Thursday 9 May 2013

Stag Events in The Lake District, Church Beck, Sunday, May 5th 2013.

After assisting with the running of a Lake District Hen Event in Borrowdale on Saturday, Iain was out with a group of lads who were staying in The Lake District as part of a stag weekend.

James Fraser had found the Kendal Mountaineering Services website early in the year and had booked a Lake District ghyll scrambling session with us way back in January.

Iain took the party to Church Beck at Coniston where we always combine any Ghyll Scrambling Sessions with a Canyoning Session as well.

Sunday was a different day from Saturday in so much that it was cloudy, cold & wet - not a great combination for any Ghyll Scrambling & Canyoning Session!

Still, the lads made up for the miserable weather with bags of enthusiasm. Photo one shows us at the Chockstone Pitch in Church Beck - little over an hour later, we would be sliding down the rock behind the lads into the deep pool below.

Taken about ten minutes after photo one, photo two shows the guys all kitted up - ready for the Canyoning Descent of Church Beck.

As can be seen, everyone is well equipped to provide maximum comfort and protection with each individual wearing a wetsuit, walking boots, a cagoule (jacket) bouyancy aid, helmet & harness - all provided as part of the fee for the four hour session - in this case £40 per person. This might sound a lot - but look what you get and we also know that we offer a longer ghyll scrambling session than many of our competitors - giving you the opportunity to do absolutely everything that there is to be done in this fantastic gorge.

Many other providers miss out the top section of Church Beck above Miners Bridge, but here there are two big waterfalls and two deep pools that are worth the visit.

Photo three sees one of James Stag party being lowered down the first waterfall nin to the first pool - if you haven't already had a thorough soaking you'll get one here!

Being lowered down this fall you get a real sense of being right in the middle of falling water whilst still securely attached to a rope, we won't hang about lowering you down here though.

Below this point, we pypass the next fall below due to a big rock being right at it's base in the pool; although the pool is still deep enough to get a thorough ducking! Then it is on the the next absiel lower at the Miners Bridge Fall.

Below Miners Bridge Fall, the gorge narrows to a slot where there are three falls. At the first, we lower you part way on a rope before you jump the rest of the distance in to the pool. The next fall has another rock at its foot  so we climb down the slide of here and swim to the top of the fall seen in photo one. This final fall sees us slide down the middle of the slab in to the pool below in a fashion that has earned it the name of "the coffin slide". A truly exhilarating experience!

After that, we climb out of the ghyll and that is the end of your Lake District Ghyll Scrambling & Canyoning session although there is still a 10 minute walkback to the cars to de-kit. Many of our stag groups choose to end their session with a pint at The Black Bull Inn & Hotel just down the road. Bluebird Bitter is Iain's favourite tipple.

Other photographs from James Frasers Stag Do in The Lake District can be viewed here and if you would like to discuss booking your own Stag Do in The Lake District with us, then contact us here. We look forward to working with you.

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