If you never been to Glenridding and Ullswater, Lake District, I definitely recommend you do with the first occasion.

We went for a weekend gateway in March and stayed at Gillside Camping and Caravan Park, a lovely campsite very close to Ullswater lake.

The campsite is a working farm and located by the Ulls water river. It was idyllic to wake up in the morning and just hear the water and birds and of course few sheep around.

The location is perfect for going to Ullswater lake, go on a hike to Helvellyn and the surrounding area or just have a nice relaxing break enjoying the nature.

The route starts from the campsite following a gradual ascend towards the first peak Whiteside (863m). When we started the walk in the morning, it was a lovely sunny spring day with frost on our tent. As we started to ascend, leaving the valley behind and heading toward the peaks, the ground was covered in light snow.

There are multiple routes you can take around the area, to Lake District Sky Club, to Catstycam and Helvellyn.

I always love to hike in the winter or autumn as the views are clear (when it’s not cloudy) and you can see all around you the prominence of the Lake District mountains.

As soon as we got above 500-600m there was a layer of snow which made our walk a little more difficult due to slippery terrain.

Nothing can compare with these mountains and these views, there are magnificent and I’m always stunt by the beauty of nature. The mountain can be harsh with snow and cold wind blowing into your face but as I always say, do not underestimate any mountain.

The temperature was below 0 degrees the night before but we went prepare with out four season tent, MSR Access 2. There was around 5-6 degrees warmer in the tent which makes a real difference in cold weather.

We didn’t spend too much time up on the mountain as the wind was starting to blow in our face and we started to descend soon in the valley where we stopped for a cuppa and some delicious dry food.

On our way back we decided to make a stop to Travelers Rest before going back to the campsite. It’s definitely worth the visit. Travelers Rest is a lovely, cosy pub that serve lovely food and a good pint of beer. After we had a pint we visited the town a little bit and stopped at Catstycam Outdoor Shop where I’ve bought RAB slippers, very comfy and warm, great for camping and I even use them in the house now.

The overall route is about 8 miles however you can shorten the route and come back down before reaching Sheffield Pike, along the Haystacks by the Greenside Lead Mine.