Friday 27 April 2012

X-treme Sports

Okay, so give me a break. I couldn't track down any xylophones in the Lake District, and although there may be Xerox machines and X-rays, I doubt I could write a blog about them. I don't think Cumbrians are xenophobic to strangers either (even though someone who may have lived there for 30 or more years may still be considered an 'off-comer' i.e. non-native).

I hope it's not cheating, but I decided on X-treme sports because the Lake District is, of course, a paradise for outdoor pursuits of many kinds. The less intrepid (and those of us who are not as young as we were!) may prefer a gentle hike on the lower fells, or a walk in the forest or along the shores of one of the lakes. In my younger days, I did do some fell-climbing – albeit on well-marked paths.

However, there are also opportunities for more X-treme pursuits (none of which I have ever done, I hasten to add).

Rock-climbing, of course is popular and there are plenty of crags to tempt the most daring – and those with a head for heights. This is probably the most famous rock-climb in the Lake District – Napes Needle on Great Gable. Gives me vertigo just looking at it!

There’s also Gorge Scrambling, where participants make their way along the hidden mountain streams of Lakeland, jump into deep pools and climb up (or down) waterfalls with the help of ropes. It’s challenging – and often very wet! Canyoning is the opposite of Gorge Scrambling. In this case, people follow the water downwards, through pools, down chutes and sometimes involving abseiling down vertical drops.

If you prefer an aerial view of the landscape, you can try paragliding, maybe starting off as a ‘passenger’ with an experienced  instructor before venturing into the air on your own, first from gentle slopes and the from higher hills. There’s also skydiving, again harnessed to an instructor for your first dive, but there are courses available for those who want to become experience skydivers. Not for the faint-hearted!

Back on the ground again, there is off-road driving, with opportunities for everyone from beginners to advanced, in specially adapted land rovers. Mountain biking and quad-biking are also available, over terrain ranging from easy to difficult.

Me? I prefer to sit with my large ice cream on the shores of Coniston or on the terrace of a pub in Langdale and watch others take part in these kinds of sports!

25 comments:

  1. Paula, well done on an extremely interesting, informative and entertaining A-Z of The Lake District as written so far. I was dying to see what you'd come up with for 'X' and you haven't disappointed me (neither have you 'cheated').

    I look forward to 'Y' and, most especially 'Z'. Meanwhile, I will join you eating ice cream while we sit and watch the adrenalin junkies throwing themselves about.

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  2. Some of these sound quite cool! I'm not too adventurous in the extreme sport department, but my post today would go along well with the the traveling I'd love to do to the places you've written about! ;-)

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  3. If I had to pick one, I'd go with gorge-scrambling because the scenery is so beautiful. I love waterfalls (but really have no desire to climb up or down a big one as I suffer from vertigo.)

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  4. Perfect use fo X!

    Beth
    http://bethlapinsatozblog.wordpress.com/

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  5. Jacula - thanks for joining me with the ice creams!

    Tamara - I couldn't do any sheer drops either because of vertigo.

    Thanks, Beth and Claudia!

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  6. Because of my arthritis, I can't even do much of that, Rosemary - so I'll sit by the lake - or maybe in the pub at Hawkshead!

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  7. I have no desire for extreme sports! I just cringe when I see those rock climbers on t.v. or in photos! I like to keep two feet on the ground or in the water, thank you very much! Nice take on X. :0)

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  8. This is a great X post! I'm too much of a chicken to participate in any extreme sports. Like beachlover, I like to keep my feet on the ground! :)

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  9. Hehehehe I'm like you, although I've never been to Cumbria. :-D

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  10. Beachlover, Dana and Misha - I'll agree with you all about keeping feet on ground! Thanks for visiting.

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  11. Great way to do X! Oh, and I'll sit with you and have an ice cream. :O)

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  12. Paragliding looks VERY tempting to me, especially since you mentioned having an instructor with me. OHhhHhhh I may yet get to do that!

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  13. Join the ice cream gang, Word Nerd, and we'll all watch November paragliding!

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  14. Thanks for visiting my blog today. The sports you have shown here look like a lot of fun.

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  15. I love X-treme sports--especially while eating ice cream and admiring those who choose to do them (and entertain me in the process!).

    LOL...

    Excellent post!!

    Jenn

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  16. I'll be joining you for the ice-cream as well! I was shaking my head as I read that - just in case I started to think they were a good idea.

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  17. Cynthia - you're welcome to them, we'll sit and watch you!

    Jenn and Annalisa - join the ice-cream group. Ice creams are always a good idea when you're sitting by a lake on a beautiful summer day in the Lake District!

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  18. X-streme sports is an X-citing topic that works for me!

    Catch My Words
    http://joycelansky.blogspot.com

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  19. I'd love to take part in some of these X-treme sports.

    Riya

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  20. I wouldn't mind trying any one of those. I need to add a few things to my bucket list.

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  21. I'll join Rain in the paragliding gig and we'll wave to you ice cream eatin' ladies! Sounds like a great time to me. And a great way to see the Lake District quickly.

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  22. Awesome X post!! Loved hearing about all the Xtreme sports. I would never actually do any of them, but they are pretty cool!!

    Kathy
    http://gigglingtruckerswife.blogspot.com

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  23. Joyce, Ria, Miranda, and Jo - you're all braver than me if you want to try any of these sports!

    Kathy - I feel the same as yoyu! Good to watch others do them, but not for me!

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