Free Articles Directory

Just because it’s the depths of winter doesn’t mean we have to sit by the fireside until April comes around. To help you decide, here’s a top five list of winter sport and leisure activities happening up and down the North West, which are sure to get you yearning for the great outdoors (and the great indoors too).

5: Ok, so it’s cheating a bit, but the North West’s choices for indoor skiing and snowboarding are luckily some of the best in the country. Manchester and Rossendale offer great artificial skiing and snowboarding slopes, the former being real snow, the latter a dry course. With two prime sites in the North West alone, there’s no reason to rule out a little skiing, without the hefty lodge prices and flights. At Manchester there is also a climbing wall on site to provide a second high-energy option.

4: If there was ever something different to do for a winter activity, it would have to be a day of falconry in Cheshire’s Gauntlet Birds of Prey Eagle and Vulture Park. The park has a wide collection of eagles, owls, falcons and hawks for you to handle, and also hold walks through the Cheshire countryside flanked by a team of free-flying birds of prey. This is a great opportunity for nature lovers to learn about the ancient art, and to get up close to some of Britain’s most stunning avian wildlife.

3: Winter in the Peak District is ideal for rock climbing, and there are few places in the North West that have such a natural abundance of climbing faces and sites to choose from. Hope Valley in the Peak District National Park is a good all-round destination, provided for by Rock Lea Outdoor Activity Centre. The mild winters of the Peaks make for excellent climbing, and with more difficult faces like Wild Cat Crags and Ravensdale there’s plenty for experienced climbers too.

2: Fancy yourself as the next Ray Mears or Bear Grylls? Then why not take a bushcraft and survival course in Penrith this winter? Learn to make friction and flint fires, cordage making, shelter building, wild food, and navigation skills. Courses are both basic one day affairs, and a more advanced and in-depth two-day foundation level for those with more time.

1: Mountain biking is a fantastic way for getting around some of England’s most breathtaking countryside, while having the option for an adrenaline kick at almost every turn. Whether it be the popular but challenging Jacob’s Ladder run from Upper Booth to Kinder Scout (Edale station), or a day out riding in the beautiful Grizedale Forest, there’s plenty to choose from, with an abundance of hire shops wherever you decide to hit the road and cheap train tickets to get you there.

Whatever you choose to do this winter, check weather reports and public transport notices to ensure you’re prepared. Other than these activities, there is plenty to do in the North West this winter, so enjoy the season and the new experiences.