Tickets Out Now
When: Friday 19th April 7pm - Sunday 21th April 4pm
Price: £250 full price/£125 subsidised (lower income)
Starting Location : Grasmere YHA Ambleside, England, LA22 9QGUnited Kingdom
Our Introduction To Bikepacking weekends offer women and non-binary folks who are bikepacking-curious a chance to try it out in a supportive, fun, small group atmosphere. Based in locations that put us at the heart of some of the UK’s finest gravel routes, we can lend you most of the bikepacking bags and camping gear you need to get you out on your first overnight adventure.
Our aims for these weekend events were to remove some of those barriers and create an opportunity to try bikepacking in a supportive and fun space. After running 8 of these weekends in 2022, we’re excited to bring them back for 2023 thanks to support from Ortlieb and Komoot. These weekends are the perfect launch pad for getting into some of our bigger gravel and bikepacking events, and for meeting a bunch of people that will probably go on to become your future bikepacking adventure buddies!
We'll start the weekend in true Sisters In The Wild style, sharing skills and tips over campfire, before loading up the next morning to head out on an overnight adventure. We'll ride a mix of on road and off, rolling into our camp spot to pitch up and share dinner and a night under the stars. The next day, we’ll ride pack to base to unpack, debrief, and make plans for future adventures with new friends.
Your hosts for the weekend will be two of our SITW guides who will be your biggest cheerleaders for the weekend. Both be British Cycling qualified MTB Leaders, with many miles of bikepacking experience, tips and tricks to share.
If you don't have all the gear - don't worry. We can provide many of the essentials, including lightweight tents, mats and bikepacking bags.
Who's this for?
Any women, non-binary or trans folks who want to share a bikepacking adventure and skill building experience in a fun and supportive environment. This might be your first ever bikepacking trip or you may be coming with some tales to share! We just ask that you are comfortable riding around 25 miles a day in hilly/mixed terrain, have a bike capable of riding off-road (or are up for hiring one - we can give tips!), and are up for sharing a bit of a challenge! There will be some mandatory gear to bring which you'll find at the bottom, but we can provide most of the big stuff.
What's included
Friday night accommodation (shared dorm) in the YHA in Grasmere , and camping on Saturday.
Kit loan if you need it. Before the weekend we'll share a kit list and help to go through what you already have and what you need
Practical , hands-on skill sharing on bikepacking essentials from experienced bikepackers and your fellow attendees. Expect chats on gear, packing, food, route planning and the practical stuff no one talks about (periods? poop? we've got you covered!)
Guided rides on Saturday and Sunday from qualified leaders. Expect somewhere in the region of 40 - 50 miles over the weekend on mixed terrain
A communal dinner on Friday and a hearty breakfast before we head out on the bikes. We'll kit everyone out with some basic bikepacking grub to cook up for dinner and breakfast whilst at our overnight camp.
Dinner and breakfast on our overnight camp
Lots of support, cheerleading and cake stops as we share in this challenge together!
The plan
Meeting in Grasmere YHA on Friday evening , we'll spend the evening getting to know each other, preparing dinner together and chatting around the campfire (weather permitting!).
Saturday morning will see us up early for a good breakie, before we start to get our bikes and bodies ready for the ride! We'll talk about packing, distribute gear and supplies, and get our bikes loaded up with everything we need for our overnight adventure. We'll say goodbye to the hostel, and set out on a 25 mile-ish ride, taking in a mix of off-road and road in the gorgeous Lake District National Park. There’ll definitely be a few hills and maybe bits of riding that will give yo a chance to test out your off-road skills!. But we ride together as a group! The pace will be very friendly and there will be plenty of time for snacks and chatting along the way.
We'll aim to roll into our campsite before dark, set up our tents together and settle in for an evening of campfire, cooking up our dinners and sharing stories from the day. In the morning we'll get the bikes loaded up once again for our return ride to the hostel with lunch on the way. We'll get back around 4pm, unload our gear and get ready for a return to civilization!
What gear can I borrow
Bikepacking bags - we'll have a range of handlebar rolls, saddle bag and frame bags to borrow
Tent
Stoves
We'll have a limited number of sleeping mats and bags too. Get in touch before booking if you need one of these.
What gear to I need to bring with me?
We'll share a proper kit list before, But key things you'll need to bring.
A bike - One you are comfortable riding off road (e.g. on dirt, gravel, bridleways etc), and that is in good working order. A MTB or Gravel bike works great. We'd suggest a minimum of 38mm tyres. Full suspension bikes only if suspension can be locked out. There’s plenty of places to hire on locally - scroll down for more info.
Sleeping Bag - A 3 season, lightweight bag. We'll have a very limited number of these to borrow - please email us in advance of booking.
A small rucksack - Around 10L, that you'll be comfortable riding with
Helmet
Spares/tools for your own bike. E.g. inner tubes,
Headtorch & Bike Lights
Waterproofs
Something to eat and drink from
Riding
The ride will take in a mixed bag of Lake District terrain, with a mix of offroad and quiet roads. There will be a few hills, some bits of more technical terrain, and we'll most likely all be off walking our bikes at times! But that's all part of the fun, and the views (and cake stops!) are worth it. Expect a mix of mellow gravel tracks, a dirt, grass and a few rocky bridleways to try out. We expect to cover about 50 miles over the weekend.
How do I get there?
Our Friday meeting point is is very close to Windermere train station. Trains from Manchester 2 hours, or about 2hr 45 from London.
Car sharing encouraged! Check out the Lift Sharing facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/830374944541156.
Bike Hire
Is available locally, and costs around £60 - £70 for the weekend. A good place to start is https://www.countrylaneslakedistrict.co.uk/ , right next to Windermere train station. We recommend hiring one of their hardtail MTB for the weekend.
Want to know more?
Take a look at some of the highlight videos on our instagram page, and read our testimonials to see what other people thought of our previous weekends. And feel free to drop us an email with any niggling questions!