Rydal Hall, 3-5 Dec 2021

The last of the trilogy of trips the club embarked on this Michaelmas saw 29 plucky Cantabs venture into the cold region of The Lake District. The trip started like any other with groups bundling into cars before heading into the night, along with the now customary Burger King stop that a few of the newcomers have become used to.

Arriving at Rydal Hall, a place near where the famous poet William Wordsworth once lived, we were impressed at how nice the bunkhouse was. Soon beds had been taken, walks planned, and the club settled down for the night.

Saturday’s weather was bleak, but that did not stop us from venturing out into the cold, wet Cumbrian countryside. As usual the walks were varied, with some groups tackling intense peaks surrounded by snow-capped mountains, and others going around lakes and even on a whistle-stop tour of some caves!

In the evening we enjoyed the classic meal of the final trip of the year: a Christmas dinner wonderfully prepared by Andrew W and others, which was a feast to remember. That is not to mention “Tommy’s concoction tea”, which proved a shocking hit! This was followed by the classic singing part of the evening as well as the card games that may have brought out the more competitive side of some people. Trips were also planned with Danny V and Chris K deciding to tackle the snowy peaks again with ice axes and crampons.

Sunday was blessed with clear skies and fantastic views. Fresh snow had fallen and the peaks glistened with beauty. Some groups decided to enjoy more gentle strolls, others a hardcore trail. One group ended up summiting the one hill with no snow, but was rewarded with views that will remain with them for a lifetime.

In the little town of Grasmere, where William Wordsworth once taught next to a church that was dedicated to Saint Oswald, King of the Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Northumbria, a steady stream of tired Cantabs paid a visit to the famous gingerbread shop. For a short while, Grasmere heard the sounds of joy of hillwalkers sharing stories of the day’s adventures, and the munching of gingerbread.

And with that, the sun began to set on the final day of the club’s final trip of the year, as groups slowly filtered back to Cambridge, taking with them happy memories of the trip, the year, and most importantly… Gingerbread!

Trip List: Andrew W, Danny V, Oliver N, Mario D, Ashray G, Thomas S, Callan H, Bill C, Chris K, Stani G, Laura W, Yuqian L, Rebekka F, Nick N, Leona K, Lucia K, Lianne L, Tommy R, Paul F, Margherita C, Megha B, Zoe D, Yungsum N, Nikhil G, Ane G, Matthew B, John-Jo B, Paul C, Adam D