Mountain Journeys

Come one, come all - adventure awaits!

We are Mountain Journeys, an outdoor experience operator based in the beautiful landscape of the Lake District National Park, Cumbria. From our HQ in Ambleside, at the head of the Langdale Valley, we lead excursions into the mountains of the most dramatic part of England. Our range of activities allows people of all walks of life to experience the majesty of this place, from novice adventurers to dyed-in-the-wool outdoorsmen and women.

Mountain journeys of all kinds are our passion. We love Rock Climbing, Abseiling, Scrambling, Canyoning, Mountain Biking and Hiking and we want to show you how easily you can enjoy them right here in England. We work at locations throughout the park, including the highest peaks, the deepest gorges and the widest valleys with outdoor guides of the best quality.

The project is the fruit of owners Mark and Kate’s lifelong obsession with outdoor adventure. This is what led them to set up shop in the Lake District - and find a toehold in the mountains of the Costa Blanca in southern Spain - and it explains their desire to bring more and more people to outdoor pursuits.

Browse our activity catalogue to find inspiration for your next adventure!

The great outdoors can be daunting, but it’s worth the effort.

Mountain Journeys is a specialist outdoor adventure company that runs Abseiling activities in Cumbria’s Lake District National Park. When you’re travelling through mountainous terrain, you can always feel the force of gravity. It’s usually working against you, but when it’s time to abseil, you can make gravity your best friend!

The Lake District is full of fantastic abseiling locations, from rugged crags to sheer rock faces and even deep gorges. We are centrally located, in Ambleside, so we can reach a large number of excellent venues for this sport. And when the weather fails us in the winter, we fly South and set up on the Costa Blanca of Spain to enjoy outdoor activities in the winter sun.

In addition to abseiling, we offer Guided Hiking, Mountain Biking, Scrambling, Climbing, Canyoning and more. Exploring the landscape and pushing ourselves out of our comfort zone is our idea of a good time, so join us if you feel the same. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t had the chance to experience an adventure in nature before, our team of expert guides will make it happen for you.

Get ready to surprise yourself!

Our national parks belong to everyone, let us show you what’s out there.

At Mountain Journeys we know the importance of Hiking. It’s great for the body and the mind, and it’s especially rewarding when you do it in a place like the Lake District National Park. Famous not just for its lakes, or meres, but also for its peaks and valleys, fells and dales, this area reveals itself to hikers with beauty and surprises at every turn.

We also run more intense activities such as Canyoning, Scrambling, Climbing, Mountain Biking and Abseiling from our base in Ambleside, but there’s something special about following a route on foot for a couple of hours or days. Our guided walks allow you to enjoy the best trails in the park with the security and the knowledge that you’re not missing anything that come with having an experienced outdoor leader to rely on.

We do everything from gentle rambles to extreme excursions like the Lake District 8 Peaks Challenge. Our thirst for adventure also takes us beyond the bounds of the national park, to the Yorkshire Dales for the 3 Peaks challenge and also to the Mediterranean coast of Spain in the colder months of the year.

Whatever you choose to do, and wherever you choose to do it, you can count on a top-quality service.

Back to where it all began…

At Mountain Journeys, the Climbing experiences that we offer take place in the birthplace of rock climbing as a sport in the British Isles. Adventurers of yesteryear who pioneered this outdoor pursuit were drawn to the Lake District National Park in modern-day Cumbria by the majesty of the landscape and quality of the rock - and, to this day, nothing’s changed.

We run rock climbing activities and courses of all kinds, from introductions to challenging excursions on iconic rock faces and pinnacles. We’re based in Ambleside, in the heart of the park, so we’re able to reach a number of crags and cliffs in half-day excursions, and much more when we’ve got a full day to play with. During the winter, we’re usually much further away, enjoying the sun and the climbing in the mountains of the south of Spain.

But we always come back to the Lakes. It’s not just rock climbing that keeps us hooked on this part of the North of England, we’re also to be found Canyoning, Mountain Biking, Hiking, Scrambling and Abseiling. We welcome customers to join us, whether they’ve never had a go at these activities before or they’re experienced adventurers looking for a new challenge. Our outdoor guides are perfectly placed to make sure that the experience comes off without a hitch.

Don’t hesitate to organise your climbing adventure with us.

We know how to get stuck in.

One of the favourite activities that Mountain Journeys offers is Canyoning. This sport is known as both canyoning and gorge walking around the country and it has a special name here in Cumbria - ghyll scrambling. Whatever you call it, it involves getting into a mountain stream and going with the flow. You’ll swim, scramble, jump, slide and splash your way through the water between the narrow rock walls.

The Lake District National Park is almost certainly the best place in England to enjoy canyoning. It’s not just the beautiful surroundings, it’s the fact that the landscape is dramatic enough to feature crashing streams and steep sided gorges. We are based slap bang in the middle of the park, in Ambleside, and we have a number of excellent locations for this activity on our roster. That ensures that we have the adventure to suit you and your group, no matter your level of experience, your schedule or the time of year.

To deliver these canyoning adventures, we work with hand-picked outdoor guides. Alongside canyoning, they can take you Climbing, Abseiling, Mountain Biking, Scrambling and Hiking.

So look no further when it comes to planning a trip to remember in the Lake District.

Here’s something that’s very much in our wheelhouse.

Mountain Journeys gives you the chance to experience some of the best Mountain Biking in the British Isles! We are based in Ambleside, Cumbria, a quaint village nestled in the heart of the Lake District National Park. There are country lanes, off-road trails and lakeside paths to enjoy here, leading from our doorstep to wherever you have the energy to get to!

Have you ever heard of gravel biking? It’s our new obsession. It’s somewhere between cycling on a road and true mountain biking, taking on the loose surface of gravel tracks. We love it because it allows you to go a long way on routes designed for cars, but there’s hardly any traffic! We’ve also got a soft spot for tackling punishing climbs on paved roads that cross high passes. And, of course, more chilled-out routes that are suitable for beginners.

Have a look at our range of cycling activities and choose the one that suits you. Each one comes with a skilled outdoor guide who’ll lead you on a pre-planned route. And if mountain biking isn’t your thing, why not have a go at Climbing, Abseiling, Scrambling, Canyoning or Hiking?

We’ve got everything to make your trip to the Lake District complete!