A busy August for Kendal Mountaineering Services. August 5th - 13th 2015.

Sorry - we have not posted now for over a week!

We are VERY busy at Kendal Mountaineering Services at present and Iain has to do all of the work. Getting back after a days graft providing exceptional sessions for clients and then blogging about it the same day is proving a little too much at the moment.

So, here are a selection of photos from our best moments over the last week - enjoy; and when Iain has time he will fill in the blank spaces beside the photos where you would normally read what he has been up to and with whom.

We are updating our Facebook page daily so please go there if you are interested in a short version of each days activity - with lots of photos.

Contact us here if you wish to enquire about; or make a booking for; an activity session or skills Training Course - thank you and we look forward to working with you!

OK - so what have we been up to of late? Well, on August 5th, Iain was working in Yorkshire on behalf of Verticalair/Live for Today Adventures to provide some activities for delightful children from all over Europe and the Middle East who come to the UK under the umbrella of an organisation called Village Camps who then contract us in to provide some outdoor activities for the group as the pass through Yorkshire on their tour of the UK.

The first photo from this post sees the group enjoying some introductory Rock Climbing at at Brimham Rocks. The climbing is easy and is an ideal way to be challenged whilst learning to trust and work with others in your group. We run a lot of Introductory Rock Climbing Sessions here in The Lake District too!

Photo two sees Iain's group jut after they had all abseiled off the bridge at Howstean Gorge (again in Yorkshire) into the bed of the gorge to start their Ghyll Scrambling (also known as Gorge Walking) Session.

Ghyll Scrambling/Gorge Walking Sessions are great fun. We give our clients wetsuits, cagoules buoyancy aids and walking boots and then we get into a stream and walk up it - swimming & splashing through pools, climbing up waterfalls. This is a great fun exhilarating activity and kids just love it making it ideal for a half day of fun during your Summer Holiday.

In Howstean Gorge, there are also a number of small caves - so there is the opportunity for caving too as in photo three. Climbing, Abseiling, Gorge Walking & Caving; and all in one day! Don't forget - you can also do all of these fantastic activities with us here in The Lake District too!

Our next photo was taken during a half day Introductory Caving Session in the Yorkshire Dales National Park the following day with Marcus & Emma.

The pair were on holiday in the area and wanted to try something different, looked for caving; and up came our website.

Iain took them for an action packed afternoon in Long Churns and the pair absolutely loved it. You can see more photos from this session on our Facebook page - at only £45 each for a four hour session with all equipment included - this caving session was a bargain!

On Saturday 8th August, Iain was joined by returning clients Bob Bettinson & his son Paul.

The pair have done an activity day with us about this time each of the previous 3 years. The first adventure was an Esk Gorge Trip, the next time was Canadian Canoeing and a river Journey on the Derwentwater & River Derwent near Keswick and last year, a rather hardcore day out doing a Kayak journey on the River Lune.

This time, Bob had decided that he wanted to climb the Lake District's highest mountain - Scafell Pike, so he booked a Guided Hill Walking Day in The Lake District with us. This photo sees Iain (left) with the pair at the summit of Scafell Pike on a perfect day. You can read a bit more about this day and see some more photos here.

The next day, Iain started out at Fell Foot Country Park at Windermere with Mark & Robbie Wight.

Robbie will shortly be going on a residential week shortly after starting the Autumn Term at his school and Dad - Mark wanted him to get some experience of the activities that will be on offer during that week.

We spent a rather misty murky & drizzly morning on Windermere improving Robbie's confidence to paddle a Kayak on his own. He definitely enjoyed himself!

Mark had booked a two session day for himself & Robbie, the other activity was Ghyll Scrambling. Ghyll Scrambling or Gorge Walking is, as previously described, getting into a wet-suit, putting on walking boots and wearing a cagoule, buoyancy aid & helmet and harness then getting into a mountain stream and walking up it.

Kids just love Ghyll Scrambling and we reckon that this is one of the best things that we provide in the Summer months. It is also extremely popular with Stag & Hen Parties too!

As Mark & Robbie also lived in Kendal (our home town), Iain decided that there was no need to travel all the way to Langdale to go in Stickle Ghyll, but that we would use a local venue to be found just north of town. When we got there, we discovered that the overnight rain had brought the water levels up somewhat so we drove up the road to the point where the stream splits and the volume of the flow basically halves. Here, Robbie was much happier to get in and have a splash around.

The next photo sees Mark & Robbie back at the Land Rover after the pair's Ghyll Scrambling Session, getting changed and having a hot drink before we loaded up and headed back down the steep dirt track into the valley & back to Kendal.

We have used this reliable vehicle quite a few times recently to get into places that would otherwise be a long walk in - it is all part of the service.

Anyone coming across the company leaflet will see that it states on the back "Giving you what you want". As a business providing high quality Outdoor Activity Sessions & Skills Training Courses in The Lake District, it is our intention, wherever possible, to exceed your expectations and provide a value for money service. We are not the cheapest provider in The Lake District, but we don't cut corners and we will go the extra mile to ensure your satisfaction; and even if your request is unusual, we will do it - if it is possible; and safe!

We went the extra mile the next day with returning clients Alex & Elena Gerko. Alex & Elena had previously attended one of our Scrambling Skills Training Courses in The Lake District two years previously. On this visit to the area, the pair were celebrating their 5th Wedding Anniversary and as part of that weekend wanted to climb Scafell Pike.

Unfortunately, the weather was particularly poor on this day as you'll see in this report, but Iain got them to the summit and back to Borrowdale; and then drove them all the way to Oxenholme Station in order that they could get an earlier train back to London. So there you go - Outdoor Activity Provider: and Taxi service too; all for on this occasion, a very reasonable fee of £160.00!

And the last report in this potted history of what we've been up to between the 5th & 13th of August concerns the first of Iain's two days out with Andy Stratton from Dorset.

Andy had travelled up to The Lake District to do some walking and had fancied the idea of trying out some Guided Scrambling.

Iain is a Mountaineering Instructor, so he is appropriately qualified to provide this and a range of other mountaineering & Rock Climbing Courses.

Scrambling can best be described as a "crossover" between Rock Climbing and Hill Walking. Scrambling is a great way to get to the summit of mountains by routes avoided by the crowds; and if you want some peace & tranquility as well as the exhilaration of moving up an exposed rocky crest or buttress, then scrambling is a skill you really want to learn! On day one, Andy spent the day doing just that - learning! And here he is practicing how to deal with climbing equipment that needs to be carried.

We spent the morning of the first day of Andy's Guided Scrambling Course in The Lake District learning the skills of Spotting (how to safeguard each other on easy scrambling ground without the use of a rope) short roping (how to use the rope when a slip could turn into something more serious) and then the application of various belaying techniques that can be applied when one wishes or feels the need to add extra security to rope-working skills.

In the afternoon, Iain guided Andy on a grade II scramble so that he could observe all that he had been taught being put into practice; and then we finished off with a grade III scramble so that Andy could see what ground of this nature is all about.

The final photo from this post sees Andy about to "top out" on this pleasant route - on dry rock and in sunshine. Ideal conditions for Scrambling in The Lake District!

If you have enjoyed reading this mega-post about our recent activities in August and like the look of anything you see, then contact us here to make your enquiry or booking for a great Outdoor Activity Session or Skills Training Course in The Lake District. We'll be happy to help you.