Lakes & Mountains with Matt

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Lakes & Mountains with Matt

Guided walks, outdoor experiences and Mountain Leadership, offering journeys that are as enriching as they are inspiring.

Whether you’re seeking to build confidence, master new skills, or reconnect with nature, we’re here to guide every step of the way.

21/09/2026

𝗪𝗔𝗟𝗞 𝟭𝟯 - 𝗠𝗘𝗟𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞

📅 𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝟮𝟳𝘁𝗵 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿

This weekend we’re heading back to the beautiful Buttermere Valley for Members Walk 13, with a fantastic day out planned on Melbreak.

Standing at 512m, Melbreak rises dramatically above the western shore of Crummock Water and offers some superb views across the Buttermere Valley and surrounding fells. It’s a great little mountain with plenty of character and some steeper sections to add a bit of interest along the way!

📍 Meeting point: Buttermere village – by the toilet block
⏰ Meet: 9:15am for a 9:30am start

There are several parking options in and around Buttermere, including a National Trust car park. Please allow plenty of time to park and get ready, particularly as it can be busy in the valley.

🚗 Car sharing: Where possible, please car share to help reduce parking pressure and our impact on this beautiful area.

🌦️ As always, please come prepared for Lake District mountain conditions – good walking footwear, suitable clothing, waterproofs, plenty of food and water are essential. The weather can change quickly in the fells, so be prepared for the conditions we find on the day.

If you’ve booked on but can no longer make it, please let us know as soon as possible so we have an accurate idea of numbers.

Another great day in the Lakes, another mountain to explore and, most importantly, another opportunity to educate, enthuse and empower our members – one mountain at a time.

See you on the hill!

16/09/2026

𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗶𝘁𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗗𝗮𝘆

Fitness isn’t just about gyms, treadmills and lifting weights… sometimes the best workout is simply putting one foot in front of the other and heading into the hills!

Walking and hiking are fantastic for your physical fitness, helping build strength, stamina and cardiovascular fitness — but they’re also brilliant for your mental wellbeing.

Fresh air, open spaces, amazing views and time away from the everyday can do wonders for the body and mind.

At Lakes & Mountains with Matt, we pride ourselves on Educating, Enthusing and Empowering people — helping everyone experience the outdoors, whether you’re taking your first steps into the hills or looking to develop your mountain skills and confidence.

Why not give it a go?

Come and join us and discover what walking in the Lakes can do for body and mind.

15/09/2026

𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗲𝗹𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘁, 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴?

Your phone battery is at 3%… now what?

No signal. Low cloud. You’ve taken a wrong turn.

Could you find your way back?

Join us on Saturday 26th September for our Introduction to Navigation half-day course in a beautiful part of South Lakeland.

Perfect for beginners wanting to build confidence, experienced walkers looking to brush up their skills, or Mountain Leader trainees wanting a quick navigation refresher.

You’ll cover:

🗺️ Map reading & route planning
🧭 Compass skills & bearings
🌫️ Navigating in poor visibility
📍 Relocation techniques

No experience needed — maps and compasses provided.

🎟️ 20% discount for Lakes & Mountains members

Less reliance on technology. More confidence on the fells.

📩 Get in touch to book your place.

13/09/2026

𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗳𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗣𝗶𝗸𝗲 (𝗔𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗗𝗮𝗿𝗸)

A late one last night as I had the pleasure of guiding a small group taking on the National Three Peaks Challenge for Men’s Mind Matters.

After a wet and rather grim day, the evening was warm, but the cloud came along for the party! Visibility became seriously poor towards the summit, so head torches on, careful footing and good navigation were definitely required.

It really does remind you how important the right kit is in the mountains. Seeing people heading up Scafell Pike at night relying on the torch on their phone, or attempting to cross the river in trainers, always makes me wince!

Thankfully, our team were properly equipped, worked hard and stayed together throughout. Despite the challenging conditions, we safely made it back down in under four hours — a fantastic effort.

And even better… they went on to complete the full National Three Peaks Challenge today!

Huge congratulations to the whole team, and it was a privilege to play a small part in such a brilliant challenge for Men’s Mind Matters.

Sometimes the toughest adventures make the best memories.

10/09/2026

𝗪𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆... 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼𝗼

After a busy week at work, there’s honestly nothing better than switching off, pulling on the boots and heading into the mountains.

The hills give us a proper physical workout — climbing, descending, balancing and carrying a pack all add up. But there’s something else that happens when you leave the roads, screens and emails behind…

Your head gets a chance to breathe.

And the science backs it up:

Adults are recommended to get at least 150 minutes of moderate activity each week, with brisk walking counting towards that target.

The NHS says physical activity can boost mood, improve sleep and energy levels, and reduce stress.

Even a 10-minute brisk walk can help clear your mind and help you relax.

