Rural Medicine in the Cordillera Blanca Mountains, Peru – Angus Pinsky

Placement

We spent four weeks volunteering in the north of Peru, in a health post in the Cordillera Blanca mountains, and in the town of Acopampa, in the northern province of Carhuaz.

The health post is run by the small charity Light Education Development, located in the village of Quisuar. It is staffed by a single nurse, and we were also accompanied by a friendly guide/translator, called Juan. Here we ran clinics for the local people, who visited from the surrounding villages. We could take histories, perform physical examinations, and prescribe from the post’s small medication store (to which we contributed some donated medicines). The local people speak Quechua, and so we had to translate throughout each consultation. Each day we would see up to 25 patients, although the number of patients who visited the post would vary greatly, and they would arrive anytime between 7am and 10pm.

The ailments we witnessed most often were common conditions, such as UTIs, URTIs and GORD, as well as chronic conditions such as osteoarthritis. There was a distinct lack of public health knowledge, meaning our primary role was often educating patients on concepts such as curative vs symptomatic treatment, eating healthily, and drinking adequate quantities of water.

Alongside our general consultations, we also provided basic vision assessments and free reading or distance glasses for those who needed them.

In Acopampa we performed basic vision assessments on all the pupils at a local school, as well as some parents and teachers. Here we also provided free glasses, that had been donated to the charity.

Peru

Peru is a high-middle income country, located on the west coast of South America. It has a population of 33.72 million, and the capital is Lima.

Healthcare in Peru is provided by a mix of government and private organisations, with an insurance-based model. A majority of citizens receive some form of government coverage. However, there are many barriers to accessing healthcare, especially for those in poverty and those who live rurally. We witnessed this during our time in Quisuar, where the villagers who visited us would have otherwise had to travel a long distance to reach the nearest government- run health post, and even further for any specialist care. There are also difficulties for Quechua-speaking communities, as consultations are generally conducted in Spanish.

Organisation

In order to organise our elective, we got in touch with Light Education Development through the contact form on their website, which can be found here:

https://lighteducationdevelopment.org

We were then contacted by Val, the charity’s founder, who was our supervisor.

Pros

• Exposure to health practice radically different to that found in the UK
• Good immersion into the lifestyle and culture of local people
• People were always friendly, welcoming, and immensely grateful
• Program established based on a thorough understanding of local needs and issues
• Health post based in a strikingly beautiful mountainous region of Peru, well off the tourist track
• Opportunity to take on a lot of personal responsibility vs a more conventional placement
• Opportunity to travel in Peru, see Machu Picchu, and lots of other amazing sights
• Cost of living is very cheap compared to the UK

Cons

• Language barrier if you don’t have pre-existing Spanish knowledge
• Only basic amenities at the post, which could be challenging for those not prepared for a pared-back lifestyle akin to camping
• Could be lonely without a group
• Have to go through around a week of adjustment to altitude to avoid altitude sickness, as the post is located at around 3000m elevation

Tips

• Learn some Spanish!
• Take a four-season sleeping bag, comfy mat, and a water-filter
• Speak to someone who has been before about practicalities (I have a packing list I can pass on)
• Follow all the advice of the local guide
• If you’re interested in trekking, let your guide know

Quisuar Health Post Report – Jed McIntyre

Volunteering in the Quisuar health post was something truly special. Better than just visiting Peru, working rurally in the mountains made us a part of the community for our time spent there and our welcome couldn’t have been warmer. Our days were kept busy and entertaining running clinics as a team, which consisted of ourselves (5th year students), Juan who acted as our translator/guide and the health post nurse. As students, the exposure and opportunities on this trip was invaluable and helped develop confidence in leading consultations as well as general medicine. From initial presentation to examination and management it was all student-led, great to get a taste for responsibility and we never felt too far out of our comfort zone. We saw a wide range of conditions from many specialities including arthritis, viral coughs, angina, UTIs and vision problems. This healthcare was a huge benefit to patients and with the community being so small, being able to see the impact felt great, from clearing up diseases to providing glasses – this was huge for quality of life as being able to see well enough to thread a needle is very important to the families.

