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Fleece is warm when wet and cotton not…so it’s always good to be wearing fleece in the Lake District, just in case! Layers are a far more effective way of keeping warm and regulating you heat levels than big heavy coats.



Food is really important when out in the mountains. Physiologically, it is the fuel we need to work. And psychologically a nice piece of cake, a good full sandwich part way up the hill or a mint snuck into a pocket can all give you the little boost you need when things get a bit tougher. At Quest 4 Adventure we really understand the importance of food and will make sure there are regular stops for you to re-fuel with food and water.

Here’s a scary fact…it takes 6 hours for carbohydrates (pasta, oats, bread, etc) to be turned in Glycogen, the sugar form that you need, and be delivered to your muscles for you to use. So what you eat for tea the night before and have for breakfast is really important to your body!

• Long trousers.
• Long sleeved base layer.
• Long sleeved mid-fleece.
• Thicker fleece type top.
• Thin socks to wear in climbing shoes.
• Hat and gloves.
• Waterproof trousers and Coat.
• Spare mid fleece layer.
• Small Rucksack.
• Packed Lunch.
• Flask of hot drink.
• Water 1 litre minimum.
• Any medication you may need to administer to yourself such as an Asthma Inhaler, sun cream.
• For the Rock Climbing Progression, Classic Lakeland Rock and Learn to Lead courses we recommend you have your own climbing shoes.  For the other climbing courses good strong approach shoes are great, but if you do have climbing shoes or can borrow a pair, then bring them along.
• A head-torch can be useful if on a course early or late in the year.

We will provide you with a climbing helmet and harness and all the ropes etc.  If you do have your own kit you want to bring or use, get in touch with us beforehand.

• Long trousers.
• Long sleeved base layer.
• Long sleeved mid-fleece.
• Thicker fleece type top.
• Small rucksack, with a waterproof liner.  We recommend ‘exped dry bags’ which are relatively inexpensive and really do the job.
Plus the following in it:
• Hat and gloves.
• A big packed lunch.
• Waterproof trousers and Jacket. Jackets made from Gore-tex, Event or Paramo materials are preferable if you are going to be in the High Fells all day.
• Flask of hot drink.
• Water bottle, 1 litre minimum.
• Any medication you may need to administer to yourself such as an Asthma Inhaler, sun cream.
• A head-torch can be useful if on a course early or late in the year.
• Optional, 1:25,000 map of the relevant area (this info will be in your joining instructions) we will provide the relevant section of map for your course but some people prefer to have their own complete map.  It should either be waterproof or in a good map case (we recommend ortlieb)
• Compass. We recommend Silva type 4 compasses.
• Good, waterproof hill-walking boots.

• Swimming costume, to go under the long john wetsuit which we will provide.  If you’d prefer to bring your own wetsuit please do.  It must cover your legs.
• Old shorts or old jogging trousers, to go over the wetsuit.
• Non-cotton t-shirt and fleece top, such as football shirt, to wear next to your skin under the wetsuit.
• Welly boots, old trainers (the laces must do up), or old strong soled shoes.  Thick socks are a good idea if the weather is colder.
• If it’s colder you may want to wear a woolly hat under your helmet,  this is fine as long as the hat is a close fitting beanie type.
• Make sure you bring a towel, something to stand on whilst changing such as an IKEA bag can be useful and lots of lovely warm cloths.
• Any medication you may need to administer to yourself such as an Asthma Inhaler, sun cream.

What you wear will reflect to certain extent the weather (summer or winter) and your desire to stay dry or jump in!  All our courses are run as dry courses, and you will generally not be asked to get into the water.

• Non-cotton base layers.
• Fleece and a spare which will go into a dry bag for those ‘just in case’ times.
• Waterproof jacket and trousers, more to keep the wind off and avoid chilling.
• Woolly hat / sun hat depending on conditions.
• Trainers, wetsuit shoes or wellies are all fine.
• A big packed lunch.
• Flask of hot drink.
• Water bottle, 1 litre minimum.
• Any medication you may need to administer to yourself such as an Asthma Inhaler, sun cream.
• A head-torch can be useful if on a course early or late in the year.
• We will provide a ‘dry bag’ for each canoe to store items whilst canoeing, we recommend using additional dry bags inside such as the ‘exped’ range available in most outdoor shops.
• Camera.  Please be aware that we can accept no ultimate responsibility for your personal possessions but we will try and help you as much as possible.

In addition to the items listed in the hill walking kit list, you will need the following:

• Rucksack. This needs to be at least 30 Litres - you will need to carry more in winter and must have either side straps in which you can carry an ice axe or ice axe attachment loop at the front.
• Ski Goggles, these are vital to be able to see in high wind and snow. Winter boots. These should be 3-4 season and a very minimum of a B1, which is the stiffness of the sole to take a crampon. These can be hired, contact us for more info or look on the links page.
• Extra pairs of gloves/mitts and hats.  At least one pair should be waterproof and we recommend the longer ‘gauntlet’ type glove to keep snow out.
• Survival bag, either the orange type or a ‘blizzard bag’.
• Collapsible walking poles (optional).  These are a godsend when walking in deep snow or high wind.
• Gaiters. Essential for keeping your feet dry, when walking through deep snow.
• Crampons and ice axe.  We will liaise with you regarding these, but if you have your own or can borrow them fantastic.  Again these can be hired, contact us for more info or look on the links page.
• For winter climbing we will be using helmets and harnesses, you are welcome to bring your own which our instructor will check before the course starts.

• Comfortable trousers or shorts, depending on weather conditions (leggings or ¾ length trousers work well as they don’t get caught in the chain).
• Long sleeved base layer.
• Long sleeved mid-fleece.
• Cycling gloves, if you have them.
• A big packed lunch.
• Water bottle, 1 litre minimum.
• Waterproof Top.
• Trainers.
• Bikes will be provided through a hire company, as will helmets.

For any further info on mountaineering awards go to www.mltuk.org. We take our Adventures in the outdoors very seriously at Quest 4 Adventure and understand the risks involved. All our staff are fully qualified in the activities they run and our risk assessments are regularly updated and developed. Far more importantly our staff are all experts at making assessment of risk whilst actually on the hill or on the water, something the Health and Safety executive regards as very important.

All our safety equipment is properly stored, serviced and checked before and after use, so it’s in excellent condition to look after you.

We are fully insured by Slade Perkins, a long established insurer of outdoor activities, who require us to hold the appropriate awards and operate to industry best practice standards.

And finally all our instructors are very experienced professionals, with a real love for what they do.

Please don’t hesitate to talk to us if you have any questions about safety.