And the latest UK research found that 89% of people who had visited a green or natural space said it was good for their mental health, while 84% said being in nature makes them very happy. (nhs.uk⁠)

But for us, it’s about more than statistics.

It’s the fresh air.
The views.
The laughs.
The conversations.
The sense of achievement when you reach the top.
And that feeling of heading home tired, happy and with a much clearer head.

So if your week has been a busy one, maybe it’s time to swap the office for the outdoors.

Come and explore the Lake District with us.

👉 Check out our website, see what walks are coming up and come and join us.

Educating, Enthusing and Empowering people — one mountain at a time.

06/09/2026

𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗪𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝟭𝟮 - 𝗞𝗶𝗿𝗸 𝗙𝗲𝗹𝗹, 𝗪𝗮𝘀𝗱𝗮𝗹𝗲

Driving over Birker Fell this morning, with low cloud and heavy rain, more than a few of the group were wondering whether we’d made the right call!

On arrival in Wasdale, we decided to chance a change in the weather, with a low-level walk as Plan B. Leaving the crowds at Lake Head (and the obligatory pot smokers 🥴), we headed into the valley and towards Black Sail Pass.

The ascent soon warmed us up and, as if by magic, the clouds began to lift. With conditions improving, we decided to continue on to Kirk Fell, while leaving Pillar for another time.

For some of the group, Kirk Fell also meant tackling a tricky scramble section. There were definitely a few nerves, but everyone managed it brilliantly, with many overcoming their fear of falling and discovering they were far more capable than they thought!

At 802m, the summit rewarded us with panoramic views across Wasdale and beyond. Despite a strong, blustery breeze, there were plenty of smiles at the top.

The descent was tricky in places but beautiful, and everyone safely made it back down for the two essentials after a mountain day…

☕ Brews & cakes! (Thanks Stephen) 🍰

A huge thank you to Paul Westwell for his support again today, and to everyone who came along and made it another brilliant day in the mountains.

7-8miles, Great walks, great challenges and, most importantly, great friends.

Pillar can wait… there’s always another adventure!

Please feel free to share pictures from your adventures today whether this with us or any of our followers…

05/09/2026

Aiming Higher Charity Annual Fundraising Walk 2026 - Helvellyn from Swirls (Thirlmere)

05/09/2026

𝗔𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗪𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲

Today, the Lakes & Mountains with Matt team had the absolute pleasure of guiding the Aiming Higher Charity annual fundraising walk for the third year running — and this year we decided to aim a little higher, taking on the mighty Helvellyn at 950m!

A fantastic 43 walkers took on the challenge, setting off from Swirls with spirits high despite the steep climb ahead.

As we reached the summit, the cloud was low, the breeze was certainly making itself known, and the views were… well, let’s just say limited!

A quick selfie or two and we turned around, only to be rewarded on our descent with sunny intervals, breaks in the cloud and some absolutely stunning views across the Northern, Western and Central Fells.

Most importantly, all 43 walkers returned safely, and we hope the challenge has helped raise some much-needed funds for the fantastic Aiming Higher, a charity supporting disabled children and young people across the North West, helping create opportunities, experiences and support that enable them to achieve their potential.

If you’d like to support this fantastic cause, every donation, no matter how big or small, really does make a difference.

👉 Fundraising link in the comments — please consider donating and helping Aiming Higher continue the amazing work they do.

A huge thank you to every single walker who took part, dug deep and kept putting one foot in front of the other. You should all be incredibly proud!

And finally, a massive thank you to all our Lakes & Mountains with Matt leaders and assistants who gave their time today to support, encourage and help keep everyone safe. It really is a team effort, and we couldn’t do it without you.

31/08/2026

𝗠𝗘𝗠𝗕𝗘𝗥𝗦 𝗪𝗔𝗟𝗞 𝟭𝟮 - 𝗞𝗜𝗥𝗞 𝗙𝗘𝗟𝗟 & 𝗣𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗔𝗥

📅 Sunday 6th September
⏰ Meet 09:00 for a 09:30 start
📍 National Trust Lake Head Car Park – CA20 1EX

Two big mountains, some spectacular scenery and a very special reason to celebrate!

We’ll be heading into Wasdale to tackle Kirk Fell & Pillar — a challenging mountain day with steep climbs, rough terrain and some fantastic views.

But the big story of the day…

Janet Crossley will be completing her 214 Wainwright journey.

Kirk Fell & Pillar will be Janet’s 213th & 214th, officially completing the set! What an incredible achievement.

🚗 Please car share where possible and if your plans change please let me know asap.

31/08/2026

Fiona has been nominated for going above and beyond as a Mountain Leader when someone was injured during a guided walk in Wales. From making sure they were safe and received medical attention to accompanying them to A&E and bringing them right to their front door, Fiona made sure they were never left to worry alone.

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Barrow In Furness
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+447562736187

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https://lakesandmountains.uk/

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