We ran clinics from Quisuar offering our services to the locals who really appreciated our time. It always felt useful contributing our medical management as well as just information which meant a lot to patients who had worries or questions. We also took a couple visits to the neighbouring localities of Seccha and Pochgoj where we were put up in accommodation and held clinics for a slightly larger population of people. This was also where we were able to stock up on biscuits! These journeys gave us opportunities to see more patients and work as a more mobile unit of healthcare. Although our stay here had wifi it couldn’t match the beauty of our surroundings in Quisuar, at ≈2900m elevation the mountain landscape was breathtaking and so isolated.

We also loved the opportunity to get involved in the community by teaching English and running activities with the local kids some afternoons as well as joining in sport festivals who were always keen for some extra numbers to play football or volleyball. Along with my memories of our exciting clinical work and the beautiful location, I’ll never forget Jack’s flying volley from the halfway line to raucous applause from the crowd. My hero.

Our time in Quisuar offered a unique chance to visit the beautiful country Peru, to learn and develop our knowledge and skills in a new environment. And to contribute to and belong in a community on the other side of the world. To experience their hospitality, stories and culture was a treat!

Photos

If you’re a medical student interested in spending your medical elective at the Quisuar Healthpost, check out our How you can help page for more details.

A huge thanks to all who came along and supported us, and to the local businesses and LED supporters who provided raffle prizes.

We’ll update soon on the total amount the event raised but a great time was had by all on a hot, humid but fun day and evening.

Donations to support LED’s work in Nepal and Peru are much appreciated at any time via our JustGiving page – www.justgiving.com/lighteducationdevelopment

Our annual LED charity walk will be held on Saturday 9th September 2023 and we’ll be based in the village of Portinscale, near Keswick in the Lake District.

We plan to head off from the village hall at Portinscale which is just behind the Farmers Arms (grid reference: NY249237, What3words: watching.coasting.typed, Post code: CA12 5RW, Google maps) at 9.30am and ask you to all be there by 9.00am for a safety and update briefing.

We will then all then walk to the foot of Cat Bells with the hope we can all get to the top for a group picture (NY244199). After that there will be choice of 3 “guided” walk options (distance, ascent & timings all advisory!) which are as follows

1. Short route: Descend to Hause Gate (NY244191) and drop down towards Derwent water and walk back along path above the road (D: 11km, A: 550m, T: 4 hours)
2. Medium route: Go over Maiden Moor and High Spy and after dropping to the saddle (NY231153) with Dale Head, follow the footpath back into the Newlands Valley (D: 20Km, A:900m, T: 6/7 hours)
3. Long route: From the saddle climb up to Dale Head (NY222153), follow the ridge north west, then north round to Hindscarth (NY216165)and drop back into Newlands Valley from its north east ridge (D: 22km, A: 1200m, T: 7/8 hours)

You are of course free to choose any other variant of the above!

We will then all enjoy tea and biscuits at Portinscale Village hall before commencing the evening dinner around 7.30pm.

As many of you know, Portinscale is a charming Lakes village just a short walk from Keswick. Whilst there is lots of accommodation available in Portinscale, Keswick or Braithwaite, this is the Lakes so we would advise you to book early!

We’d love to see as many of you that can make it come along and so we can plan the logistics and catering we would be grateful if you would complete the registration form by clicking on this link: https://forms.gle/uw4g75Qj1Fpb1zp78

If you have any further questions now or beforehand please do not hesitate to email us. We look forward to seeing you all on 9th September!

Val & the LED Trustees

For the past couple of years, during the COVID pandemic, we’ve focused funds into very necessary ad-hoc projects – in particular food distribution – in the remote communities in Nepal and Peru that we support.

