Winter Frolics

[Polar Bear]

A winter bunkhouse trip always sounds interesting.  Can we perhaps find somewhere a bit more central?

[Canardly]

If sunny Spain is not doable then Austwick  springs to mind, as was refurbished last winter. The one by the main road that is, and which from memory was enjoyed by all last time we were there. Clapham is also good due to the friendliness of the locals and exclusivity when the bar closes (together with the rather magnificent log fire and the cafe).  Notwithstanding the window cleaner having a great view of folks using the bathroom! I am still minded to find some winter sun but that can be dealt with elsewhere.

More central I do know of any. There is a newish YHA hostel in the national forest at Moira out near A de la Zouch but it is a bit like a budget hotel and is priced accordingly. All the ones I stayed at in my yoof are now closed. I do have the indies annual handbook and will have a look. Suggestions?

[JenM]

The Royal Oak at Hurdlow

http://www.peakpub.co.uk

Bunk barn, plus options for camping. Good pub next door. Excellent cycling on the Tissington and High Peak Trails. Easily  accessed from Buxton on the train, longer but still possible from Derby.......and it's sort of central.

[Canardly]

I think we had lunch there on Martin's 'CTC like pootle' a few years back starting at Cromford. (He didn't mention the mountains ) Good access to a train will be needed thinks.

[tiermat]

If the Girona place, upthread is available, I would say go for it. Girona is great for cycling, with lots of easy to access routes and it is far enough away from the mountains to make it not too hilly. Myself and Ham spent a couple of days there the other year.

Transport to/from Girona is also very good and relatively cheap.

[Kim]

The Royal Oak at Hurdlow

http://www.peakpub.co.uk

Bunk barn, plus options for camping. Good pub next door. Excellent cycling on the Tissington and High Peak Trails. Easily  accessed from Buxton on the train, longer but still possible from Derby.......and it's sort of central.

I turned right there a couple of weeks ago.  Liking the sound of that... 

[Canardly]

Certainly looks like an interesting place Girona.

[Ruthie]

It looks really nice.  Is the Tissington Trail the one with the path to the cave right beside the route?

[Polar Bear]

The Royal Oak at Hurdlow

http://www.peakpub.co.uk

Bunk barn, plus options for camping. Good pub next door. Excellent cycling on the Tissington and High Peak Trails. Easily  accessed from Buxton on the train, longer but still possible from Derby.......and it's sort of central.

Unfortunately though it doesn't have a large communal area.   One thing YACF does rather well is gather en masse to chew the fat.

[JenM]

It looks really nice.  Is the Tissington Trail the one with the path to the cave right beside the route?

If you are talking about Thor's Cave - that's on the Manifold Trail.

I've stayed in the bunk barn and had the place to myself...all I can remember is that the pub was very good and the shower was blocked and I just avoided flooding the place. It is conceivable that this has now been fixed!

[Wowbagger]

There is an upstairs kitchen at the Hurdlow place. Can't remember how big it is. My recollection was that the bog cubicles were so small that someone of my girth had to do a fair bit of breathing-in in order to get through the door!

[Butterfly]

We'd definitely be interested in a winter bunkbarn do. 

[Ruthie]

I might be up for one too.  During the week of 27th Jan to 4th Feb.

[andrewc]

I can possibly squeeze a weekend in.  It would need to be somewhere a shortish distance from a train station though.

[Canardly]

I might be up for one too.  During the week of 27th Jan to 4th Feb.

Last time we went to Clapham was 29th Jan 2016. Doesn't time fly?

I have had a look at the indie hostel year book. There is a dearth of private hostels in the midlands below the peak district. There is one in Nottingham town centre market square. Otherwise tends to be welsh border/marches or points east, most of which have transport issues.

There is a really nice HEATED bunk house on the Ilam estate (Ashbourne) at £500 for 16 peeps for the week end with a super communal area but the nearest station is a lumpyish 12 miles at Uttoxeter. (Downhill going back).

Its up to you guys really.

[jsabine]

The place I mentioned near Girona is available during Jan, Feb and the first week of March: flat-rate pricing (at least for Jan/Feb) of €571 for a long weekend (<=4 nights), €1000 for a week (>=5 nights). Self-catering (price includes a welcome food pack so you don't starve before finding a supermarket), or catering can be laid on at extra cost. Five bedrooms (a double and four twins), so up to 10 adults depending on how friendly everyone is: pics, info, stuff on the links below.

www.halovelo.cc
www.labrugueradepubol.com

http://instagram.com/labrugueradepubol
http://instagram.com/haloveloproject

http://fb.me/labrugueradepubol
http://fb.me/haloveloproject

I've not been, but a group of friends have just come back from a visit and are very positive about it - that said, our link is through friendship with the owner's mother, so it's possible that criticism has been diplomatically muted ... (Knowing the folk who've been, probably not!)

It's apparently about an hour's cycle/30mins drive/15mins train + 5mins drive from Girona itself. I believe bikes on trains - at any rate local ones - are OK.

[Canardly]

Many thanks jsabine

[Speshact]

Girona looks good and the suggested accommodation looks terrific.

Rail travel from London to have four nights in Girona (the £571 rental option) is available for £158.50 for example, as follows:
 
Thur 1 Feb London 09.25 arrive Girona 19.53 £74.50 (add £9.50 for first class Paris to Girona)

Mon 5 Feb Girona 10.06 arrive London 19.39 £84 (add £9 for first class Girona to Paris, include complimentary coffees, snacks in a first class club room at the station)

[Ruthie]

Just to clarify - that's €571 each for the rental, yes?

[jsabine]

€571 is the price for a single hire of the property, for four nights. It's not per person.

[Canardly]

So that makes it just over £50 a head for 10 peeps.

[bhoot]

There is a really nice HEATED bunk house on the Ilam estate (Ashbourne) at £500 for 16 peeps for the week end with a super communal area but the nearest station is a lumpyish 12 miles at Uttoxeter. (Downhill going back).

That will be the National Trust one round the back of Ilam Youth Hostel. We led a working holiday there at the beginning of October and can vouch for its general comfort and good large living room/kitchen but as it was quite warm we've no idea about the heating. One slight downside though -  no pillows provided which is not so easy when arriving by bike/public transport (it annoys us a lot). Not quite sure where you could put bikes undercover either, maybe outside the shop/information point overnight (trying hard to remember whether that was actually an overhang and so was undercover), there is certainly no space in the bunkhouse.