The daffs and bluebells are in full bloom, the clocks have gone forward and the kids are off school…. So what better time of year than now, Easter, to finally shake off the remnants of the long winter lethargy (which afflicts all but the most dedicated athlete!) and get outdoors exploring our wonderful landscape again?
Some of our Top Ten UK Easter Activities are simply to keep the kids happy, while others are to help you escape the crowds, but all are intended to inspire you to get your bikes out of the garage, your boots back on your feet or your bottom into a canoe!
Easter Canoe on The River Dart, Devon
Explore the River Dart on a family and friends canoe excursion this Easter. The massive and extremely stable 8 and 9 metre long canoes used by Canoe Adventures are perfect for exploring the river as a family group.
Your guide will steer you through the sheltered water of Bow Creek at Tuckenhay, starting with the tide from the Maltsters Arms, telling tales of local smugglers and pirates.
canoeadventures.co.uk Adults £23; Kids (4-16) £18
Climb a snow-capped Ben Nevis
The snow field on the summit of Ben Nevis, the UK’s highest mountain, normally lasts well into June, making an Easter summit a very doable special experience.
Often crowded to bursting point in the summer, Ben Nevis at Easter is a totally different prospect, with a real feeling of isolation possible, especially if you set off for the summit early.
Weather permitting, you can summit at Easter without any advanced technical help on the mountain footpath, but be warned, as the weather can change in an instant and adverse winter conditions can be experienced on Ben Nevis all year. It’s easy to lose your way on a snow-capped peak in a white out, so if you are at all unsure of your navigational skills, hire a guide.
adventurenevis.com/ben_nevis_home.html
Hereford to Symonds Yat by Canoe
Paddling down the River Wye is, quite simply, a fantastic Easter outing. On the stretch between the bustling market town of Hereford and the quaint village of Symonds Yat, home to the brilliant Saracens Head Inn, the River Wye winds its way peacefully through farmland and past traditional villages.
Canoes are best hired in Symonds Yat West or Ross-on-Wye, with transport provided to your launch spot - for either a few hours fun, or for longer multiple overnight trips (the full Hereford to Symonds Yat journey is a 3 to 4-day trip).
thecanoehire.co.uk are offering a 20% Easter discount
pub b+b: whitelionross.co.uk
C2C bike ride.
A wonderful ride at any time of year, the C2C takes you from the Irish Sea to the North Sea across some of the wildest and most spectacular landscapes in northern England.
The route can be tackled alone, or as part of a guided group with luggage transfers, such as Explore’s 3-day trip, which includes bike hire and support vehicle from Whitehaven to Tynemouth (Tynemouth is a 30 minute train ride into central Newcastle).
Explore are offering this 3 day trip from 10-13 April for a reduced price of £195
explore.co.uk
Going solo: c2c-guide.co.uk
The Dales Way
The Dales Way is a relatively easy 78 mile (5 to 7-day) long distance hike, through the Yorkshire Dales and into the Lake District. Starting in Ilkley, the Dales Way crosses the length of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, from south to north, before heading into the Lake District National Park to finish at Bowness-on-Windermere.
This brilliant journey is mostly on easy terrain, with no really demanding climbs, sticking mainly to the valley floors of both Wharfedale and Langstrothdale, before eventually gaining height up to the Pennine watershed at Cam Fell (1700 feet).
The Sherpa Van Project’s website is a source of all knowledge needed to hike all or part of the Dales Way, as well as many other nationwide long distance routes, also offering a helpful accommodation and luggage transportation service.
For route and Sherpa Van info: thedalesway.co.uk
Egg Hunt and Welly Wanging at Kew Gardens
If the kids are reluctant to get outdoors, you can always bribe them with a visit to see Shaun the Sheep, and the promise of some chocolate. Okay, so we’re not setting a good example, but at least the kids have to run around on a large Easter egg hunt, before they get a sweet treat!
Kew is holding a Shaun the Sheep event within a Madcap Meadow and running Shaun-centric activities from Welly Wanging to collecting stamps along Timmy’s Springtime Trail (if this is all gobbledygook best see the Aardman film to get up to speed….)
For adults there’s a mere five million spring bulbs to hike amongst - try not to kill too many when wanging your wellies!
Brecon Beacons Bunny 3 and 10km Runs
If you’re not looking to hunt for Easter eggs but still fancy a little running around, head to the Brecon Beacons Bunny Run, for a 3k or 10k race through the beautiful Beacon Hill Park, which sits within the Charnwood Forest.
You can even run with your dog if doing the 3k run, while the 10k race is limited to those with just the two legs.
To enter the Sunday April 19th event visit beaconbunnyrun.org
The Trotternish Ridge, Isle of Skye
As is the case with the better known Cuillin Ridge, also on Skye, the Trotternish Ridge is one for the experienced hiker only. The hike is only around 22 miles long, but this difficult and challenging ridge has a surprising amount of ascent and descent (around 2000m of each), making it best tackled over two days. There is no accommodation en route, so you’ll be carrying all your own supplies and camping equipment too.
There is no recognised path on the Trotternish Ridge, one of the finest ridge traverses in Britain, so good navigational skills are needed to make your way along near-vertical cliffs and across slippery volcanic rock.
If you’re brave enough to tackle the Trotternish Ridge you’ll be rewarded with some of the finest views in Britain, if not the world.
Wild Camp, even if it’s in your own garden.
The nights aren’t too cold anymore, so why not try a little wild camping, and test out your bushcraft skills at the same time?
There’s nothing better to focus the mind on building a warm and waterproof bivvy, than the knowledge that there might be a spring shower in the night! All you need is a tarpaulin with eyelets, some bungees and a roll of string.
You can always get a fire going if it’s safe and appropriate to do so (maybe not the best idea if in your own back garden then) and sit around its warmth while telling tales of previous adventures, or even a few spooky ghost stories.
It still gets pitch dark very early at this time of year, so you don’t even have to keep the kids up till midnight to let them enjoy a little star gazing….
The free star gazing Sky View App is great for iphones
Climb or abseil down a waterfall
Okay, okay, so it will be bloomin’ cold, but it’s also bloomin good fun too! Lots of outdoor centres run gorge walking and ghyll scrambling days out, and we advise that you always use a guide. They have local knowledge of water conditions and the back-up of established safety protocol.
It’s a really exhilarating experience to climb up a slippery rock face, while the noise and force of a spring waterfall rushes past, not to mention the joy of sledding down a small set of rapids.
In Wales, you can make your way down a mountain stream, tackling bigger and bigger waterfalls, before finishing with a 40 foot abseil down the largest, with Gorge Walking Wales who run trips primarily for groups.
Or try Gorge Walking & Ghyll Scrambling in the Lake District with Kendal Mountaineering Services for £45 for a half day, £70 full day
