Every year our singers gather in the Buttermere village hall in the Lake District to learn a few songs together. Then we walk round Buttermere with stops for singing before going over the Scarth Gap to the iconic Black Sail youth hostel where we will stay and sing round for the fire for two nights.

Most of our singing will be outside – with meals inside this fabulous youth hostel which can only be reached by walking over the mountains – although the youth hostel itself is very comfortable and warm with duvets, radiators, wood burning stove, hot showers, etc. All the meals and packed lunch on Saturday and Sunday are provided – though please bring a packed lunch for Friday.

We’ll start in Buttermere village hall at 10am with a harmony singing workshop, as in previous years, and also sing on the tops of the surrounding fells, by waterfalls, and round the lake.

You need hillwalking experience to enjoy this weekend and be safe (eg hillwalking in Scotland, Wales, Lake District, Alps etc.), and some fitness too – everything else we can work with. We’ll provide meals and can help with lift shares where requested. I’ll also send a few songs with recordings in advance in case you haven’t sung with us before – such as the Joy of Living.

If you like hillwalking and harmony singing this is one of the best ways to start the new year. If you have never been hillwalking before, you would probably hate this!

Finishes at 5pm when we arrive back at Buttermere. Free parking.