In 2022 Val was at last able to get back to Peru and Nepal, and we have been able to refocus the charity back onto core projects – solar light distribution, education and health development.

2022 Projects

Peru

• Thanks to another generous round of funding from The Derek Moore Foundation, Val was able to distribute LED solar lights to remote communities in the Cordillera Blanca in July.
• LED continues to fund the nurse and medical supplies at Quishuar Health Post and in August Leeds medics James Peaty and George Thomas spent their medical elective volunteering there. As well as providing healthcare from the health post in Quishuar and undertaking home visits for local elderly people who weren’t able to get to the healthpost, James and George also ran a mobile eye clinic in Pingspampa to distribute reading and distance glasses and provided English lessons for local children in Quishuar.  Read more in their reports:
  • James: An Elective Volunteering in a Rural Peruvian Health Clinic
  • George: George Thomas – Medical Elective in Quishuar, Peru – LED Report

Nepal

• Val led two treks in Nepal in October – December 2022, distributing solar lights and eye glasses and running eye clinics in Manaslu, Nar Phu and Solu Khumbu. LED would like to thank Tsering Tarke and Mingmi Sherpa for their assistance in Manaslu and Tenzi and Dr Kami for theirs in Khumbu. 
• In Khumbu Pat Booth led eye clinics and carried out eye assessments to identify people who would benefit from a mobile cataract clinic due to be held in April. You can read Pat’s write up in “Helping with Glasses”: Eye Clinics in Khumbu
• Thame school and community held a reception to thank LED for supporting the teacher and providing school supplies, and for providing food and financial aid during COVID.
• Val and Mary met Ang Rita Sherpa of The Partners Nepal in Kathmandu and he provided an update on the 1 Day 1 Tree project LED had funded in Langtang and in supporting the running costs of the Elderly Care Center old people’s home in Bung.
• The Nepalese Government has taken over provision of medical supplies to the Rasuwa Health Post following LED’s initial funding of construction and supplies.

2023 Projects

Confirmed projects – there will be others:

Peru

• Quishuar Health Post: We’ll continue to fund the nurse and medical supplies.
• Quishuar Health Post Volunteers: Two medics from Dundee Medical School are already confirmed for summer 2023 and Val is talking to two more medics from Leeds about them spending their elective at the health post too.

Nepal

• Bung Old People’s Home & Solar Lights for Langtang: LED is partnering with The Partners Nepal to continue to support the running costs of Bung old people’s home and to provide solar lights for Langtang, which TPN will distribute. Langtang has still not recovered from the 2015 earthquake.
• Thame school: LED will continue support the teacher and provide school supplies for another year.
• Solar lights: One of the remote communities Val will be distributing lights to are the yak herders in the Thame valley to provide protection against increasing numbers of wolves and wolf attacks.

As ever, we’ll be providing ongoing updates via Facebook (Facebook/LEDCharity) and donations are always welcome using our JustGiving page.

In recent years, LED has started to carry out basic eye checks in the remote communities Val visits when distributing LED solar lights and medical/school supplies, and while on trek. This has been down to the invaluable guidance and support from “Eye Doctor” Pat Booth who has provided instructions and charts and glasses carefully labelled and packaged.

In November 2022, Pat headed out to Khumbu with Val and a small trekking group. Here’s her write up of the trip.

It was with some trepidation that I agreed to go back to Nepal in November 2022, after missing three years with COVID restrictions. But it turned out to be the best trip ever!

We started off at Chhahari Eco Resort, just outside Kathmandu, as a group of nine trekkers. I got a box of glasses out and showed them all how it works – as most Nepalis and Peruvians have really good distance vision you can give them reading glasses based on their age. The next day four of us went up to Nagi Gompa to check some of the nuns and screen the schoolgirls staying there.

