Following the success of the Yoga and Walking Weekend taking place in early August, here is another joint effort between Moors to Mountains and Happy Chakras. Nature Connection is designed to promote healthy lifestyle and mental wellbeing exclusively for guests of Forest How Guest House at Eskdale in the Lake District.
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Michelle from Happy Chakras will be presenting a small selection of nature-based yoga and meditation activities over the course of the weekend, which you can read more about below.
My involvement will be to lead any guests who are taking part in our Nature Connection collaboration on a moderately difficult guided walk up to Burnmoor Stone Circles. This is a beautiful and remote spot on the moor above Eskdale with views to Scafell and other surrounding mountains. It is essential to have good mobility and a reasonable level of hill fitness to take part.
As mentioned, Nature Connection Weekend is exclusively available to guests of Forest How Guest House in Eskdale. Please see below to read more about their beautiful accommodation and enquire directly if you might choose to book to stay with them any time.
You can also call Michelle on
07305645564 to find out
how to book accommodation.
Limited to 8 PARTICIPANTS
at £99.00 per person.
Accommodation must be booked separately
Eskdale is a wonderful valley nestled at the southern of the Central Lakes. It has a very unique mood with lots of beautiful ancient oak woodland and green pastures carpeting the valley bottom where the river Esk snakes alongside. There are some very impressive crags along the length of the valley with more imposing peaks such as Harter Fell reaching up to the skyline.
There is also lots and lots of interesting history in the area, with archaeological evidence showing that human settlers lived in the area as far back as 10,000 years ago, or 8,000BC! The site that we will be visiting on my guided walk, Burnmoor Stone Circles, is a collection of later Neolithic monuments from around 2,000BC which was part of the Bronze Age era.
Other historical interest to discuss will cover Roman and Viking settlers, Eskdale of course being famous for the Roman garrison of Hardknott Fort. This subject matter is sure to make an interesting start to the day as we head through the valley.
Limited to 8 PARTICIPANTS
at £99.00 per person.
Accommodation must be booked separately
Our route will lead us on a gradual climb up onto the moor to the north of Eskdale. It is always nice to hear the whistle of the narrow-gauge steam train down below as it chugs along the Ravenglass to Eskdale railway. Again, the railway line has some history attached to it that I intend to share as we make our way up to higher terrain.
We will soon pass a disused quarry, more evidence of past human activities, and find ourselves weaving through some more rugged terrain. There will be a chance to observe wildlife such as grouse or deer, and and the general flora of the area characterised by heather and tough moorland grasses.
As we pass along the head of Miterdale, the terrain changes slightly and we can enjoy the luxury of a gentle forest track that is adorned by high gorse bushes to either side. At this point, the various moorland birds such as golden plover and skylarks will be heard singing from the surrounding moorland and there is an impressive view over to the south east slopes of Whin Rigg, a popular Wainwright summit.
There is a short lived steep climb up the hillside and within a short distance on a simple path, we will arrive at Burnmoor Stone Circles. The view is absolutely astounding, weather permitting of course. Harter Fell, Green Crag and it's cool little ridge, Great Carrs and Scafell itself can all be pointed out, among others. I personally enjoy taking in such a panorama from a quiet and isolated spot, I and I hope those in attendance will be able to find the experience as memorable and as inspiring as I always do.
Burnmoor Stone Circles is a group of five independent burial sites that stand on the moor alongside other small cairns and features that show the presence of our ancient ancestors form around 4,000 years ago. Important members of the community were often buried at such locations, as is the case here. Some of the cultural practices of the people who live here at this time are very interesting.
The Lake District would have been a much wilder place during this time period. Farming as we know it now did not exist. Tourism wasn't a thing here until the Victorian era. But, the area around Burnmoor Stone Circles is still very peaceful and will make a perfect setting for Michelle's yoga and meditation session.
Limited to 8 PARTICIPANTS
at £99.00 per person.
Accommodation must be booked separately
Michelle from Happy Chakras will guide participants through a selection of nature-based yoga and meditation activities over the course of the weekend. The group will move through practices that work on natural connection with nature, and cultivate a sense of being grounded and restored physically and mentally/emotionally. There will also be a stretch and chill out yoga on Friday, pre-walk movements Saturday, and on Sunday a short yoga practice followed by reflections/journaling.
Michelle's session during the guided walk aims to leave everybody feeling re-charged and focussed. We will of course need to make our way back to Forest How afterwards, which will involve a simple descent into Miterdale where we will use some well surfaced quiet lanes and tracks and enjoy some more of the native oak woodland as we bring the walk to a close.
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No previous yoga experience is needed and there is no need to be "bendy".
The yoga Michelle teaches is therapeutic and not fast or acrobatic in any sense.
Limited to 8 PARTICIPANTS
at £99.00 per person.
Accommodation must be booked separately
​Important details about this specific activity.
