As a Cumbria Tripbod I feel it is my role to get out there and experience the best of the area. It’s about making the most of what’s on your doorstep and discovering new adventures all the time.
Currently we are experiencing heavy snow (as across the whole country) and many people feel this stops the fun. Do I agree? Not a chance!
This weekend has flown by because of all the fun we’ve had. So here was my Winter Adventure Weekend in Cumbria.. in the snow
Saturday: Kirkby Lonsdale and Ulverston
We took our bikes out around Kirkby Lonsdale, along bridleways in the snow. We made sure that we wrapped up warm and had some good padding, then took our mountain bikes up the nearest suitable tracks. It’s tough cycling on compacted snow but makes for a great work out! The best thing was that if we fell off we landed in about 5 feet of snow - so it was a soft, if not a little cold landing.
Coming down the other side was exhilarating and gave us the same buzz as skiing. The views were superb and we would stop regularly to drink in the scenery, which stretched out for miles around us, frosted and glistening in the sunshine.
We were out for two hours, which is long enough in the cold. Afterwards we got hot pasties and pies from the Village Bakery in Kirkby Lonsdale - a great spot for warming up by the open fires.
During the evening we headed to The Mill in Ulverston, a relatively new bar opened by the team responsible for The Duke of Edinburgh in Barrow (a big favourite of ours) and others in Lancaster.
Great value and fantastic service, with an awesome range of single malt whiskeys at just £3.00 each. Thoroughly recommended.
Sunday: Coniston for a dip!
I promised I would swim outdoors over Christmas but struggled to find anywhere that wasn’t frozen over! So we waited until Coniston offered enough unfrozen water and on Sunday morning launched ourselves off Rigg Wood jetty on the East side of the lake.
People flock to this beach in the warmer months but today we saw no one. We did, of course, have someone on the shore for safety – and to take the obligatory photographs as proof.
After the count of 1-2-3 we slipped off the jetty and into the ice cold water, making a hasty retreat for the shore about 25 metres away. It was shockingly cold, as you’d expect, but exhilarating and thoroughly enjoyable and offering a chance to enjoy Cumbria in a new way.
So the snow offers new ways to enjoy Cumbria for those who dare grasp life by both hands. Next week we might even go skiing near Penrith!
SWIMMING PHOTOS - BEFORE AND AFTER
(Disclaimer: Please remember to stay safe and take all possible precautions when going out in the cold weather. Tripbod is happy to offer advice on how to have fun in the snow, but can take no responsibility for how this advice is implemented. We wish you many happy and safe adventures!)