Born to be wild? Looking for adventure? Head up to the Lake District!

At Brathay Hall on the shores of Lake Windermere, the brand new not-for-profit Adventure Cycle Festival will look to host hundreds of would-be adventurers, and inspire them to head off the beaten track on their bikes, whether that’s a day in the mountains, a coast-to-coast epic, or an overnight bike-packing trip. Tickets are only £20 each for the whole weekend (2 to 4 June), and all profits will be funnelled into subsequent festivals and donated to the Brathay Trust. 
 
As you’d expect from a festival designed to inspire adventure, Brathay Hall will act as a hub from where organised activities will launch attendees off into the wonders of the Lakes. Among the planned activities is the Shillies 'Undred - a 100km ‘gravel challenge event’; a guided overnight bike-packing trip across the Lakes; and, for those gluttons for punishment, a loaded hill-climb challenge.
 
An important part of the festival is to encourage attendees to treat their route to the festival as an excuse to leave the car at home and embark on a self-guided trip. For many this might mean cycling from their front door up to the Lakes but, if you’re living the other end of the country and short on time, then there’s also a social ride in from the station too!

I hope that by speaking about my previous expeditions and this year’s exciting plans, I will be able to share the thrill of adventure cycling.

Mark Beaumont, Cycling UK member and adventure cyclist

The festival also looks to be a good chance to try out those type of bikes which might not normally lurk in your local bike shop. With touring and off-road favourites such as Surly, Shand, Salsa and others all attending, this festival should give you the opportunity to try out the adventure bikes you’ve been reading about.

Headlining the workshops and speakers is Cycling UK member Mark Beaumont, who will be looking to speak about his next challenge of cycling round the world in 80 days, and his previous achievements of cycling around the world and riding across Africa solo. Speaking about the event, Mark was keen to highlight the festival’s charitable nature and also said: “I hope that by speaking about my previous expeditions and this year’s exciting plans, I will be able to share the thrill of adventure cycling.”