Langdale Walking & Adventure Holidays

About Us

Langdale Walking & Adventure Holidays provides quality tours for people looking for something a little different. They will appeal to anyone who has a taste for adventure but also appreciates a high level of comfort and service. Our programme includes relaxing cultural tours, walking holidays of varying degrees of exertion from a stroll to a full on hike, mild adventure such as rafting or skiing, and travel to warmer climes to escape the British winter.

In order to retain the individuality and exclusivity of the holidays, only a limited number are planned each year, with each trip carefully researched and meticulously planned. The itineraries are unique and change each time we return to a destination. A special feature is that each tour is accompanied by an experienced tour leader and we always use local English-speaking guides.

Friendship
Langdale travellers have come to regard themselves as part of an extended family. The friendliness and companionship of these groups of like-minded people mean they are equally suited to those travelling with a partner or alone. As the size of each party is restricted to a manageable number, a strong bond of friendship develops between group members, often continuing after the holiday is over. Reunion weekends in the Lake District, Cotswolds or Gower have become popular occasions, where old friends meet up to share memories and discuss future adventures.

Activities
Cultural exploration on foot is often, though not always, the main theme of our holidays. Destinations are primarily selected for their natural beauty and for the range of exciting walks or cultural attractions they offer. Routes are carefully planned and our guide is always on hand to point out interesting features, flora and fauna, and to give us an insight into local culture.
We try as much as possible to get off the beaten track and explore little-known regions and wilderness areas. Great importance is attached to maintaining a low impact on the environment by sticking to footpaths and respecting the natural surroundings and their delicate ecosystems. We can also help and encourage our guests to offset the impact of their visit through creditable off-setting schemes of which we have personal knowledge.

In order to make it easier for you to decide which holiday best suits you, each tour has been graded Easy, Moderate or Hard. It is difficult to be precise about these gradings because, assuming a reasonable level of fitness, what is easy for one person, is more difficult for another. They are mostly based on distance, altitude, type of terrain and the amount of elevation covered and they should be taken as a guideline only.

Easy - Advises you that the holiday includes cultural visits or strolls of up to two or three hours a day on reasonably flat terrain and along well-defined footpaths. A generous amount of time is allowed to enjoy the scenery and to take photographs or visit attractions. Suitable for most people of any age.

Moderate - Cultural visits, walks or other activity of about five hours a day along well-defined routes and tracks, with some elevation and steep ascents/descents. Plenty of time allowed for rest and relaxation and taking photographs. Suitable for anyone reasonably fit and used to a moderate amount of exercise.

Hard - These are usually walking holidays involving hiking for up to seven or eight hours a day, possibly with steep ascents/descents and high altitudes. There may be some scrambling and exposure, but on well thought-out routes and with plenty of time for rest and relaxation. A good level of fitness is required.

Accommodation
After each day's activity we return to the comfort of high quality hotels or luxury villas, with the emphasis on comfort and character. Simple but clean huts or lodges are used in remote places where other accommodation is not available. Most holidays are half-board; added touches include welcome receptions, and a chance to experience a variety of dining venues and local entertainment.

Brochures
Each holiday has its own comprehensive tour itinerary and full details of that particular holiday, which we believe gives you a better chance of selecting the right holiday for you. Proof of this is an average of 70% repeat business on each holiday - much higher than is usual in the travel industry.

How We Started
Langdale Holidays began in 1991 when David Fairs led a party of 30 to Nepal. Since then the holidays have grown in popularity and new destinations and activities have been added every year, travelling to some of the most spectacular and beautiful parts of the world.

David's taste for adventure began in the Army where he gained experience in expedition leadership. He left in mid-career to join a major travel company as their Overseas Manager, and it was as Managing Director of Langdale Leisure Ltd in the Lake District that he hit upon the idea of organising holidays that combine high quality accommodation, interesting activities and a touch of adventure. David is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (FRGS).

In 2007 David was joined by Chris Tomlinson (née Collier), and subsequently in 2012, her husband Ian Tomlinson, both of whom who can be seen on the Tour Leader page alongside David himself. Chris was formerly the founding Chief Executive of Cumbria Vision, the economic regeneration Company for Cumbria, and, prior to that, the Chief Executive of Cumbria Tourist Board, where she received an OBE for services to Tourism in 2002. She grew up in the Lake District where her love of walking and adventure was kindled at an early age. She has travelled the World, including doing a stint of VSO in the remote mountains of Kazakhstan. Ian was a Sales Director for a large, well known IT Company, so travelled extensively for both business and pleasure. Post retirement he is currently a non-executive Direct and Acting Chairman for our local NHS Hospitals Trust.

Our Environmental Ethic
All our tours involve great respect for the natural surroundings in which we travel. We aim to introduce you to delicate ecosystems while, in our own small way, helping to preserve what remains of wild places.

We ask everyone not to collect or pick anything from these places, and not to leave any litter - particularly fruit peel etc. as this takes a long time to biodegrade and could attract wild animals, thereby endangering their lives.

Whenever available we reserve non-smoking rooms in hotels and lodges, and respectfully request that, if you are a smoker, you do not smoke in the presence of other clients - particularly on walking trails, in vehicles and at meals.

We are founder members and Directors of the Tourism and Conservation Partnership (now Nurture Lakeland), an award winning charity which delivers responsible tourism projects throughout Cumbria and the English Lake District. As part of our social responsibility programme, we are also organising the Lakeland Book of the Year Awards for 2011 following the reduction of funding to Cumbria Tourism which threatened the continuation of this 27 year old charitable literary event.