Famously, William Wordsworth declared the Lake District ‘the loveliest spot that man hath found’. Taking him at his word, last week, an excited group of Third Formers descended upon the Area of Natural Beauty. Against the backdrop of the striking vistas of the Lakes, the Thirds had three goals: to challenge themselves, to forge memories with their new peers and, most importantly, to get to know themselves a little bit better.
Please do enjoy some accounts from the boys on the trip below.
Writes Arnish V. (3rds):
Our Lake District trip was packed with adventure and stunning scenery. We started with a mountain hike, where the panoramic views made every step worth the effort. The next day, we took on gorge scrambling and team-building games. The freezing waters made the scrambling even more exhilarating, and the most enjoyable was frisbee golf which tested our focus. To cap off the trip, we explored a cave on a separate day—dark, mysterious, and full of hidden wonders that made it an unforgettable experience.
Writes Deshan H (3rds):
I’d never been to the Lake District before,
As I researched it, I wanted to know more.
The journey was tiring and long,
As I chatted to new friends, I checked my watch and the time had gone!
Our first task was to climb a huge hill,
As I stood at the bottom of it, it gave me a shiver and chill.
When I reached the top, I admired the majestic view,
And how the green landscape contrasted against the sky, so vast and blue.
Our teamwork activities were challenging and fun,
And the best one was the rope race, which we won!
The Noughts & Crosses game challenged my mind,
Whilst the stepping stone game made us work as a team, our efforts combined.
The Gorge Scrambling, for me, was something new,
I found it exciting to climb the rocks and navigate through.
I loved passing under a waterfall,
Although, at times, the ice-cold water made my skin crawl.
The initial thought of abseiling made me scared,
But the brilliant tour guide showed he cared.
We climbed down a raggedy and steep cliff,
And, afterwards, it made my muscles feel stiff.
The group evening quiz was fun and mystifying,
Although our second-place position left our team sighing.
Afterwards, we went on an evening woodland stroll,
And the brilliant experience brightened my soul.
Initially, the thought of staying in a hostel filled me with dread,
But when I stayed with new friends it made me joyful instead.
My experience with this friendly group of people is something I’d never forget,
In the future, this would be a chance I’d take without a bet!
Writes Ayaan J (3rds):
My Lake District trip in Windermere
Day 1
On Day 1, my dad and I arrived around 6am. I was in Section 8 with Andrewes going to Windermere IN THE LAKE DISTRICT! It took us at least 5 minutes to get everyone’s suitcases on the coach, and another 2 minutes to get on the coach after Mrs Hale’s briefing (my dad left 6 minutes before). We eventually departed from The School at 6:30am. It was a long but fun journey.
When we arrived we unloaded the luggage and went for a hike that was fun and easy. After that, we had dinner, where I enjoyed meatballs, before heading to bed.
Day 2
I awoke at 5:45 am and (remembering my roommates telling me to wake them up) I woke everyone up within two minutes. When we arrived inside the dining room, I had two delicious sausages, three super pieces of bacon, two marvellous hash browns and one great slice of toast, with jam and honey.
Then we prepared for our first of the day… ABSEILING! When we climbed onto the minibus, it was a ½ hour journey and then a 20-minute walk to get there. While we were walking, we spotted an F-22 jet which kept coming closer and closer to us! When we arrived at the top, I descended 90 feet in the air to what I thought was my doom. Whilst I was bunny hopping down, gripping and releasing the rope, I realised that I wasn’t that bad or as scared as I had imagined – rather I was having the time of my life, and I didn’t want it to stop.
After lunch we did team building exercises. This was a series of games, led by a guide Martin, including crossing shark infested custard!
Day 3
We awoke at 6.45am and had the same breakfast as the day before. When we were changed, we boarded the mini-bus and took off for a ½ hour journey to the gorge. When we arrived, we immediately went to the gorge current which was over 20 mph! We trudged into the cold water, crossing over to the other side and trying to avoid getting scratched. After, I was SOAKING.
