Where and when
The BMC and the KendalWall are supporting the Lakes Fest 2022 which will take place over the weekend of 22-24 April 2022.
A weekend of walking, climbing and much more, for all.
The event will be based in Seathwaite in the Duddon Valley. Anyone attending will need to book their own accommodation and we hope that most people will camp at the Turner Hall Farm campsite with us.
Our website is live - www.lakesfest.org E-mail is - lakesfest@aol.com
Why?
Why this year?
Well it was to have been held in September 2020, but we are particularly celebrating the publication of the new rock climbing guides namely the FRCC's Duddon and Wrynose guide, the Lake District Sports and Slate guide and Rockfax's Lake District Climbs. All with new routes and photo topos to inspire you with the beauty of the Duddon and Wrynose Valleys.
So, come along, bring your family and friends and join us, either doing your own thing or joining in with some of the many courses and events on offer in the fantastic Duddon Valley.
© Ron Kenyon
Things to do…
Friday night food and music - Start the weekend in the Newfield Inn pub about a mile from the campsite with good food and music by Mike Willoughby.
Early morning yoga might be your thing, Saturday and Sunday mornings for campsite residents.
During Saturday daytime (and some repeated on Sunday) the following courses and events are on offer :
- Bouldering with Esther Foster
- Fell Ranging with Mark Richards
- Duddon and Furness Mountain Rescue team activities
- Navigation in the hills off the paths with Andy Clifford
- Fix the Fells walk / practical
Plus - Rock climbing courses led my Mountaineering Instructors
- Children's rock climbing session
- Wall to crag leading
- Self rescue
- Scrambling with ropes
Sunday extra event - a mine tour in the Coniston Coppermines valley.
Wet weather alternatives - Indoor venues will be used for some courses if the weather is poor.
Saturday evening food and frolics at the Newfield Inn
- Food at the Newfield Inn
- Talks by Rob and Craig Matheson and others followed by a Q and A session led by Nick Wharton in the Seathwaite Village Hall, close to the Inn.
- Star gazing with Ian Bradley at the Turner Hall campsite
Sleeping
The Lakes Fest website has alternative accommodation suggestions if camping or campervaning aren't your thing.
© Lakes Fest
© Lakes Fest
Reflective bit…
2020 was the 250th anniversary of the birth of William Wordsworth who in 1820 published The River Duddon, A Series of Sonnets.
We leave you for now, with an extract from one of Wordsworth's Duddon sonnets in which he reflects on his visits to the Duddon and, speaking to the river, uses it as an analogy for life. This resonates with us at this time as we reflect on our own visits of the past and how life is and will be in the future. Come and join us in this beautiful valley.
Its called After-thought
I thought of Thee, my partner and my guide,
As being past away.—Vain sympathies!
For, backward, Duddon! as I cast my eyes,
I see what was, and is, and will abide;
Still glides the Stream, and shall for ever glide;
The Form remains, the Function never dies;
While we, the brave, the mighty, and the wise,
We Men, who in our morn of youth defied
The elements, must vanish;—be it so!
Enough, if something from our hands have power
To live, and act, and serve the future hour;
And if, as toward the silent tomb we go,
Through love, through hope, and faith's transcendent dower,
We feel that we are greater than we know.
See you in the Duddon in April
Register your interest on our website www.lakesfest.org
Lakesfest 2022 Core Volunteer Group:
- Rachel Somerville
- Anne Salisbury
- Ron Kenyon
- Andy McVittie
Comments
Thanks for the "heads up". I'll avoid the Duddon that weekend.
Cheers
Same here :-)
But to show some empathy to this type of events I might be persuaded to donate a project .
The Duddon is my wife's favourite valley and has been a Godsend as a lockdown venue.
So, wellprotected after the start, 12 m long , overhanging by 3 m, technical bridging laybacking and slapping, 1-3 minutes from the road. About 7a/b in French money.
Only tried it by myself in zero temperatures, but if I give it away to the event, I can try it later when my fingers and shoulders improve , or I just admit I am too fat and old.
Done over a hundred new routes up to E3 since the guide so one extra is maybe a bit greedy.
All cleaned and ready to go.
All festivals?
We have met with local businesses, and those we can from the community, and they're fully supportive. We did get some concerns and we have worked together to allay these successfully.
I'm happy to chat publicly on here, or privately if you wish to remain anonymous, about any issues you may have with the festival.
It is a small BMC event, run by volunteers.
What will piss the locals off? Who are the locals?
The valley will be as busy as it is the week before and after. The campsite is already fully booked those weekends and the camping barn at Wallowbarrow is fully booked the week after. It's likely to be less busy on our weekend tbh.
Some really negative comments in this thread. disappointing.
The Duddon is one of my most regular haunts, I personally would love to see the climbing in the area get more attention. The rock may not be as extensive or grand as other lakes venues and for this reason it will never be as popular as say Langdale. But for some reason the scrappy adventurous little duddon crags have a character all of their own.
Even if you quadrupled the number of climbers visiting the valley you would still have no problem finding whole crags to yourself (excluding Wallobarrow and maybe Stonestar).
I agree. Yep, I'm sure it will be a little busier than an average (completely quiet with virtually nobody else around) weekend in the Duddon, but that's generally (if people are considerate) good for local businesses/campsites/pubs and actually good for the climbing as a) the duddon is great and more people should enjoy it b) a lot of the routes could do with a bit of mileage to clean them up.
Only slight gripe is with the timing, as its bird ban season for a few Duddon crags.
If people realllllly hate the idea of other people being in the Duddon, I guess they can go to Langdale that weekend where it'll be nice and quiet, as allllllll the people will be in the Duddon.