Then up to ‘Remote Khumbu’ via Lukla. One of our first visits was to the hospital at Kunde. They had some donated reading glasses there already but unfortunately mainly too strong; +1.00 and +1.50 suits most people, if you would ever like to bring some along with you. They had an ophthalmoscope (for looking in people’s eyes) that we borrowed as I had had to leave mine behind because of the weight restrictions on the flight to Lukla. The best thing was the news that they had an Eye Camp coming in the Spring to do cataract surgery, so we were able to advise people to come back then.

We then went on to Thame where we were treated to a display of Nepali dancing by the pupils at the school. We were then able to screen all the children who were boarding at the school, using an alphabet poster as a chart. Even the youngest children could do this easily – they all had fantastic vision. We had so many helpers we were able to work in two teams.

In the afternoon we were booked to do eye checks at the Thame Health Post. Again, we were able to work in two teams as we had a retired GP with us who was also able to use the ophthalmoscope. That turned into a long session, and it was getting too dark to see by the end. My scribe was side-tracked by the guides’ and porters’ tales of how many times they had summited Everest and Ama Dablam etc. They would all have been world famous if they had been westerners.

When we were in the more remote areas of the trip, we pretty much did eye checks in every place we stayed. As ever, the people were incredibly grateful for our services. We were all laden down with prayer scarves by the end.

I was re-acquainted with Tsering from my Manaslu trip, when he was a very helpful primary teacher in Sama. Here in Khumbu as one of Val’s team, Tsering did most of my optical translation for me, as well as being my personal porter. From his point of view, he became recipient of my Most Improved Optical Assistant award and graduated to Fully Trained Sight Tester!

The sun is very strong in the mountains and can cause eye damage; Tsering embraced the need for change and we took every opportunity to get people to wear a hat or cap with a brim, and sunglasses if possible, especially for the guides and porters who spent time on snow and ice.

We were in an area near Everest which had a lot of infrastructure supported by The Hillary Foundation, which means there is lots of Wi-Fi – and so lots of mobile phones. There unfortunately seemed to be an associated increase in distance vision problems. So we also encouraged youngsters to follow the 20/20/20 Rule: for every 20 minutes on a screen or device, spend 20 seconds looking at something 20 metres away.

In total we saw over 300 patients, mainly for reading glasses but also some distance, conducted vision screening in youngsters and a basic eye health check. We also distributed some safety glasses (it was alarming to see stone masons at work unprotected) and gave advice to two families whose very young children had squints (not previously diagnosed).

Three of the trekkers also spent a couple of enjoyable hours repairing and servicing some non-functioning solar lights that LED distributes, and we all were amazed by the solar reflecting panels used to boil our tea kettles!

It was such a rewarding and satisfying trip, I had forgotten how much it meant to me to be able to give something back. My heartfelt thanks go to all my helpers, especially the doctor and another trekker who helped me with my Diplomacy Course, as I can be a bit blunt at times!

And, of course thanks go to Val and all her team without whose help nothing would be possible…and for all the extra work ‘Helping With Glasses’ has created. In the end, we had run out of glasses, but were able to keep records and hopefully we will be able to send out what is needed next time.

And thanks to my husband who puts up with all the brainache this creates!

We really enjoyed our time at the clinic and want to thank the LED charity for giving us the opportunity to go and the local people around the clinic for being very welcoming. We went to the clinic in Quishaur near Huaraz for around a month. This clinic supports the health of the people in the area surrounding Quishaur.

The clinical part of the elective was very varied. Primarily it consisted of us working at the clinic. We would see people with the permanent nurse, Lary, for consultations in the clinic and go on home visits. Often it could be difficult for local people to get access to glasses, so on one occasion we also went to a neighbouring village to do an eye clinic. Furthermore we did lessons in English with the local school where we tried to incorporate teaching about health.

