Itinerary (please note this is highly flexible and may change to take account of local conditions)

Day 1

Meet at our bunkhouse accommodation near Penrith and meet North Star Adventure staff and fellow paddlers for evening briefing for the weekend ahead. Our bunkhouse accommodation is self-catering but is part of a country pub offering a full food menu.

Day 2

Depart from bunkhouse accommodation following breakfast and transfer to Derwentwater. Brief overview of outfitting boats for the white-water environment. Paddle across Derwentwater, stopping to explore some of the islands to learn about their rich heritage. Enter the Middle Derwent River, a gentle introduction to moving water and paddle this interconnecting river to Bassenthwaite Lake whilst stopping to read the river, focusing on river dynamics including eddy-lines, currents and avoiding obstacles. We will also learn and develop our repertoire of paddle strokes to include J-strokes, draws and pries and to look at other fundamentals of paddling such as trim and edge. We will then return to our bunkhouse accommodation for hot showers and a good feed.

Day 3

With our developing confidence and knowledge, we once again depart from our accommodation to transfer to an absolute classic of the Cumbria: the River Eden. This river signifies a step-up from the previous day’s paddling and allows us to further practice our new skills. The River Eden runs a course that winds its way through stunning sandstone cliffs and represents some of the best paddling in the region. By the time we have arrived at the river egress, we will have all become much more confident paddlers ready for a bigger adventure, such as joining one of our River Spey departures….