My brother in law hasn’t done Helvellyn before so we took full advantage of the recent good weather to head over to the lakes in the Berghavan, just beating the rest of the Berghaus staff with our Booking form.

We were on the road from Sunderland just after 8am heading to Glenridding, on what was set to be the hottest October day on record, enjoying the stunning scenery and impressed with the BerghaVan.

10.30am and we were on our way, heading up along the private road to the old school house before hitting the trail properly. It’s a long slog up to red tarn and we were ready for a break by the time we got there. As we sat down and RAF Rescue helicopter came in low, and circled around red tarn before dropping an orange smoke marker and hovering for a few minutes. Luckily it was just a training run and the helicopter disappeared as we put or packs back on and started to head diagonally up from the tarn to the start of Striding Edge.

As we set off walking the helicopter came back and hovered less than 10 metres away from us blocking our path, so we stopped to watch as they hovered with perfect precision. The pilot gave us a cheery wave and they roared off as quickly as they’d come. It was a reassuring sight to know that there are people willing to help when things go wrong, but definitely a service you hope you never need.

Striding Edge is an impressive ridge but it definitely felt like a conveyor belt, as it seemed most of England had decided to do it on Saturday too. The top of Helvellyn was very busy and we had a brief stop before heading to Sticks Pass and turning right to head back down to the disused mine. Once off Helvellyn the trails were pretty deserted and it was great to enjoy the scenery. It was also good to be heading down hill, but after 10 minutes you’re reminded that steep descent is as difficult as steep ascent!

We arrived back at the car park at about 4pm and headed in to Keswick to try and find somewhere to stay. We had no luck in Keswick so headed to a campsite near Threlkeld, which had great views. We got changed, had a nice relaxing beer (from the inbuilt fridge) and then walked to the Horse and Farrier for some great food and few well earned pints. Then it was head down for a comfy nights’ sleep listening to the rain start to fall.

The next day we were up and on the road again for 8am, sorry to see be leaving the lakes and very disappointed to have to hand the keys back over – it was a great trip and the van was excellent.

Kit list:

This is my kit list for Helvellyn. We did it on the hottest October day on record so be sure the adapt your kit to suit the weather.

Berghaus walking trousers with DWR

Tech T baselayer

Thermal mid layer for when we stopped

Velum jacket in case it rained.

It may have been overkill but I also stuck a Primaloft jacket in my bag in case it really got cold

Freeflow 20 Rucksack

Explorer boots

We spent the first night of our trip in Frosterley, Stanhope, a lovely village in County Durham which is situated on the River Wear. We had a great time playing in the river by the campsite and had a wonderful dinner at the Black Bull Inn.

Our second day we headed off to Northumberland Heritage coast where we based ourselves in Dunstanburgh and spent time travelling around, exploring the lovely beaches of Embleton Bay / Low Newton Beach, where we got great views of the iconic ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle, Beadnel,  Seahouses & Bamburgh which has wide, golden, sandy beaches.

We enjoyed a great lunch at the Ship Inn at Low Newton.

The varied weather we had on the trip did not phase us as we wrapped up warm in our fleeces and waterproof jackets. We had a fantastic weekend.

Recently Sarah from our International Marketing team and her partner Kai, took the BerghaVan on a road trip to Scotland.

Here Sarah shares her adventure:

With us being from Germany both Kai and I had never been to this absolutely stunning country before and we were really lucky with the weather as there was only one hour of rain during the whole week and three great days of brilliant sunshine.

Our journey took us to fascinating places along the west coast all the way up to Ullapool where we got the ferry to Harris and Lewis and then another ferry to the Isle of Skye. We even saw dolphins along the way which made our trip even more unforgettable!

The Berghaus team of John McCormick and John Miller from the UK sales team were taking on the challenge of cycling around the island on the first day (89km), followed by an ascent of Goat Fell, the highest point on the island  ( 879m)  on the following day .This latest challenge we set was to raise money for the St Andrews Hospice near Glasgow and  test the BerghaVan and Berghaus kit in the Scottish climate.

The BerghaVan and the Berghaus kit performed to the level of the finely engineered products that they are, the performance of our UK sales “athletes” was not to the same level, however they got the job done. The first day saw the classic Scottish weather pattern of sunshine, wind showers, downpours and then sunshine again, the new Active Shell Rapide jacket and Active baselayers came into their own and kept the team cool and dry throughout the day.

At night the BerghaVan provided versatile, comfortable accommodation and attracted a following amongst the fellow campers on the site. The added bonus was the shelter the van offered from attacks by the ferocious Scottish Midge, a local predator with a fully justified fearful reputation.

The second day saw the van and our gear cope with the worst of the weather could throw at us, the downpour started at 5am and did not let up until we left the island. Despite poor visibility we completed the trek and got back to the safe refuge of the van to dry out and head for home.

A thoroughly tired team would like to thank VW and Berghaus for the loan of the van, if you wish to make a donation to this truly worthwhile cause please contact Beverley Avis at bavis@berghaus.com.