Often there was different health problems to what would be normal in the United Kingdom where both of us are currently at medical school. People would more likely to have late presentations of diseases which could make them more severe. Different medical conditions were also more prevalent for instance parasites were more common. At the clinic we had less access to the resources that would be expected in the UK for instance investigations such as bloods or scans therefore it was very important to work as a team doing the medical fundamentals of history taking and exam well. It was very useful for our training to be able to see conditions which would be less common in the UK and focus in on the core fundamentals of medicine.

The language barrier could also pose a challenge as both our Spanish is not the best. We have to thank both Claus, a local mountain guide, and Lary, the nurse, who we couldn’t have done without who helped with translation from Quechua to Spanish. Though by the end our Spanish had improved a lot and we also have to thank them for that!

It can be difficult for local people to get access to healthcare in the area around Quishuar therefore throughout my time there we realised the importance of clinics such as the one we were at to give medical support. It was a very humbling experience going to such a remote clinic and getting to help treat the local people. I was continually surprised; especially by some of the older people there, by how tough they were and their ability to carry on living quite physical lives with sometimes severe medical problems. Even so the local people were always very generous to me and James. One memorable experience was after a consultation one of the patients very kindly gave us some Guinea Pig which we had never tried before.

After the clinic we also had the opportunity to do some mountaineering in the region with Claus, a local mountain guide who also helped translate at the clinic. This was my first chance to do mountaineering and I really enjoyed it. It was challenging at times, for me especially so when I was trying to sleep at altitude. I was a bit out of breath and only managed to fall to sleep what felt like just before I had to wake up. We ended up going up Mount Urus and Mount Ishinca. It was a really great experience and has made me keen to do more in the future.

We both want to again thank Val and everyone at LED for what was a great experience at the clinic and we really appreciate the help from everyone who made it possible for us to go!

Aims and objectives

The key aims of the elective were to:

• Experience healthcare provision in a developing country.
• Experience healthcare provision by an international charity.
• Contribute to healthcare provision in an area of need by fundraising for and purchasing a laptop as well as transporting glasses donated in the UK to be handed out on arrival.
• Learn a new language using audiobooks and Duolingo.
• Conduct English lessons for local school children.

Background and Organisation

I first heard about the elective form a friend, Hugh Harris, 3 years above me on the MBChB program at Leeds. He along with 3 other University of Leeds Medical Students had volunteered at the clinic based in the village of Quishuar in 2019. Through Hugh I was able to contact Val Pitkethly, the founder of the charity, Light, Education, Development (LED), that supports the clinic. After a short application process that involved submitting a CV and meeting with Val to discuss practicalities and get more information my elective partner, George Thomas, and I were accepted onto the elective.

The clinic itself is based in a mountain village on the eastern side of the Cordillera Blanca range in central Peru. It serves the people who live at the highest elevation at the western end of the province of Lucma who are furthest from the government run clinics that sit on either side of the range.

The main activity undertaken by the population served by the clinic appeared to be small scale farming and labouring jobs and the main form of housing was mud brick houses.

The clinic building consists of 4 rooms; the kitchen and nurse’s quarters, a waiting room, the consulting room and the bedroom. Running of the clinic is funded by the charitable donations mainly form the UK but also worldwide thanks, in part, to an international network built through Val’s mountain guiding clients.

There is a permanent Peruvian nurse stationed there throughout the year but all other medical staff are volunteers. Volunteers were mainly doctors and 5th year medical students from the UK but doctors from other developed nations had also staffed the clinic on a temporary basis in the past.

Type of work performed

The clinic functioned as a basic source of primary care. To fulfil this function the clinic was equipped with basic examination equipment including all the equipment necessary to perform observations, a few books including the BNF and Oxford handbook of clinical medicine and a large stock of various basic medications ranging from antimicrobial agents to proton pump inhibitors.

In the clinic our history taking, and examination skills were well practiced. Diagnosis based exclusively on these was essential as the only tests we had access to were urine dipsticks. Communication skills were also tested as none of the patients spoke English and many did not speak Spanish but instead only the Incan language of Quechua. Thus, all communication had to go through the translator working with us.