Before I knew it, we boarded the coach home. The trip seemed so short, but as they say – time flies when you’re having fun, and especially when you’re on a school trip with your friends and teachers! Without parents or annoying siblings, we felt truly like adults (well, I did). I fell asleep on the coach at 6:00pm, and woke up to heavy traffic on the M25 at 8:37pm. It was devastating as honk after honk popped my ears, but it died down eventually as we came closer to Merchant Taylors’.
Once I had met my parents and was relaxed in my car, I looked back at the trip and thought, “Such a shame it had to end.”
Writes Liam G. (3rds):
The night before I left was chaotic. I was buzzing. The last of my clothes were being packed into my suitcase. As I got into bed that night, I thought about what time to set my alarm to. I needed to be in school by six o’clock the next morning, so I decided to wake up at five.
When I woke up, I still couldn’t believe that I was leaving to go The Lake District! I had been there before but now I could experience it again with my friends as well. Making sure I left the house at quarter to six, my mum took me to school where the coaches were ready to leave. At six o’clock it was dark. At six o’clock it was cold. When we finally reached Merchant Taylors’, I could see four huge coaches almost inviting me to go inside.
I lined up to get my name put down as ‘here’ on the register so that I could put my bags onto the coach. Walking down the aisle, I found my friends and sat down in one of the spare seats next to them. When everyone that was in our coach arrived and sat down, we could finally leave the coach park and head towards The Lake District.
The journey was extremely long but it was worth it. Some of the views we saw from the coach were stunning. We stopped at the services halfway through to use the washrooms, and then we were back on the road in no time at all. At some points in the journey everyone was singing songs and in others everyone was on their phones. About six hours after we left school, we had to get out of the coach. We weren’t even there yet. Finally, after a while a teacher came and told us that we got out because the roads were too windy to go by coach. We had to take minibuses to reach our hostel next to Lake Windermere.
After a long time travelling, we finally reached the destination of our hostel. There, we learnt what our very first task would be: walking. It doesn’t sound like it was fun, but it was in its own way. Our instructor was telling my group about the history of The Lake District and the hill we had walked around. An hour had passed since we set off on our walk, and we had just reached another hostel. The instructors told us that some of us were to stay here to sleep instead of at Lake Windermere. My group were staying at Lake Windermere, which was unfortunate as we had to drive back to our resort instead of staying where we were.
Finally, after what felt like ages, we were told our rooms, and I was really happy with the room that I got. After everyone in my room had settled in, we had dinner and got into bed ready for the start of a new day.
I woke up the next morning at six forty-five to find that almost everyone else in my dorm was already awake and waiting for me to wake up. As a group we went down to breakfast where I had eggs, toast and hashbrowns to start me up for the day. For our second activity my group had ‘Gorge Scrambling’. This is where you have to wade through a river upstream and climb over rocks. The water that day was freezing and it was fun to splash others to get them cold and used to the water. We did a few trust falls, and we jumped into a deep section of water with a strong current of water. Overall, I liked this activity, as I did it when I went to the Lake District a few years ago and it is still as good as I remember it being.
After lunch that day, my group and I set off for our second activity for the day: abseiling. Unfortunately, we did not manage to abseil, so instead we made the best of it and went to explore more of the quarry where we were supposed to abseil at. There we found a man-made cave which was used for mining. Our instructor told us that Beatrix Potter used to own it and the area around it until she died in 1943. Then she gave most of the land to the National Trust. At that time of the day, it was gloomy, and the caves were dark. We had a challenge to see how long we could stay quiet in the pitch black of the cave tunnels.
Soon after, we headed back to our resort to have dinner. For dinner, I had a beef burger and fries. It was delicious! I had a quick ice-cream for dessert and off to bed again after yet another long day.
I woke up a bit later than the previous day and only just before the teachers came knocking to tell us to wake up. Most people were up before they came anyway, but they did it just in case. After breakfast, we were told our final activity. It was team building, where in teams we played games, including frisbee-golf. We also made art with nature. It was a relaxing end to our trip, which was full of fun and laughter.
As my group were one of the first to finish the activities, we helped with loading the bags onto the minibuses that were picking us up to take us to the coach. Soon enough, we were heading off towards the coaches. As soon as the door to the minibus opened, I ran out of the door and ran towards the coach, trying to reserve the best seats in the coach to myself and my friends.
