01 The glen at first light
Walk into the far country.
Small-group walking retreats into misty glens, sandstone canyons, glacier ice and still water. Four landscapes, one pace: yours.
02 Canyon, golden hour
Where the rock keeps the heat.
Six days between red walls. We walk early, rest in the shade at noon and eat dinner while the cliffs glow.
03 Glacier cirque, blue hour
Snow that falls without a sound.
Crampons, a rope and a guide who has walked this ice for years. No summit race, just the slow climb into the quiet.
04 The lake, after dark
Sleep beside a lake full of stars.
The last night is always by water. Fireflies in the reeds, a fire on the shore and nowhere left to be.
i. The retreats
Four places we go back to.
Each retreat is guided by Isla Drummond and one local guide, with no more than eight walkers. Routes change with the weather, the pace never does.
The Misty Glen5 days · easy to moderate · cabins
River paths, pine woods and one long ridge day. Built for first retreats and anyone who wants mornings without a phone signal.
Canyon Light6 days · moderate · camp and lodge
Slot canyons, slickrock and dawn starts to beat the heat. Evenings are for sketching, stars and a very good stew.
The Ice Cirque7 days · demanding · mountain hut
A skills day on the glacier, then three nights high in a hut. You need fitness, not experience. We carry the rope.
Still Water4 days · easy · canvas tents
Short walks, long swims and night paddles on a dark-sky lake. The gentlest retreat and, people tell us, the hardest to leave.
ii. Field journal
Pictures from the last season.
Taken by walkers and guides along the way. Scroll and each frame opens up like the view at the top of a climb.
iii. At a glance
Small groups, slow miles.
Sample figures Replace these with your own numbers.
- Group size
- 8walkers at most, often fewer
- Guides
- 2on every retreat, one of them local
- Walking a day
- 4 to 6hours, with long stops
- Landscapes
- 4glen, canyon, ice and lake
iv. How it works
From first email to first step.
Planning is part of the retreat. We keep it short, personal and free of surprises.
Tell us how you walk
A short form and a call. How far, how steep, what you love and what you would rather skip.
We match a landscape
We suggest one retreat and a date, and say plainly if another would suit you better.
Kit and a slow start
A packing list, a loan of anything you lack and two training walks to try at home.
Walk in
We meet you at the station. From there the only plan is the path in front of you.
v. From the fire
What walkers said after.
I came for the glacier and remember the silence most. Nobody rushed me once in seven days.
The canyon at dawn looked unreal. Then we had breakfast in it.
My first retreat and I was nervous about the pace. I need not have been.
vi. Questions
Before you pack.
How fit do I need to be?
For the glen and the lake, able to walk four hours with breaks. The canyon adds heat and scrambling. The ice cirque needs steady uphill fitness, and we send a simple plan to build it.
Can I come on my own?
Most walkers do. Rooms and tents are shared by default and single space is available on request.
What is included?
Guiding, all nights on the route, meals from dinner on day one to lunch on the last day, and technical kit for the glacier. Travel to the meeting point is up to you.
What if the weather turns?
We always carry a lower route. Safety decides the day, and the lower route is often the one people remember.
Do you run private trips?
Yes, for families and small groups of friends, on any of the four landscapes. Ask in the form below.