Berghaus VW Camper Van

- Fully functioning kitchen with sink, 2 hob burner and a fridge
- Electric pop up roof
- Room to sleep up to four adults
- Front swivelling chairs creating an instant living room
- Integrated awning, table and chairs
- Fixed bike rack

After my brief rest bite I was off to the Lake District to attend the Berghaus Spring Summer 2012 launch. Some great products were on display such as the new bioflex rucksacks, a new range of footwear and some key styles from our clothing department.

The Sun finally got out and once the launch by Windermere finished I made a delivery to Rathbones of Keswick before retiring to a campsite. The following day I was up early to get set up at the Keswick Mountain Festival, I stayed next to the Berghaus recharge Bar for most of the weekend taking in the views of Catbells and watching the athletes return from their adventure races. Well done to Team Berghaus (Mike Clark & Anglea Coates) for being placed 2^nd in the mixed category for the 2 day Planet Fear lakes epic mountain bike ride.

I battled through a rainy, blustery weekend but it was worth it to be in the outdoors!

Roll on the next adventure!!

Berghaus VW Camper Van

Both Sir Chris Bonington and Adventure film maker Alastair Lee will be part of a full speaker programme at the Theatre by the Lake.  Alastair Lee will get the festival off to a lively start on the evening of 18 May.  His combination of stunning action, slick editing and irreverent humour has made films such as The Asgard Project and The Prophet both hugely entertaining and multi award winning.   This approach is reflected in his one man shows.

Later in the week, on 21 May, climbing icon and Berghaus chairman Sir Chris Bonington will be making an appearance.  Sir Chris Bonington is Britain’s best known climber and has been exploring and mountaineering for over 50 years.  He led the team that put the first Brit on the summit of Everest and has an almost inexhaustible supply of first ascents and fascinating adventures to recount.

During the epic two day mountain biking event at the festival a team of two Berghaus staff will take on competitors on a mountainous course that covers 130km over two days (21 and 22 May) and follows a route through the heart of the Lake District and climbs more than 3,000m.  The race will start from the Adventure Base in Keswick, the hub of the festival, which will also be the location of the Berghaus Recharge Bar.

Located at the heart of the Adventure Base, this will be where competitors and visitors go to relax during the day and after their various challenges and activities.  The bar’s main area will be decked out with large outdoor beanbags and funky seats. Refreshing shakes will also be on offer with good food from local companies and real ale will be available for those wishing to indulge, including the new Berghaus Beer.

The Berghaus Recharge Bar will offer visitors the ideal location to soak up the atmosphere for the festival, listening to live acoustic music which will be played from mid afternoon until about 8pm on Thursday 19 and Friday 20 May.  Also on display in the bar area will be the new special edition VW California Berghaus campervan.  The result of an 18 months long collaboration project, the van on show at Keswick is the first of its kind and will be driven to the festival by Berghaus staff as the first in a series of outdoor trips and adventures that will last for the next six months

Full details about the festival can be found at www.keswickmountainfestival.co.uk

The VW California Berghaus special edition has been developed over the last 18 months and includes a range of exclusive features.  Available with a 2.0-litre BiTDI 180 PS engine, equipment includes a bike rack, awning, Berghaus-branded carpet mats and waterproof seat covers, and exclusive 18-inch bi-colour ‘Dakar’ alloy wheels.  Each vehicle is also supplied with a special Berghaus ‘pack’, including sleeping bags, day sacks, hats, gloves, insulated mugs and a flask.

The vehicle is going to be put to extensive use for the next six months by Berghaus staff and sponsored athletes and is being prepared for a series of outdoor adventures in the UK and across Europe.  Sir Chris Bonington was the first member of the team to try it out and has plans to use it later in the year.

Sir Chris comments:

“This is very different from most of the product launches I’ve been involved in as chairman of Berghaus.  The van is fantastic, with some lovely features and a real Berghaus flavour to it.  I’m sure that Benfield will enjoy great success with it in the north of England, likewise other VW dealers throughout the UK.  Just as important to me is the fact that I’m going to get a chance to try it out for a few days myself later in the year.  I’m really looking forward to that.”

John Spreadbury, Group Corporate Manager, Benfield Motor Group said:

“This is a very impressive vehicle and we are delighted to have been chosen to retail this limited edition Berghaus Volkswagen California.  Benfield is one of the UK’s largest VW commercial vehicle suppliers and I’m sure the van will prove very popular with outdoor enthusiasts.  It is also particularly pleasing to be working alongside Berghaus, a very highly regarded and respected business.”

For more information on the special edition VW California Berghaus, contact Benfield on 0845 148 3010 or www.drivebenfield.com.

Keep an eye out on our Facebook and Twitter pages for details of our athlete and staff activities over the next few months.

Designed in collaboration with Berghaus, the vehicle incorporates special touches suggested by us to make it perfect for the outdoor enthusiast including:

Bicycle Rack
Muddy boot store
Berghaus-branded carpet mats
Berghaus-branded waterproof seat covers
Premium Berghaus badges (Internal and External)

It also come with a pack of Berghaus essential items containing everything you need for off the beaten track adventures, including; Freeflow 25, 2 x Flare 1110 sleeping bags, 2 x Spectrum Hat and gloves, map case, insulated mug, travel water bottle and flask.

Details of the launch date will be announced soon…………