When the coach departed, I breathed out a sigh of relief. We were finally able to head home! There were a few problems with traffic, but after all, all that matters is that we got past it. After three hours we reached the services in Birmingham. Three hours! After a quick stop at McDonalds and obtaining Park Lane twice from the Monopoly event, it was time to return to the coach. After more singing and more game playing, four hours later, we reached the the School car park.
Overall, this trip was awesome. I explored places with my friends and tried things I had never seen or done before. The long journey there and back in my opinion was worth it, and I am sure most people will agree alongside me.
Writes Hugo G (3rds):
This week, I went on a trip to the beautiful Lake District with all the new boys who joined Taylors’ this year. We had a great time exploring the outdoors together.
One of our adventures involved climbing Loughrigg Fell, a mountain that surprised me repeatedly with its green hills which seemed to rise and fall endlessly. Each hill gave me the illusion that I was nearing the summit, only to discover that there was still more climbing ahead. The journey felt never-ending, but when I finally reached the peak, I was captivated by the stunning views of the surrounding lakes and mountains.
Another activity we tried was gorge scrambling. I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much fun I had. For those unfamiliar with gorge scrambling, it involves navigating the rugged terrain of a stream, climbing up or down its rocky banks, and wading through the flowing water. By the end of the activity, I discovered a deep, inviting spot in the stream. The temptation was too great, so I decided to plunge my head into the icy-cold water. The shock of the freezing temperature was exhilarating, and I couldn’t resist lying back and letting the cool stream envelop me as I floated, feeling completely refreshed.
The highlight of the trip for me was undoubtedly the abseiling session. What made it truly unforgettable was an incredible surprise we experienced while doing it. Initially, it felt like any other abseiling adventure, but then we were suddenly treated to an extraordinary sight: fighter jets soaring through the mountains! They passed directly above us, and the sound was both astonishing and a bit overwhelming. They got so close that we could even see the missiles attached to the aircraft as they gracefully executed their manoeuvres.
I really enjoyed the trip and want to thank everyone who organised it for us.
Writes Mayan P. (3rds):
The Lake District trip was a pleasure to be part of. Although some of the facilities of the youth hostel weren’t my ideal (for example, most of the showers were very cold and there were no lights in the toilet), the activities and food themselves were extremely nice.
Day One’s activities included gorge walking in morning and abseiling in the afternoon. Gorge walking was my favourite, as the sun was shining so bright and you dried off very quickly after. There were challenges that were hard, but they were fun at the same time. These included walking under a big water fall and doing a trust fall into one of those rock pools. Abseiling didn’t have the best weather, as it was rainy. I was at the end of the queue and one of the last people to do it and after a while the rain made the rocks slippery. Sometimes I kept on slipping off, and thought I was going to fall, but I had a had a harness, so I knew it was safe. The last activity was on the following day, and it was by far the muddiest activity. It was about working as a team. We also played games like noughts and crosses and the floor is lava in teams, to work on our teamwork.
Overall, the Lake District trip was very fun and enjoyable. I loved the scenic views – it is by far the most beautiful place in Britain!
Writes Ronan K. (3rds):
As I put my bag on the coach, my head was buzzing with excitement and curiosity. How will my first trip at Taylors’ be? Who will be in my room? How will gorge scrambling be? My head might have exploded! I got on the coach and waved my parents goodbye (finally) – and then me and my friends talked a lot and eventually played UNO. When we reached the Lake District near Ambleside pier, I remembered all the times I had come to the Lake District with my parents.
When we got off, there was water everywhere! We climbed a fairly easy slope to get to our hostel, seeing sheep and astonishing views on the way. We unpacked and got ready for our first activity: MOUNTAIN CLIMBING!! Now, I have climbed many mountains and have seen many Lake District views. But this… was different. Firstly, there was a lot of vertical climbing; there was also a lot of water. But when we were coming down, people were sliding (like down the rocks), and we laughed so much. This was the reason the activity had some element of thrill in it!
