Fell Pony Adventures

About

Walk with a traditional lakeland pack pony to hidden corners of the Lake District. From a one day trek to a three day wild camping expedition.

Day Treks

From our base at the foot of Windermere we take families and groups on a one day adventure with our native Fell ponies following part of an old pack horse route through meadows, woods and fell.

Start the day meeting some of our herd and making friends with your pony. Then we load the packsaddles with everything we need for a picnic lunch round a charcoal fire, blankets, a communal shelter and snacks. Suitable for families of all ages, the walk is about 4 miles round trip back to our base.

3 day Swindale trek (approx 15km) We take you to one of the hidden corners of the Lake District, walking an ancient pack horse route with our traditional Fell ponies.


3 Day Wild Camping Trek

From our basecamp on the RSPB reserve at Haweswater, we take you to the Swindale Valley, one of our favourite hidden corners of the Lake District.

Sleeping in tents and cooking over fire, the ponies carry all the basic equipment from pots and pans to mattresses and sleeping bags. All you need to bring is a small rucksack or day bag and suitable all weather clothing & footwear while we take care of everything else. We can tailor this trek to suit all ages and abilities.

DAY 1

• Arrive in the afternoon/evening at our basecamp within the RSPB Haweswater nature reserve
• Meet and make friends with the ponies
• Pack the kit ready for the morning
• Communal evening meal cooked on an open fire
• Observe the Haweswater badgers at the hide
• Settle down for the night in our award-winning Robens tents

DAY 2

• Breakfast
• Load the packs on to ponies
• Head over the moor to the Swindale valley
• Lunch break and let the ponies rest
• Afternoon trek to wild campsite by waterfalls & make camp
• Communal evening meal cooked over fire
• (7.5km)

DAY 3

• Breakfast
• Load the packs on to ponies
• Lunch on Swindale Common
• Return to basecamp via the Old Corpse Road

We encourage all our groups to arrive the afternoon/night before the trek to give themselves time to settle in with the ponies, get to know the kit and also be able to make an early start the next morning’s trek to the wildcamp in the fells. We return to basecamp in the afternoon of the last day..

For smaller groups we can tailor a trek to suit your needs.


4 Day Wild Camping Trek

Begin this trek from our basecamp on the edge of the Howgill fells on a Fell Pony stud. Make your way over Yarleside (2,096 ft) before dropping down into Bowderdale (reputedly the longest uninhabited valley in England) and make camp next to an ancient packhorse bridge.

Sleeping in tents and cooking over fire, the ponies carry all the basic equipment from pots and pans to mattresses and sleeping bags. All you need to bring is a small rucksack or day bag and suitable all weather clothing & footwear while we take care of everything else.
The Howgills (approximately 40 square miles) are home to the Bybeck herd of Fell ponies that run out as a semi-feral herd.

DAY 1

• Arrive in the afternoon/evening at basecamp on the edge of the Howgill fells
• Meet and make friends with the ponies
• Pack the kit ready for the morning
• Communal evening meal cooked on an open fire
• Settle down for the night in our award winning Robens technical tents

DAY 2

• Breakfast
• Load the packs on to ponies
• Lunch break at the river and let the ponies rest
• Afternoon trek over Yarleside to Bowderdale & make camp
• Communal evening meal cooked over fire

DAY 3

• Breakfast
• Load the packs on to ponies
• Trek to old packhorse bridge and make camp
• Communal evening meal cooked over fire

DAY 4

• Breakfast
• Load the packs on to ponies
• lunch on Ravenstonedale Common
• Return to Basecamp

This is a walking adventure not a riding trek so no previous experience with horses is necessary, however a certain level of fitness is required as we will be walking up to 8 miles a day over fells that stand at over 2000ft. With the ponies you can be as hands-on or as hands-off as you like, each expedition we lead will have 2 trained mountain leaders and horse handlers so you don’t need to worry.

For smaller groups we can tailor a trek to suit your needs.

Grizedale Sculpture Trek

Since 1977 leading international artists have created sculpture at Grizedale Forest, 10 square miles of natural woodland in the Lake District near Coniston Water. Every Thursday and also every 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month (December 2019 to March 2020) leaving at 10:30am from the Grizedale main car park. Our trek winds our way through the forest with our native Fell ponies carrying everything we need for a hot picnic lunch by a tranquil tarn.

What we’ll do

Start the day making friends with your pack pony. Then we load the packsaddles with everything we need for a hot picnic lunch. Suitable for families, of all ages, the walk is about 4 miles round trip and takes approx 5 hours including lunch.

The therapeutic benefits of horses are known to help bring us inner peace and a sense of well being. As a herd animal, horses in particular are attuned to the feelings of others and are an ideal calming influence.
Grizedale Forest is a haven for a rich variety of wildlife including red and roe deer, squirrels, badgers, foxes, grouse and woodpeckers.

Get in touch to find out more and book an adventure.

How to find us

From Newby Bridge roundabout take A592 (Windermere/Bowness)
After 100 take 1st right (Staveley Church)
After 100 m (opposite bungalow "Fair View") take 1st right down track
Fell Pony Adventures yard is at the bottom of the track
Swindale Valley 3 Day Wild Camping Trek