Sunday Lunch - Open boat canoeing on the Ling Holme Windermere

Sunday Lunch: Ling Holme Windermere: Enjoying outdoor picnics in scenic locations.

Each year I look forward to getting up to the Kendal Mountain Festival - we may catch a film or two, but really it is a chance to catch up with old friends in a lovely setting.

This year Alpkit had the premiere of "In the Frame" on Friday night, so we had the day time free to go and explore. We based ourselves near Bowness-on-Windermere and on a miserable saturday followed the scenic walks from White Moss near Grasmere until we were soaked through and went for a cream tea in Ambleside. That evening saw meals with friends and relatives conveined from all over the UK in Kendal, before a drink or two at the Brewery arts centre. We left a little early due to the excitement of getting to go out and paddle on Windermere the next day, I had recently put together some cooking sets with the Alpkit cookware and the chance to go on a micro-adventure and cook a nice lunch was very inviting!

This time it was just going to be me and my fiancé Lucy - as last year there was a group of us out for a paddle. I got up excited like a small child and packed away our kit leaving just the essentials and the paddling kit. Boat unlocked and kit packed we were on the water early. The perfect sunny sunday, a slight cool breeze and a mirror like lake, we set our sites on Grass holme, a small island marked on the map and the opposite side of the lake. This had a fence surrounding it as they were hoping to bring back the native reed beds - no landing here, but a pleasant small island that should be preserved!

We then paddled North to set our sites on Ling Holme - a smaller rockier outcrop of an island that neither of us had explored. A swift circumnavigation gave the only landing place and we were soon landed and gear unpacked.

First priority - soak up the view, enjoy the sunshine, peace and quiet. We then grabbed the stove out and popped some water on to boil, very quickly we had boiling water for our Pasta and got to cooking. Nothing fancy just Pasta Mug shots, really nice bread and some fruit to enjoy. After half an hour a young family in kayaks appeared to explore the island, it's great to meet other paddlers and everyone enjoying the outdoors.

We chilled out while they had a good look around and they launched off back to where they started, we soon followed. Not an epic adventure or ground breaking route, but a pleasant paddle out on a lovely sunny Sunday.