With our full-day llama treks swinging into action here at Alpacaly Ever After we have started to discuss the incredibly important subject of ‘what hill snack is the best’…
Natasha likes bananas; Bananas are a healthy source of fiber, potassium, vitamin B6, vitamin C and around 100 kcal of energy/banana. They can be a little tricky to carry on the hill because they get squashed easily so ‘hill tip‘ pop them on the top of your pack and eat them early on. (Do not throw your banana skins away, it takes 2 years for them to breakdown, carry them off the hill with you :)
Holly swears by a hot vimto and Gregg’s vegan sausage roll; Vimto is a concentrated low calorie mixed fruit juice drink made with the delicious secret Vimto flavour and sweeteners. With added vitamin C and lots of sugar (20 kcal/100ml) this is great to keep your core body warm and fuel tank topped up. The Gregg’s Vegan Sausage roll has 96 layers of light and crisp puff pastry wrapped around their own bespoke Quorn filling these little hill snacks have 309 kcal of energy in each roll.
Nicole’s a bit of a fan of a croissant or two; packing a hearty 409 kcal per 100g these are a great source of energy and fuel for a long day in the hills. The fact that they weigh nothing and taste good even when squashed makes them a solid choice. They basically contain flour, salt, sugar and a LOT of butter. The fact that they are quite flaky and can be messy is just not a concern when you’re sitting on the side of a mountain, in fact they’re perfect for it.
Double Deckers are Ruby’s kryptonite; made by Mr Cadbury, these little bars are a combination of crispy cereal and soft, pillowy nougat, layered up and coated in smooth Cadbury milk chocolate, giving you two bars in one! We like what Ruby’s done here… 250 kcal per bar they are primarily flour, sugar, milk and cocoa all ready for a day in the hills.
Ste has Xtreme Sour chewits all the way with 383 kcal per 100g with sugar and flour as their main ingredient but coming in different flavours including Strawberry, Blackcurrant, Fruit Salad, Orange and Cola… you could have your very own tropical cocktail on the trek but as with all trail snacks we recommend taking something you already know and love and ‘not experimenting’ with something new.
Rachel always has Baby Cheeses with her, also known as Mini Babybel it’s a natural cheese, made from pasteurized milk, vegetarian rennet, lactic ferments and a little salt. At 42 kcal per little cheese they’re not a huge source of energy but they easy to eat, travel well in the hills and taste good!
Shelley just responded with “Ooo anything sweet and unhealthy 😂 cake, chocolate, flapjack, cookie” and we agree adding Jelly Beans, Soren Loaf and Eccles Cakes are some other high calorie and tasty hill snacks we recommend. Don’t forget to take something savoury with you as well, crisps and salted nuts are often well received if you’ve been sweating a lot and just to cut through all the sweet stuff!
Meanwhile our llama trek team are a bit more of a fan of grazing the heather, bilberries (when they’re in season) and grass… we also carry extra nutritious, high calorie snacks for them as well. We have a special Camelid Feed from a local feed supplier in Carlisle. The mix is focused on protein, carbs and has some carrots in for sweetness and crunch.
Camelids aka alpacas, camels and llamas love a bit of trail mix and our special formula is made up of… Wheat, Wheatfeed, Palm Kernel Exp, Rapeseed Ext, Sugar beet pulp, Molasses, Dicalcium Phosphate, Camelid Minerals, Salt, Bio-moss, Calcium Carbonate. This mix was created through research and development with experienced Camelid Veterinary Surgeons and Nutritionalists.
BUT enough about The Woolly Army…
If you join us on one of our full-day llama treks you will have your lunch fully catered for by the expert chefs at The Lingholm Estate… after you have booked your trek we will be in touch with you to discuss any special dietary requirements to make sure you have the best hill picnic on a llama trek in the Lake District EVER!
Full Day Llama Trek Lunch Menu
Sandwiches… you can choose from these tasty 2 options
salt beef bap, gruyere cheese, gherkins, peppery greens, mustard mayo (gf)
black bean burrito, rice & quinoa, spring onions, peppers, chilli relish (v/gf)
falafel burrito, peppers & grated carrot | vg | gfa
Side Salad… to keep you in with the llamas, they love their green stuff
mixed leaves, rice & quinoa, avocado, beets, tomato, spring onion, seasonal greens, house dressing (v/gf)
Cakes… so many choices so little time
flapjack (gf) or brownie or peanut slice (v/gf) or cookies or tea bread
So what is your favourite hill snack, answers on a postcard please..? Or better still just book one of our full-day llama treks, bring your snacks and a few extra for sharing… oops sorry, testing ;)
Wordsmiths: Rachel Kearns & Emma Smalley
