We are SO EXCITED to be able to share with you our most exciting adventure yet and it is AWESOME!!
All Bold Explorers are invited to come and join us on our Full Day Fell Treks – who’s with us?! Book HERE or if you have already and want to know more, read on good people! FYI we have Gift Vouchers so you can give ‘The Experience of a Lifetime’… (comes with our own cast iron guarantee that YOU will get serious kudos, brownie points and a lifetime of thanks!)
These treks take in the stunning views of the North Western Fells, hiking for 18km over 2,000 ft and ticking off at least 2 Wainwrights! We keep you fuelled with fresh, chef prepared lunch and snacks as you bask in the breathtaking views over Derwentwater and get to know your llama trekking buddy along the way :)
Be surrounded by the beauty of the Lake District World Heritage Site, as you hike to the top of the World with us, enjoy views for days, regular snack stops including a supplied picnic lunch (by order of the llamas) and experience the fells at llama pace (not fast, in case you were wondering!). By the end of your day you will know your llama up close and personal, feel free to ask as many questions and take as many selfies as you like! These are memories you will enjoy for a lifetime, you will be one of the first to trek over the fells with a llama in the whole of the UK.
Our llamas are designed to be in the mountains, they move over the ground really easily, they make the most of the hillside buffet as they go and their temperature moderating coat means they are ready for anything.
You need to have a good level of fitness, we will be out for up to 6-8 hours, the weather is changeable and the terrain is varied. You must have good boots and head to toe waterproof protection… there’s a lot we can arrange – the weather is not one of those things! But you know what they say ‘no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing’
SO… with that said, this is the kit each intrepid llama trekking explorer will need to have…
What to Wear
ESSENTIAL:
- Comfortable walking boots & socks
- Your feet may get wet depending on the weather so extra socks for the trek & spare shoes recommended for after your walk. If you need to hire boots from us and didn’t during the booking process please contact the office – we can hire Scarpa Ranger Boots – full leather with Goretex liner for guaranteed dry feet
- Waterproof jacket & trousers – this is what our staff wear – Staff Kit
- Insulated warm jacket (lightweight puffer or fleece type)
- Waterproof warm gloves
- Warm hat/headwear
- Cap/headwear to protect from the sun
- Water bottle(s) (Alpacaly will also be bringing additional water)
RECOMMENDED:
- Suncream
- Sunglasses
- Insect repellant
- Scarf/buff
- Phone/camera
- Your favourite mountain snacks
- Tracking Device – our staff use Garmin wrist mounted GPS
CLOTHING:
Please use your judgment to wear appropriate clothing for the weather and for a 6 – 8 hour trek! As stated above walking boots and a waterproof are a must as well as any other gear you require. Please do not wear jeans or other clothing unsuitable for spending a day on the fells.
What to Expect…
Be prepared... Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to find your start point with us. You will recieve a confirmation email with detailed instructions of how to get to your specific site – please follow the instruction! If you just try to google us you may end up at one of our other locations and we really don’t want you to miss out! We recommend that you pack your bag and decide on what you are wearing the night before :)
When you get to our start point, check you have all your belongings with you and get as ready as you can. Once you have met your llama trekking buddy it’s very hard to go to the toilet, put your boots on or fiddle around in your bag – we can help you but it’s much easier if you are ready to go.
Meet your llama trekking buddy… this is the fun part. We will show you ‘how to drive your llama’ using one of our models… we will show you how to hold your lead, where they like to be touched, where you should avoid touching and some of their body language. All of this is a lot to take in, don’t be overwhelmed, we will be with you all day and will tell you more than you’ll ever need to know about your new trek buddy and his mates.
THEN you get to meet your new best friend… we try to match you up! YES match you up… we know our boys really well so once we’ve met you, we can usually get quite a good pairing, it’s another of our skills! (Scroll down quick to find your perfect match!)
Relax and enjoy yourself… once all the pre-trek faff is done and we start to head off into the hills, take a deep breath, have a little chat with your trek buddy (they love being talked to, it builds trust and the bond between you) get in-line and follow the leader… relax and enjoy yourself, you will now be trekking with a llama and the two of you are about to go on a Grand Adventure. Follow your llamas lead, these guys are pro trekkers after all… don’t go to fast, stay together, stop and take in the views, enjoy something to eat or drink and feel free to chat and engage with your trek mates.
Stay hydrated and fuelled up… you will notice that our boys love to stop and eat on the hoof. We encourage you to do the same. We will be stopping for a proper lunch and breaks, lunch will be provided and more information is provided on booking, but if you need to snack on the hoof, feel free to do so. While our llama boys don’t need to drink as much, they have the bladder of a camel (same family), make sure you stay hydrated, even on cold days! Travelling up hill and walking for 6 hours can be very dehydrating and affect your enjoyment of the day if you become severely dehydrated; headaches, poor coordination, tiredness and muscle cramping are big issues we’d like you to avoid.
Leave No Trace… our llama boys are big ambassadors of ‘Leave No Trace’ and we are the same. This means we can take as many photos as we want and the only thing we will leave is footprints. Llamas are very clean animals, they all go to the toilet in the same place… can you tell where we are going with this… it has to be included!
There are no toilets on the fells, if the call of nature arrives, you must do the following:
- Let us know you need to go, yep we need to know so we can hold your llama!
- Head off the path, away from any water sources and find yourself some privacy (this might be hard, again we can help)
- If it’s a quick pee, great BUT please don’t leave toilet paper on the hills, we can give you a bag to pop the used tissue in to be disposed of once we’re off the hill
- If it’s a poo (yes we said it!) you have 2 options, dig a hole and bury it or bag it up (like dog poo) AGAIN do not leave toilet paper on the hill, use a bag
- Finally… please don’t hang on, don’t avoid drinking to avoid needing a pee and don’t be embarrassed… we ALL need the toilet ;)
Our motto in the hills… Be More Llama…
Meet your Llama trekking buddies… (note we let the boys decide if ‘they’ want to come, so if your favourite isn’t there, it’s because he wanted a day in the paddock and we all have those days!) We also have some new boys in training so we’ll update you as they Graduate from our Llama Trekking School! FYI at this stage we don’t trek with the llama ladies, there’s a few reasons for this; a few of our girls are busy being Mums at the moment, we can’t mix the boys and girls on a trek because there ‘would be’ shenanigans and while the girls are happy lazing in the field the boys have a bit more of a quest for adventure and love a challenge.
Map of your Trek
We have created a Strava Route* for you to have some idea of where we ‘might go’, it’s always weather dependant and we have a few options to consider. You can track your own trek day and share it on Strava tagging us in and adding the #llamastrava to your posts.
This trek has us starting at Little Town in the Newlands Valley. We head up to Hause Gate (the back of Catbells), then keep heading up to Maiden Moor, High Spy and finally down to Dale Head Tarn. This marks the halfway point, possible lunch spot (depending on weather) and the start of our downhill journey. This route may be done in reverse, again to get the best of the weather and views. We may also go a completely different route… once you have booked we will keep you updated on the plans for our adventure.
*Note: if the weather is being a bit tricky we may change our route choice but we promise that it will still be something amazing, it may just not be the exact route here.
For lots of other Frequently Asked Questions we have… our FAQ section for you :) including a cancellation policy, weather contingencies and how to find us… it’s all there! BUT just in case, here’s a handy map for how to find us… you’re looking for Llama Trekking in Little Town…
Wordsmiths: Rachel Kearns & Emma Smalley
Videography: Terry Barlow
Graphics: John Smalley