Other functions that were performed by the clinic included: distribution of glasses, English lessons for local children and home visits for local elderly people who weren’t able to come to the clinic. My elective partner and I were involved in all these functions. For example, one weekend we packed up enough for an overnight camping trip and drove across to an adjacent valley, hiked up to a village with no road access and set up a field clinic distributing glasses to the anyone who required them.

I had bought the glasses, which included both reading and distance prescriptions labelled as various strengths, in a shoe box from the UK. In the box there was also included a Snellen chart and reading materials of different sizes to help us determine, using a bit of trial and error, what strength of glasses each patient required. Over thirty people turned up to this mobile glasses clinic in both the evening and the morning of the next day. In the end we ran out of distance glasses.

English lessons were conducted after the children had finished school 3 days a week. We taught a small group of keen, primary school age, students basic things like the colours, animals, how to say their name and types of food in English. We also included games, songs (such as head, shoulders, knees and toes) and education about basic hygiene, sun safety and healthy eating. We tried to use as many visual aids as possible and to work form a rough plan.

Other tasks we performed while at the clinic included taking stock of and helping order medications, alphabetising medications, taking stock of equipment and helping purchase or replace equipment. We also helped purchase and set a laptop for the clinic that we had fundraised for by running the Leeds Half marathon.

Case report

During the elective I was fortunate enough to be exposed to clinical cases that were fundamentally different from cases I commonly saw in general practice in the UK. An example of this was a 5-year-old child bought in by his mother due to a month-long history of gradually worsening diarrhea and epigastric pain particularly after eating. He had also developed a chronic cough in the last month. On further questioning it was noted that because of the stomach pain the child wasn’t eating as much as normal. The key positive finding on examination was that the boy was underweight for his height and age measuring at the 50th centile in height for his age but only at the 2nd centile for weight.

On discussing my findings, I was told that this was a classic presentation of worms. One study done on the prevalence of parasites in rural Peru found that half of the participants (aged 3 and above) had at least one intestinal helminth or protozoan detected by microscopy. The most common parasite detected was Strongyloides stercoralis which infected 24.5% of the population studied. This nematode can produce symptoms of pneumonitis, chronic malabsorption, diarrhea and abdominal pain thus accounting for the child’s presentation.

I was informed that the standard treatment for this infection was Albendazole. Although the Oxford handbook of clinical medicine recommended Ivermectin as the first line treatment of Strongyloides stercoralis without access to stool microscopy or blood tests it was impossible to be sure of the causative organism. Albendazole has been shown to have good efficacy against a range of roundworms including others common to rural Peruvian populations like hookworm. So, using this broad-spectrum drug was more likely to be effective in treating this child.

In addition to pharmaceutical management, I learnt that it is important to educate patients on basic hygiene and protective measures to avoid re-infection. Many parasites are picked up by the faecal oral route but hookworms and Strongyloides stercoralis can also burrow through the skin. Studies have shown that those who do not wear shoes when leaving the house, and particularly when defecating are more likely to become infected with Strongyloides stercoralis. Therefore, education about regular handwashing is highly important but shoe wearing is also likely to reduce rates of nematode infection. However, this is easier said than done in an area where houses have dirt floors and there is poor access to proper sanitary facilities. Living in close proximity to parasite carrying livestock may also increase risk of infection.

Extra curricula activities

During my elective I was able to significantly improve my Spanish through a combination of immersion, Paul Noble audiobooks and the Duolingo app which I had been using to practice daily since January 2022.

Conclusion

Overall, I believe the elective met almost all of my aims. I was able to fully experience what it is like to work in an international charity and to contribute to healthcare provision in an area of need by: fundraising for, helping purchase and set up a laptop for the clinic; taking and handing out glasses donated in the UK to those who cannot afford them; and helping with the day to day running of the clinic. Furthermore, I significantly improved my understanding of Spanish and taught English to local primary school aged children.

