Spring Forward with George Fisher

After a rather grey, gloomy and wet winter the arrival of spring is more than welcome! What better time to look forward to some inspirational days ahead? This Update is crammed with features and articles that will spark your imagination.

There’s plenty of information on new products from Montane, Lowe Alpine, Haglofs, and Hilleberg, an introduction to Hydro Flask and a piece on the new books available this spring. Also new to us, you’ll find a taster for Millican - a locally based brand creating distinctive bags and offering a glimpse of a unique lifestyle. If you like the bags and want to know more about Millican Dalton, the man who inspired the brand, go to see The Professor of Adventure, a production at the Theatre by the Lake until April 5th.

We can’t showcase all that’s new this season in the Update, so visit us instore or online to find a plethora of new kit and clothing; enough to excite any gear freak. But in all honesty, it’s not really the gear that gets us going, is it? It’s what we plan to do with it!

Are you the kind of person who has outdoor activities planned for months ahead, has read all the guide books and needs everything planned to a T? Or maybe you do things on the spur of the moment? However you deliberate about your outdoor passions, then reading our Spring Update articles may spark a new idea and send you off in a direction you’d not contemplated before.

How about signing up to this year’s 10in10? Enjoy a challenging day on the Derwent Fells and help raise funds for the MS Society. Alternatively if you can’t make it on June 25th, look at the article on page 18 for details on the 10in10 Everyday – a challenge you can do any day of the year.

We have a broad range of events and activities arranged over the next few months. The ever-popular ‘Run with Ricky’ dates give regular runners the chance to enjoy a social run with our local fell running champion, Ricky Lightfoot. Try the Easter Egg geocache with Garmin, or spend two days at the George Fisher Summer Academy (more details coming soon) – paddle, walk, camp and discover more about the Lake District, go for a walk with a Fix the Fells Ranger to learn how our playground is maintained or win a place on a photography course to capture your outdoor adventures more effectively.

Of all the events we’re involved with this year my particular favourite, and the one I’m looking forward to most, is the unique showing of Terry Abraham’s new film, Blencathra – Life of a Mountain. Terry has proved himself to be a filmmaker who can capture the intense emotions that time spent in the mountains inspires. The unique showing of an abridged version of his latest film, screened in the open at the foot of Blencathra, will be an experience not to be missed.

For a completely different perspective on time spent in the outdoors, read Mark Wright’s article Propensity to Potter; as ever Mark has written a thought-provoking piece that questions our attitude to the way we plan and approach our days out. Maybe this will encourage you to venture out with new expectations. What’s in store for your year; will you take up a new challenge, strive for some personal achievement… or will you potter?

Whatever you do in the outdoors, we are here to encourage you along the way, offer help and advice when we can and we’ll look forward to hearing about your experiences and seeing your photos in the months ahead.