the group between September & April (we have spares please advise if you need to borrow one)

• Walking poles if you feel this would give you added security (We have lots of spare poles that fold into 4 sections for easy carrying on your pack - please advise us in advance if you would like to borrow some)

 

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