Testimonials

Read our clients' feedback and testimonials about their outdoor activities, mountain courses, training and adventure holidays:

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What a great experience! even the impromptu hail storm couldn't dampen the spirits. Iain has an incredible amount of experience and we felt in good hands from the very start. The group contained my wife and I and our 3 daughters aged 15,11 and 7. Iain spoke really clearly to the children and they listened and acted as instructed ( Not always the case, I may need more tips! Iain was also full of facts about the natural surroundings and taught the kids about all the rocks and local environment. Thanks Iain, an experience our family won't forget!

Gareth Bevan

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Fantastic Weekend Learning to Lead Climb with Iain

My wife and I had a superb weekend learning traditional lead climbing with Iain at Lakes Outdoor Experience. Although we’ve climbed before, we wanted to improve our confidence placing gear, setting up safe anchors, and using correct body positions — and we couldn’t have asked for a better instructor.

Iain was relaxed, clear, and incredibly encouraging throughout the course. His instructions were simple and easy to follow, and he took the time to explain everything thoroughly. A brilliant touch was him taking photos of our setups, knots, and belay points — a great reference for us to look back on as we continue to practice.

We left the weekend with a wealth of knowledge and practical skills, feeling confident in our ability to safely build on what we learned. Iain also gave us valuable advice on what gear to buy and when to use it.

We would absolutely recommend Lakes Outdoor Experience — not just for climbing, but for all the activities Iain and his team offer. A top-notch experience from a top bloke. Thanks again, Iain!

Andrew Parkin

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Had the most fantastic weekend on the navigation course with Iain.

Thorough, inspiring, confidence-building, funny - all the things you need from a great teacher.

We will no doubt be back to try some of the other courses soon. Can’t recommend Iain enough.

Grace Barber

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Iain and Stu were fantastic- they are experts in the outdoors and made the whole experience brilliant from start to finish!
Booking was easy and smooth with constant contact before hand and even took photos and videos which he shared with us after!
Support local freelancers and book with Iain for an authentic outdoors experience!

Oliver Wright

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I've just been on a great navigation training weekend with Ian, he was very patient but thorough in his training making sure we had eventually grasped what he was saying.The course was a great confidence booster for going out into the hills and I would recommend Ian and his courses anytime.

Peter Sinclair

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We had a fantastic weekend as a group, learning navigation skills with Iain. All of us learned so much and had a lot of fun. We particularly enjoyed the second day when we climbed up into the hills and used our new skills to take compass bearings and plot routes. Thank you Iain, this will be a great skill to have, and will definitely help in preparation for running the Lakeland 100!

Helen & Dean

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Had an excellent experience with Ian on the LOA navigation course. As an absolute beginner, I was apprehensive about some of the basics being skimmed over and having to backtrack but Ian was very thorough in his explanations and delivery and was keen to check understanding as we went along, keeping everyone up to speed but without slowing the day. After the course I feel very well equipped to get out on the fells without grasping my phone for support along the way! Cheers Ian!

Ella Stevens

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*Fantastic experience* We visited the Lakes in August in bad weather conditions for summer months.

Iain rescheduled our original session to keep us safe from poor weather conditions and to enhance our experience. Immediately I felt certain we had picked the right guide as it was clear our safety and enjoyment was paramount.

When we came back the next day, Iain was fantastic. We are family of 5 and our children of 9, 13 and 16 are mixed ability. Iain accommodated this with ease navigating us through a challenging and fun route that suited us all. We felt safe the entire time and able to challenge ourselves under Iain’s guidance.

This experience was a real highlight. This was our first time to the Lakes. We would love to return and if we do Iain would be our first point of contact for any guided experiences.

Thank you for a fun afternoon.

Claire Marchant

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We were looking for an activity that we could do as a large group of adults and children. When researching,
Iain's reviews were great and also he did not place a minimum age requirement upon the gyll scrambling. This meant that our 5 (nearly 6) year olds could join in too. Iain provided all the equipment that we needed to scramble in a safe way. This includes fleeces, wet suits and boot for all members of our group.

Communication before and after the activity has been great.

During the actual afternoon Iain was a great guide. He was firm with instructions and boundaries but encouraging and supportive to our little ones who needed a bit of extra time to navigate some parts.

We had a fabulous afternoon and would not hesitate to book activities with Iain again if we find ourselves back in the lake district.

Thank you for the character building and confidence growing session.

Lucy and family

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Iain is a true gem with a passion for the environment. Helen and I loved our Esk Gorge day experience recently with the Walrus himself (a reference to how much did 'cold' he can take)- talking about the world, the immediate environment and what's to come.

He safely guided us through the area in a swim, hike, scramble and climbing fashion, navigating the waterfalls and various plunge pool locations, and checking on our wellbeing throughout. In addition Iain gratefully captured some images and media from the day, so we can remember it more fondly (thank you!)

We are excited to return to the Lake District and continue the adventures with Iain, as soon as possible! Cheers Iain!

Craig & Helen

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