🧭 Club Trip #1: Lake District ⛰️🗺️

UCL Hiking Club is proud to bring to you our FIRST RESIDENTIAL TRIP this November 2026!!

1/5 - AT A GLANCE

2/5 - ABOUT THE TRIP

For our first trip this year, we are taking you to the stunning Lake District for three nights, giving us two full days to explore this mountainous escape from London. It’s the perfect chance to unwind and relax after a busy start to the year, slow things down, and spend time outdoors in a truly unique landscape. During the day, we’ll split into groups and hike along a variety of routes across the area, before returning each evening to our hostel, with time to socialise and play games. Overall, the trip will include two travel days, two days full of fun, and three evenings of relaxation and good company.

The Lake District is world-renowned for its breathtaking mountain scenery, beautiful lakes, and status as one of the UK’s most popular hiking destinations. From rugged mountain peaks and peaceful lakeshores to rolling hills and picturesque villages, the Lake District offers some of the most stunning landscapes in the country. Whether you fancy summiting a fell, exploring scenic woodland trails, taking in the views over Lake Windermere, or simply unwinding with a hot drink after a long day outdoors, there’s something here for everyone. Whatever your preference, join us for this next adventure!

3/5 - HOSTEL, FOOD, & TRAVEL

ACCOMMODATION

Address: YHA Windermere, Bridge Ln, Troutbeck Bridge, Windermere LA23 1LA 

For all three nights of the trip, we’ll be staying at YHA Windermere, located in the heart of the Lake District in the north of England. The accommodation sits on the outskirts of Windermere town, surrounded by lakes and mountains, making it an ideal base for an autumn hiking residential.

We have exclusively hired the hostel for the duration of our stay, so we have the whole place to ourselves. From here, we have access to the hiking routes we’ll be covering, including national trails and mountain paths. We may also use local public transport to reach specific routes.

The cost of the accommodation is fully included in your SU event ticket purchase.

Type of Accommodation

The accommodation is purpose-built youth hostel, designed for group stays.

• We will reserve a mix of single-gender and mixed-gender rooms, depending on preferences.
• You’ll be able to indicate your room preference when signing up for the trip.
• Beds will all be single beds with 4-8 beds per room. These will include bunk beds. 

Facilities & Amenities

The accommodation is fully equipped for our stay, and it includes:

• Heated bedrooms and communal areas
• Hot showers and indoor bathrooms
• Free Wi-Fi (note: signal may be patchy in some areas)
• A self-catering kitchen for us to use.

Sleeping Arrangements & What to Bring

• Bedding and linen are provided by the hostel.
• Towels are not provided, so please bring your own.
• You should also bring your own toiletries and any personal items you’ll need for the trip.

Please see the full kit list for more details.

TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS

The official meeting point is Windermere train station, rather than London. The recommended way to travel is by train or coach from London to Windermere. The total cost may be £50-100, depending on mode of transport and fluctuations in prices.

Once you have a confirmed place on the trip, you’ll be added to a trip group chat, and we strongly encourage everyone to coordinate and travel together where possible. This is a great way to meet people before the trip properly begins.

We will share more advice and recommendations for travel with everyone once they are selected, but we are happy to answer any questions you might have before this!

FOOD & COOKING

All food for the trip is fully provided by the club. You won’t need to bring any essential food with you, unless you’d like additional snacks of your own. Groceries will be delivered directly to the hostel at the start of the trip, and used to make:

• Breakfasts
• Packed lunches
• Snacks
• Dinners

How meals work day-to-day

• Breakfast is self-serve, with cereals, toast, jams, etc. Breakfast will usually be around 6–8am to allow for an early hike start.
• Lunches are packed lunches you make yourself each day, with sandwiches, fruits, snack bars, etc.
• Dinners are cooked fresh each evening after returning from the day’s hike (around 5-8pm).
• Lots of extra snacks, sweets, and drinks will be provided that everyone can help themselves to throughout the evenings at the hostel.

Note: On the first day of the trip, dinner will be the only meal provided. On the last day of the trip, breakfast and packed lunch materials will be provided.

Cooking, responsibilities & rota

Dinners are self-cooked as a group, with a simple cooking and cleaning rota to make sure responsibilities are shared fairly.

Each evening:

• A small group helps with food prep and cooking
• Others may help with cleaning and washing up
• Teams rotate so no one is doing the same job every night

While a small group is cooking, others will have time to shower, relax, and socialise before dinner is served.

If selected and added to the trip groupchat, you’ll be asked what duties you’re happy to help with. The final rota will be shared shortly before the trip.