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The guided walk is a full day out on the moor around Eskdale, accruing a distance of 12km, or just over 7 miles, with almost 400m ascent and including an hour yoga and meditation session at the stone circle. This is expected to take up to 7 hours at a moderate pace and allowing plenty of opportunity for engaging discussion.
It is necessary to have good mobility and a moderate level of fitness to take part in the guided walk.
There are some fairly steep hillside paths, boggy ground and uneven moorland terrain. If an individual is for any reason unsure of their ability, please email via moorstomountains@gmail.com and we can discuss things further before making a booking.
If the walk leader observes a concern with fitness levels of an individual participant,
it may be necessary for that person to return the start of the guided walks for their own safety, where it is safe to do so.
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The guided walk requires sturdy boots or trail shoes with stiff soles, NOT hiking trainers, or trail shoes with soft soles.
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This activity is NOT suitable for dogs to attend.
This activity is NOT suitable for children or young people under the age of 18 to attend.
Please bear in mind that the guided walk duration is calculated based on average walking speeds over the types of terrain encountered and previous occurrences of this specific route. The guided walk may be completed in a quicker or longer time than expected based on individual fitness levels within the group.
As mentioned, it is necessary to have good mobility and a moderate level of fitness to take part in the guided walk.
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It should be mentioned that weather in the Lake District can be unpredictable at all times of the year and so it isn't possible to guarantee excellent views on every walk. It may be necessary for the walk leader to change the itinerary of the route for safety or other reasons, meaning that is is not possible to included certain advertised objectives.
Unless there is a safety concern posed by the weather forecast, activities will go ahead regardless of conditions.
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Please see the Moors to Mountains with Happy Chakras Terms and Conditions before booking.
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Forest How Guest House and transport information.
Nature Connection is taking place from Forest How Guest House, Eskdale (CCA19 1TR), where there is parking available.
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Participants will be contacted by Michelle from Happy Chakras with timings and an itinerary for the weekend.
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There is a narrow gauge railway that serves the valley but otherwise there are no public transport links to Eskdale.
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What to expect when attending a professionally
guided walk with Colin from Moors to Mountains.
A friendly and supportive group ethic is promoted on all activities.
It is normal for participants to feel anxious or nervous about joining a guided walk for the first time, meeting new people or just stepping out of their usual comfort zone. This is normal. Please try to remember that other people in the group will likely be feeling the same, and I can assure all participants that they will be making new friends and feeling comfortable in the surroundings in no time.
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Knowledge and enthusiasm is shared throughout the activity.
Not only am I here to keep you safe and lead the group, I like to engage all participants in interesting conversation. Whether we are visiting a site with interesting geology and natural features or perhaps somewhere of historic significance, I like to make sure participants go away having learned something new. And as an environmentalist and lover of the outdoors, it is my mission to try and pass on my passion and knowledge to all who sign up to a Moors to Mountains activity.
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Safety, motivation and attentiveness is guaranteed.
All Moors to Mountains activities are designed for smaller parties. The number of participants that is allowed will depend on the terrain of each specific activity. Suitable group sizes allow me to give each individual client the maximum attention throughout an activity, whether this is to answer questions, provide some guidance or physical assistance.
My promise is to deliver a high level of care and individual attentiveness to each member of the group.
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It is not a race, everybody is here to enjoy the activity!
The benefit of booking onto my activities for small groups for many participants is that the reasonable pricing makes joining a qualified, knowledgeable and experienced Mountain Leader to be more affordable. However, participants in each group are likely to be of mixed abilities. All participants will move together as a group and support each other throughout the activity. If you are a very fit and fast hill walker and would like to experience more of a physical challenge, I am available for private bookings that may be more enjoyable for you than my usual group activities.
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I am qualified and insured, but also experienced in the mountains and hills of the UK.
As your guide, I am a qualified and insured Mountain Leader registered with the British Mountaineering Council and Mountain Training Association. I will only ever operate in areas where I have experience of the terrain and local knowledge. I have also volunteered with my community walking group for since 2011, where I have organised and led innumerable walks and expeditions across the whole of northern England, many areas of Scotland and Eryri/Snowdonia in North Wales. I also have a lot of personal experience in walking, wild camping and completing solo expeditions in these areas.
In that time, I have been lucky enough to spend time out on the hills and mountains with many people of different backgrounds and abilities. This experience has enabled me to develop an extensive knowledge of particular outdoor areas, and a penchant for designing routes that are both scenic and interesting. There are often places of historical or geological interest along the way and I enjoy sharing my knowledge of the landscape, history, industry, wildlife and geology.
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​Once a place has been booked on any activity.
Each participant will be contacted by email with any relevant information to the specific activity. Participants will be sent thorough information and a Participation Consent Form that should be completed in good time before any activity takes place. This will ask for important medical information, important contact details and also request consent for me to give first aid where necessary, take any photographs (or not) and anything else relevant.
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Thank you for reading and I hope to see you on the activity.
COLIN - MOORS TO MOUNTAINS.