The Duddon Valley, site of the climbing festival. Photo: Andrew Hill CC-BY-ND-2.0

Climbers will congregate in the western Lake District this weekend for a festival run by the British Mountaineering Council.

The third BMC Lakes Festival of Climbing will be based in the Duddon Valley and will feature, in addition to the chance of tackling routes on some of Lakeland’s high crags, a specially brewed beer and free bacon butties for campers.

The idea is to rekindle the practice of outdoor climbing on some of the Lake District’s less well used crags and was first suggested at a BMC area meeting. Volunteers’ officer Martin Kocsis said: “We want to promote climbing away from the honey pots of Langdale and Borrowdale; we want to demystify the high crags of the region: they’re actually friendly, warm places that are more rewarding than, say, Shepherd’s or White Ghyll.

“We want to impart our enthusiasm and knowledge of these areas to you and we want everyone to have fun at a crag they’ve never been to before.”

He added, tongue in cheek: “The weather has been booked, the midges have been sent on holiday and the crags will be dry.”

The camping base for the weekend, which starts on Friday 25 June and runs to Sunday 27 June, is at Turner Hall Farm near Seathwaite in the Duddon Valley – not to be confused with the Borrowdale Seathwaite. There are also options of staying at Wallowbarrow Farm and the Newfield Inn, which is putting on a special climbers’ meal and a quiz night.

Jennings brewery in Cockermouth has also produced a festival brew, After the Flood. Proceeds from the £10 festival entry [see comment below] will go to mountain rescue teams.

Mr Kocsis said: “The BMC’s local team will be providing the venue, the information and the weather. All you need to do is to turn up with some of your mates for a weekend of climbing, socialising and entertainment.”

Climbers are asked to bring a nylon brush to clean up any routes they tackle over the weekend.

Further details are on the festival website.