Dietary requirements & extras

If you have any dietary requirements, you must list these clearly on the sign-up form.

We always provide:

• Meat and vegetarian options
• We have also previously catered for vegan & halal, and other dietary needs

Please be as detailed as possible. If we need clarification, we’ll get in touch before the trip.

We place extra emphasis on making sure meals are filling, nutritious, and suitable for everyone. Once dinner menus are finalised, we’ll share them in advance and adapt where possible.

You’re also welcome to:

• Bring your own snacks or extra food
• Bring your own alcohol, to be consumed responsibly at the hostel

4/5 - TICKETS & SIGN-UPS

TICKET INFORMATION

Windermere, Lake District - £70

• There are 50 spots available for this trip.
• Cost: £70.00
• Included in price:
  • 🏠 Hostel accommodation (all 3 nights)
  • 🍽️ All food (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks).
  • 🗺️ Guided routes and trained walk leaders
• Not included in price:
  • 🚂 Transport to/from the hostel
  • 🚌Local buses/transport (if needed)
• This trip is designed to be 🔵 moderate 🔵 difficulty and above. If you have not completed a hike at this difficulty before, this trip may not be suitable for you. Please see the grade difficulties above.
• Spots are allocated using a lottery (random selection), NOT first-come-first-serve!
• You MUST have a £10 Standard or £20 Explorer membership in order to be eligible for this lottery. You must get this before signing up for a spot!

HOW TO APPLY

• You can register your interest for this trip using this form. The form will remain open until 12:00 (midday) on Wednesday 21st Oct.
• Submitting the form does not guarantee a spot. Please see the details below for how places will be allocated.
• Unfortunately, we can't say the exact chances of getting a spot on one of our club trips, as this depends on how many people register their interest. On our trip last year to the Yorkshire Dales, there were ~150 sign-ups for 60 spots. For both Feb 2026 trips, there was a total of 200 sign-ups for 87 total spots.

Note: In the (unlikely) event that not all spots are initially filled (for either trip), the sign-up deadline will be extended and converted into first-come-first-serve (all eligibility criteria still apply).

HOW TO CONFIRM YOUR SPOT

• The results of the lottery selection will be released from Wed 21st Oct after sign-ups close.
• Everyone who signed up will receive an email. This email will either confirm that you were successful in getting a spot on the residential trip, or that you have been unsuccessful and automatically added to the waiting list.
• If you are added to the waiting list, please watch your emails carefully in the following few days, as many spots usually open up (due to people not buying their ticket on time). On previous trips, 1 in 3 of the final attendees were people who were initially on the waitlist.
• If you were successful in getting a spot on the residential trip, the email will contain a ticket password and you will have 24 hours to purchase your ticket on this webpage. If you do not purchase your ticket in time, your place will be given away to someone on the waiting list. Please keep an eye out for this email.
• Once you have purchased your ticket, your spot on the trip is confirmed.

CANCELLATION/REFUND POLICY

Once payment for a trip has been made, refunds are not guaranteed. Trip costs (including accommodation, transport, and bookings) are typically committed in advance, meaning we are often unable to recover costs after payment.

If you are no longer able to attend a trip, you must inform the club as soon as possible in writing to [email protected] and please clearly state "I wish to no longer attend this trip" in the email. This will be treated as a formal withdrawal from the trip.

If there is a waiting list, we will attempt to offer your place to another member up to 24 hours before departure. If a replacement is found and confirmed within this timeframe, we will issue a refund. If no replacement is found, we are unfortunately unable to offer a refund. The more advanced notice you provide us, the higher the likelihood of finding a replacement for your spot.

 If we are unable to find a replacement, you will still be considered withdrawn, and it may not be possible to re-join the trip at a later date. This is because we are required to confirm final attendee lists with the Students’ Union and external providers in advance, and last-minute changes cannot always be accommodated.

This policy applies to all trips and all members and is in place to ensure fairness, financial stability for the club, and the smooth running of trips for everyone involved.

5/5 - FAQS

What should I pack?

Please see this full kit list for details on what to pack.

Do I need hiking boots?

Yes. Hiking boots provide essential support for your feet, ankles, and legs on uneven terrain and help prevent serious accidents. This residential will have rocky and uneven terrain and therefore is only suitable for those with hiking boots.

For further questions, please ask these in our members-only WhatsApp chat, which can be accessed here. If your question is more sensitive, please email us at [email protected]. Please refrain from directly texting committee members without their prior consent.