Girl About: Tips for outdoor adventurers

TIPS FOR outdoor adventurers

Girl About’s bloggers from all around the UK have been compiling some snazzy new itineraries to inspire you to explore home. Hit the Girl About website to do a quiz and see if you’re an outdoor adventurer, a galavanting gourmet, a culture vulture or a girly weekender. This issue, get ready for fresh air and muddy boots as we share a selection of bracing ideas from outdoor adventurers Ali, Beth and Kirsty.

Girl About Travel Club

Free to join, this all-female members’ club and travel concierge service empowers women to dream, plan and book amazing holidays that can’t be googled. Run by travel experts, Girl About is a network of women sharing unbiased advice, travel guides, offers and discounts. Charitable Travel is the official partner of Girl About, meaning members can book holidays via the club and give money to their favourite charity. charitable.travel/ girl-about

ALI the Lake District

England’s biggest national park is packed with adventure opportunities. Try hiking and biking – on gentle slopes or up England’s highest peak. How about a spot of wild swimming or standup paddle boarding? Or have you heard of ghyll scrambling? It’s when you clamber up or down a mountain stream using natural rock slides, jumping into plunge pools. If you want to go wild, you can’t beat the lakes.

Take a walk

There are hundreds of options in the Lake District, but one of my favourite hikes is to Aira Force. This 65-foot waterfall near Ullswater flows down moss-smothered boulders amongst ancient woodland. The circular walk is great for families but you can go further by exploring the pools beyond. Or take the Gowbarrow trail, through lush ferns and evergreen forest, to enjoy epic views over Ullswater from Gowbarrow summit.

Rock on

The Lake District is known as the birthplace of trad climbing – climbing and placing your own gear in the rock. Don’t POSTCARD-WORTHY LAKES worry though, we are starting with something a bit less daunting. Head up to Honister Pass, a working slate mine and adventure centre. Follow historic miner’s paths over the mountain on the Via Ferrata, or try rock climbing or abseiling.

Hit the water

There’s a huge amount of water-based activities you can take part in here and, come rain or shine, they will always happen on the lakes. One of my favourites has always been standup paddleboarding (SUP). It’s the perfect way to fully immerse yourself in nature – paddle out into the middle of the lake and sit down to watch the world go by while you munch on an awesome brownie!

BETH Northumberland

SYCAMORE GAP

When people think about holidaying in Northumberland, they naturally think about the coast. I don’t blame them – castles and beaches are ideal for adventurers. But I also believe there is so much on offer in-land, so get ready for windswept vistas and pure adrenaline.

Girl About Travel Club Hike into history

Free to join, this all-female members’ club and travel concierge service empowers women to dream, plan and book amazing holidays that can’t be googled. Run by travel experts, Girl About is a network of women sharing unbiased advice, travel guides, offers and discounts. Charitable Travel is the official partner of Girl About, meaning members can book holidays via the club and give money to their favourite charity. charitable.travel/ about Kick off your adventure break by walking along part of the famous Hadrian’s Wall, stopping to take photos at the popular Sycamore Gap. You will be instantly rewarded with stunning views across

Northumberland’s finest landscapes. This is the most photographed part of Northumberland National Park, now referred to as the “Robin Hood Tree”, thanks to its starring role in the film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.

Push the adrenaline button

Calvert Kielder, set at the largest manmade lake in Northern Europe, is an adventure centre that welcomes families, individuals and groups. Try the Kielder Zip Coaster, which sees thrill-seekers harnessed into a seated position as they glide amongst the trees, dipping and twisting up to speeds of 20mph. There’s also ropes courses, archery, kayaking, sailing and much more.

Big breakfast, big vistas

Enjoy a hearty Northumbrian breakfast before going for a walk in the Simonside Hills. A circular walk takes you to the summit of Simonside, where views encompassing the Cheviot Hills and the North Sea coastline will take your breath away. It’s 4.5 miles in total and should take you a little over three hours, with a steep climb through woodland before it opens up to showcase the drama of Northumberland.

KIRSTY Kent

If you are a lover of the great outdoors then look no further than Kent for the perfect outdoor activity weekend. It’s called the Garden of England for good reason! There is no end to Kent’s green country fields, woodlands and open coast – perfect for a weekend of fresh air therapy.

SEASIDE SCENE, WHITSTABLE

Evening paddle

Make the most of the stunning Kent sunsets with an guided evening paddle. Canoe Wild will take you along the beautiful River Stour. The sun will start to dip in Fordwich (Britain’s smallest town) but you’ll see the sky go gold by the time you get to Grove Ferry. If you are lucky enough you will also get to see the wild beavers that live here.

To read the full 48-hour itineraries for the Lake District, Northumberland and Kent, head to the Girl About website.

Into the marshes

Join Rebecca of The Salt Marsh Walking Company for a guided tour of the marshes outside pretty seaside town Whistable. The six-mile Salt Paths and Strawberry Fields walk takes about three hours and combines coast and countryside. If the season is right you’ll see the delicious local strawberries, and Rebecca points out the stunning local birdlife too.

Bird life

Head to the Isle of Sheppey, a hidden gem with a gorgeous coast and prisine natural areas. Book a dusk tour at Elmley Nature Reserve and look out for Marsh harriers, merlins and peregrine falcons soaring through the pink sky. You might see owls flitting above too, and hear their spooky hoots as the sky goes dark.

FIND PEACE in Dublin

In the latest Travel Insider Podcast, we go under the skin of Dublin by exploring a building that has been at the centre of city life for 1,000 years.

If you’re in need of some quiet time or a calm space to occupy, this episode is the perfect retreat. Our new host, Rebecca Miles, chats to local Susanne Reid, who has worked at Christ Church Cathedral for seven years and has a unique insight into its storied history, including saints and kings.

fair city Continuing with theme – Culture and Heritage – Susanne shares her tips for where to go and what to see in Dublin, from her favourite bookshop to the ultimate museum – plus the best places to get cofffee and cake (or an Irish tipple) and the most atmospheric streets. next departure to... This is the first of three TIP episodes we have recorded that explore the Island of Ireland. In episode five – Sustainable Ireland – Rebecca will be journeying to Kerry and the wild west coast, as she chats to John Fitzgerald and his wife Kerryann from Atlantic Irish Seaweed.

And in episode six – Get Outdoors in Ireland – Rebecca meets Barry Flanagan, owner and skipper of the Erne Water Taxi in Eniskillen. Together, they will bring the naturerich waters of Lough Erne and the fascinating history of Eniskillen and its castle to life.

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