Ghyll Scrambling In the Lake District
What is ghyll scrambling
Ascending (going up) a mountain stream
Ghyll Scrambling is the ascending (going up) a mountain stream. It typically involves scaling waterfalls on a rope, scrambling over rocks and jumping into pools of water as you go. It can also involve a slide.
The word “ghyll” is a Viking word that translates as “ravine”. The ghylls are a perfect place to find adventure.
Is it different to canyoning? Its a very similar activity and lots of the elements are the same however there’s one major difference – ghyll scrambling involves scaling waterfalls and canyoning involves a desending them. They are equally as fun as each other.
Check out our Lake District Ghyll Scrambling Experiences
Stickle Ghyll
- Langdale
- 2 - 3 Hours (from meeting to leaving)
- From £50 (per person)
What’s Involved?
An ascent involving climbing waterfalls both with and without a rope, fun challenges and some plunge pools.
Who is it for?
This is for adults and families with adventurous children of 9+. Adult groups shouldn’t be put off by the age limit. Its 9+ because every obstacle is avoidable.
Esk Ghyll
- Eskdale
- 5 - 6 Hours (from meeting to leaving)
- From £100 (per person)
What’s Involved?
The biggest, baddest and best jumps the Lake District has to offer! Not for the faint of heart.
Who is it for?
This is for adults and mature older teens (16+). Don’t book if you don’t like jumping.
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what's Involved in Lake District Ghyll Scrambling?
We will meet you at the designated meet point, the location depending on your selected ghyll scrambling activity. Here we will give you your kit required for the activity. It is important you provide us with your height, weight and usual clothing sizes after booking as requested to ensure your wetsuits fit correctly. This will be followed by a walk to the entry point, where a safety briefing will be given.
After this, you’ll be ready to start tackling the many different challenges your this Lake District activity might present. From climbing waterfalls to small jumps, big jumps and scrambling around rocks. The challenges can increase in difficulty during periods of higher water levels.
who does Ghyll Scrambling suit?
Stickle Ghyll is suitable for adults and adventurous children from 9+ and Esk Ghyll is suitable for adults and mature young adults of 16+. You must have a reasonable level of fitness to take part in Stickle Ghyll and you must fit the safety equipment.
Will Stickle Ghyll be boring for adults as there’s an age limit of 9+? No, it’s suitable for children and nervous adults because the obstacles can be missed out easily – unlike other locations. It also has a short walk to the entry point so is suitable for the younger person.
Is Esk Ghyll suitable for all adults due to the age limit of 16+? No, only book the Esk Ghyll scramble if you enjoy jumping from height into water. You must also be prepared to carry your wetsuit and kit to the entry point (and back out), which is around 40 mins from where we park.
What we provide:
When you attend one of our Ghyll Scrambling activities, you will typically be provided the following:
A two piece wetsuit specifically designed for the activity you are taking part in. They are the warmest and thickest wetsuits on the market. No-one has better wetsuits than us.
Wetsuit socks to ensure your feet are warm and comfortable throughout your session.
A helmet & harness and all the equipment needed to safely run the activity including a dry storage tub for personal medication.
A qualified guide with over a decade of experience running these sessions.
Quality photos and videos of your session. Every photo on this website was taken by us during a session.
A buoyancy aid is occasionally given to offer extra warmth. The wetsuits are buoyant enough to negate the need for a buoyancy aid to be used for floatation.
What to bring with you:
If you’ve booked one of our Ghyll Scrambles then you will be issued a “kit list” to bring with you. It will typically include the following:
- Trainers/hiking boots to wear during the activity
- Rash Vest/Gym type Top
- Swimming costume/trunks
- Towel
- Changing robe
- Personal medication
If you book Esk Ghyll there is a bigger kit list that will also include a rucksack, some food, a drink, waterproofs, additional footwear to wear on the walking/out and a bin liner.
Looking for prices, booking or more info?
Safety info:
We have lower age limits but no upper age limits. If you are concerned about your health or fitness please consult with your doctor before booking.
Our wetsuits fit up to a XXL man/size 18 woman. We usually find anyone exceeding 18 stone will not fit the safety equipment. Your waist must not exceed 46 inches or the harness will not fit correctly.
Water levels in the ghylls fluctuate depending on recent rainfall. We have built up a lot of experience in various water conditions. When water levels are too high and dangerous to enter we can offer an alternative activity or location.
How Long will a Ghyll Scramble last?
This depends on your chosen location.
Expect to be out for either 2-3 hours or 5-6 hours. This is a rough guide as it will differ between groups. For example it’s quicker if there’s only 2 of you in the group compared to a group of 10. A group with mixed fitness levels will be slower than a group that are all athletic.
what time of year?
The longer ghyll scrambles start around the end of March and finish around the end of October. We continue with the 2-3 hour Stickle Ghyll session all year round.
We have extra kit for the adult only Winter months. It’s our favourite time of year for ghyll scrambling. Quiet around the Lake District, usually exciting water levels and roaring fires in the local pubs afterwards!
pro's & cons:
Pro’s
- Great adrenaline fuelled fun
- Amazing if you love water
- Stunning scenery and surroundings
- Excellent for group bonding
- Perfect if you want an active activity
Cons:
- Not great if you’re very unfit
- Not suitable for all ages/abilities
- Useless if you are terrified of water or slippy rocks
Lake District Ghyll Scrambling Photo Gallery
Our Latest FAQ
All of the activities we offer are physical and involve a degree of fitness (some more than others). We recommend you look at each individual activity page to see if it is suitable for you. All of our activities involve wearing a harness, so your waist cannot exceed 46 inches or the safety equipment will not fit.
This is impossible to answer without knowing you or your group personally. If you read each activity page it will hopefully help, we can also give general guidance.
A deposit is required to secure your chosen date, time and activity if you are booking more than 14 days in advance. Your deposit is non refundable or transferable. Full payment is required within 14 days.
No, Sorry. None of our activities are suitable for a dog to join in with.
There are no refunds/rescheduling if you miss the meet time and the session may start without you. You may be joining others, we may have a group after you etc so can’t always delay the start time. Allow plenty of time to travel around the Lake District. The traffic from Windermere especially from mid morning can be very slow with jams. Mobile reception is limited but we will have your mobile number and you will have ours on the PDF Info sheet you receive when you book.
You will lose the deposit payment if you cancel with more than 14 days notice. If you cancel within 14 days you will lose the full balance.
You will receive a full refund- or you can opt to rebook. There is no pressure to do this option. If we cancel because of dangerous water conditions at a location (ghyll/canyoning) then we will try to offer an alternative if possible, which you are under no obligation to do.
We run our activities in all weather conditions if it’s safe to do so. If it’s raining and/or cold the activity will go ahead. Wrap up warm with waterproof clothing if you’re abseiling. For ghyll scrambling/canyoning we have high quality, thick canyoning specific wetsuits especially imported from Spain. We wear the same wetsuits as you – so you know you are getting excellent quality. If the rain has been heavy and persistent we may have to cancel/ swap locations if the water levels are dangerous (see question above)