We slept comfortably and had breakfast and rode to our first activity of the day: ABSEILING!! As we started (I was the first one to attempt in our group) I felt a surge of bravery and thrill as I started to descend. As I looked down, my friends were cheering and behind them were mind-boggling views. The moment my feet touched the floor, a sense of pride arrived, as well as extremely pink hands! After that we went on “the walk”. As I came back, I thought it should be called the “Dynamite Climb” because of the dynamite that used to be there. We also did more rock climbing. The fighter jets above us (they were super cool) made me think: “I wonder what we look like to them?”
After having lunch we had TEAM BUILDING!! The excitement, rain and brainpower was what it made me think this was unique to the other activities. In conclusion, this was out of the ordinary. We even got to build a catapult. Unluckily, it went the grand total of… 0 metres! After this hilarious experience, we went on a calm stroll – we had enjoyed a quiz the night before – and talked about different trees. There was even a 1,500 year old tree which we were talking about! Incredibly, Mrs Lemoine found a small frog on the ground!
Waking up, knowing it would have been my last breakfast at the youth hostel, I got changed, not knowing what to pack for gorge scrambling, as trepidation filled my body. As soon as we reached the mountain, I knew this would be hard. It was steep, jagged and difficult, but I pushed my limits and in the end it was my favourite. In fact, I nearly fell down once, but Miss Scott saved me!
Thank you for all of the teachers, staff and everyone in between for helping me, others and making us confident. Best first trip ever!
Writes Pirajen G. (3rds):
I just got back from our school trip to the Lake District—it was incredible. We started with a hike through some beautiful trails, then on the second day we did team-building activities that really brought us together. My favourite one was the frisbee golf. After that, we went gorge scrambling, which was such a thrill—climbing through cold water and rocks was wild. On the last day, we explored a cave, which was dark and mysterious but cool. It was a packed three days, and I loved every minute of it.
Writes Massimo P. (3rds)
Our hearts raced as our final bus drove to a halt. We stared out of the window looking at the scenery in awe. The woodland rose from small hills into spectacular views of the summits.
After we got off and put down our luggage, it was straight to hiking. Some groups went straight up missing the beautiful pebble beaches that overlooked the valley. Next, we raced up the hills, eager to reach a peak. At the top, the wind blew like a hair dryer. After a bit we walked back down. It was amazing to see how quickly you could lose all that progress.
Day 2 for group 1, 2 and 3 promised gorge scrambling. With our wetsuits on and helmets tightened, we dipped our feet in, knowing instantly that the water would freeze us to the bone. It took us a while to get used to it, but eventually we did. We took the winding paths reaching up higher and higher as we did.
We then returned to Langdale, got changed and had lunch. Our next activity was abseiling. Now this was scary (for me). It was time to get vertical and so we did. From below the drop looked bearable.
But up top, it was a whole other story. The ravine seemed to fall into steps made for giants. Each one manufactured unevenly, with its own deadly fall. Many feared it and we had to be brave and work together to overcome it.
On the last day, we had four tasks to complete:
1. Traverse a corridor without touching the ground.
2. Fit twelve people in a hoop (not at once) with a timer ticking by the second.
3. Use only tubes to direct a ball to the final checkpoint.
4. Build a catapult.
The first three were pretty straight forward, but the last one was far more complicated. We created our catapults and lined them up for a test. The record was 19 metres, setting a high score for the camp.
Despite the seven hours to get home, it was worth it!
Writes Danyal N. (3rds)
As soon as I exited the coach that brought me to the Lake District, I was met with colossal hills looming over me. They glistened elegantly as a haze of iridescent emerald illuminated my eyes. Little did I know the abundance of excitement to come.
On the first day at the Lake District, we climbed up a mountain. Countless times I was breathless, inspired by the picturesque view of the aqua lakes and other spectacular mountains.
Our activities consisted of abseiling, team building and gorge scrambling. When doing activities using lakes, the icy, refreshing water would always boost up my satisfaction and my mood.
Overall, I really recommend the Lake District as a place to visit. My trip there made me friends and unforgettable memories that will leave me a positive mark going forward.
