Black Sail - Lake District Adventure

Meeting Time: 2pm
Your Large Outdoors walk leader and host for the weekend will meet everyone together, ready to walk into the hostel as a group. Please ensure you arrive in plenty of time, as the leader and group will not be able to wait for late arrivals and walking in is the only option!

Meeting Location:
Bowness Knott Car Park
Cleator
CA23 3AX

what3words///owned.thumb.pins

Access Information: From the north - A5086 from Cockermouth. At Crossgates turn left onto minor roads following signs to Ennerdale Bridge. At Croasdale, turn left for Bowness Knott Car Park.
From the south - A5086 from Egremont. At Cleator Moor turn right onto minor roads following signs to Ennerdale Bridge. At Ennerdale Bridge turn right for Bowness Knott Car Park.

Parking: The meeting location is a car park, where parking is free with a permit - your Large Outdoors host will have a permit for you to display in your windscreen on arrival. Your car will be left here for the duration of the trip as there is no vehicular access to Black Sail hostel.

Finish Time: We aim to finish on the final day by 4pm - the exact finish time may depend on the planned/chosen route, group dynamic, weather conditions, etc.

You’ll be staying at YHA’s hostel, Black Sail, one of our favourite locations. Remote and accessible only on foot, Black Sail offers serious seclusion without scrimping on home comforts. You’ll be able to spend the evening stargazing from the hostel door, before heading in to sit around the cosy wood-burning stove and sharing stories with your fellow walkers. (Other hostel users will also be staying at the accommodation.)

The bedrooms, toilets and shower of this venue are accessed from the outside so a head torch and something robust for your feet are essential.

There’s not usually any mobile phone reception at Black Sail, so please plan for this accordingly - then enjoy the digital detox!

Alcohol may be available for purchase if YHA staff are in residency, but this can’t be guaranteed.

Bedding is provided by the hostel so no need to bring your own, but please remember to bring your own towel and toiletries.

Room Types:
You can book one of the following options, subject to availability:
Bed in a Shared Female Room
Bed in a Shared Male Room

All rooms at this hostel are Shared Rooms, where you’ll be sharing a dorm room - with bunk beds - with other participants (room sizes vary and bathrooms are shared).

Included:

• 2-nights’ accommodation at the remote and lovely Black Sail hostel.

• A Large Outdoors host/guide to welcome you and deal with the logistics for your experience.

• Guided walks on 2 days (Day 2 and Day 3).

• Set 2-course dinner on both evenings, prepared by the accommodation.

• Breakfast provided by the accommodation each morning (toast, cereals, fruit, limited hot items, etc.).

• A packed lunch provided by the accommodation (sandwich and snacks) for Day 2 and Day 3’s walks. Please ensure you bring a lunch box or dry bag - to reduce waste, we do not supply cling film or sandwich bags.

• Complimentary tea and coffee provided by the accommodation, but please ensure you bring sufficient water bottles or carriers to fill up with tap water and take out with you.

• Bedding - but please bring a towel and don’t forget your own toiletries.

• The chance to make new friends and meet like-minded people - Large Outdoors is all about making outdoor adventures sociable.

• Pre-event support from the Large Outdoors team - give us a shout if there’s any advice or information you need and check out our Blog for useful articles too.

Not included:

• Travel to the meeting location.

• Any extra (i.e. not mentioned above in ‘Included’) excursions or activities that you may partake in which incur a cost.

• Bottled water - tap water is are available at the accommodation, so please ensure you bring sufficient water bottles or carriers to fill up and take out with you.

• Alcoholic drinks at the hostel - alcohol may be purchased from the hostel if YHA staff are available, but it’s cash only, so make sure you bring some. Needless to say there’s not a cashpoint nearby!

• Any food, drinks or goods you choose to purchase at any shops, restaurant, pubs or cafés visited.

• Travel/activity insurance - we recommend having insurance to cover, at a minimum: cancellation and curtailment; medical and emergency expenses (including repatriation); personal accident; injury and death.

Please see our Residential (Walking) Kit List.

The compulsory items are selected for your safety, which is of paramount importance to us at Large Outdoors. Each participant should have the items listed.

DON’T FORGET: As we leave our cars behind for this weekend and the hostel is remote, you might want to bring a few other things:

• Any snacks you’d like for the weekend, to enjoy whilst walking or at the hostel.

• Flip-flops, sandals, slippers or hut shoes, so you don’t have to wear your walking boots all evening. Please note the toilets and showers are accessed from outdoors so you will need something suitable for your feet.

• Waterproof bags to keep your evening clothes, towel and toiletries in - either plastic bags or dry-bags. Then you can leave these belongings on your bed at the hostel while out on the Saturday walk if you like, so your backpack’s not as heavy.

• What level of fitness is needed?
  This trip is rated Active Plus. Don’t forget you’ll be carrying all your belongings on Days 1 and 3, when we walk the 6 miles in to and 7.5 miles out of the hostel. There’s quite a bit of ascent/descent involved across the three days too. Make sure you’ve practised walking with all your kit and your backpack is comfortable when walking all day. Click here to see Large Outdoors’ Experience Levels.

• Can I attend on my own?
  Absolutely. The majority of our participants are solo travellers and adventurers. Plenty of fun, laughter and numerous long-term friendships (and a few marriages!) have begun on Large Outdoors experiences since 2008, so there’s no need to feel worried about your first experience, or indeed trying a new type of outdoor activity, with us.

• I am currently on a specific diet / have an allergy - can you cater for me?
  Unfortunately, we are generally unable to cater for a wide variety of diets or food preferences due to the nature and cost of our catered trips and/or the use of shared kitchens. However, we can offer vegetarian meals, vegan meals, provide meals with gluten* free ingredients, and/or provide dairy* free meals - these options can be selected when booking. *Please see our general FAQs for more information about dietary options.

• What transportation is provided during this experience?
  We do not provide any transport for this experience. You will be walking from the meeting location to the hostel (6 miles) on Day 1 and back out from the hostel (7.5 miles) on Day 3.

• Can I bring my dog?
  Dogs are not allowed on this experience, except for trained assistance dogs. If you wish to bring your trained assistance dog, please let us know in advance of booking so we can discuss the itinerary and any activity/equipment/accommodation, and of course additional safety requirements or considerations that may be necessary.

The Lake District National Park needs no introduction, as it’s a veritable outdoors-lovers paradise. Stretching 2,292 square kilometres, it’s the largest National Park in England and second largest in the UK. It’s home to some brilliant wildlife, England’s highest peak (Scafell Pike), and its largest natural lake, Windermere, at 11 miles long.

The area we’ll be walking through on this adventure is spectacular, with pristine lakes, carpets of green, and stunning fells. You’ll even see and have the opportunity to bag a couple of Wainwright’s favourite fells.