I would have liked to experience the Government run hospitals and clinics to get a full experience of how their health system works. Although this was originally planned it did not end up coming to fruition.

Additionally, this elective had many learning points. These included: learning about diseases, like parasitic worms, that I hadn’t come across in the UK; learning what it means to live in a developing nation and how health needs in a developing nation are different from those of developed nations such as the UK; and the practicalities of healthcare provision in a resource poor environment.

Our annual LED fundraising walk will be held on Saturday 9th September 2023 and we’ll be based in the village of Portinscale, near Keswick in the Lake District.

We’ll be sorting registration in 2023. In the meantime, save the date!

We really appreciate your support and look forward to having a fabulous day and evening with you all enjoying the stunning Langdale area and the hospitality at the meal.

Many thanks to most of you that have completed the Google Form advising of your attendance. You should have received these joining details, and a PDF of the planned route, by email already. If not, please email us.

If you are planning to come along and have not yet filled in the Google Form, we would be grateful if you could do so. It does mean we have your emergency contact details and there is the all important disclaimer which by completing the form means you have read and understood it. For completeness and transparency here it is again!

Please note – The challenge involves demanding, vigorous exercise. You will be expected to walk continuously for a number of hours in mountainous areas, often over difficult terrain and in variable weather conditions. Participants are responsible for making sure they are prepared for the challenge by training and bringing the required kit and equipment. Please seek medical advice to check you are fit and capable of taking part in the walk. By registering for this event, I agree to the following statements:

• I agree to abide by all government and local guidelines with regard to covid-19 including, but not limited to; not attending the event if I have been feeling unwell immediately before the event takes place, and removing myself from the event if I become unwell during any part of the event
• I am over 16 years of age
• I understand it is my responsibility to make sure I am medically fit and capable of participating in the event and that I am properly trained
• I understand that participation in the event could include actions that may be hazardous. I understand that is essential to take extreme care when encountering livestock, steep drop offs, uphill sections, roots, mud, rocks, bad weather etc
• I agree that the event organiser LED reserves the right, in its absolute discretion, to stop any participant from taking part if the individual is deemed unfit to participate, including mid-event removal where necessary
• I agree that failure to comply with any instruction from event officials and marshals or any breach of any rules and regulations governing the event will result in you being asked to leave the event
• I agree to the use of my personal data for the purpose of LED communicating with me about the event

Anyway that’s the serious (and important stuff out of the way) so here’s the logistics and timings for the day and evening

Saturday 14 May 2022: Logistics and timings

0900 – Meet at Stickle Barn car park (New Dungeon Ghyll hotel) at Grid reference NY294064 / Postcode LA22 9JX (please note it is a pay and display car park although free to National Trust members!)
0915 – Headcount and safety briefing
0930 – Commence Walk (see details below)
1800 – Meet at Chapel Stile Village Hall (LA22 9JE), details at this link for good food and company (we have booked the hall for the full day so if you wish to get there earlier please do so – we believe there is also use of a shower if people are not staying locally and wish to change)

We can provide a PDF map of the planned walk and have options to do other variations of this route if there is poor visibility. A lower level route has also been planned if the weather is truly foul!

We appreciate most of you are experienced hill walkers so please come dressed and equipped for the terrain and weather. Please let us know if anyone wants to have a suggested kit list. One of the Trustees will have a group first aid kit (please do bring your own especially any personal medication etc), group shelter and bivvy bag.

We all are really looking forward to seeing you on what we hope will be a great day and evening. If you have any questions about the day please do let us know.

Best wishes

Val and LED Trustees
Light Education Development

When: Saturday 14 May 2022.

What: Our annual get together and fundraising event will located in and around the village of Chapel Stile, near Ambleside in the Lake District.

Various walk options will be on offer in the Langdale Valley including the Classic Round Pike of Stickle, Harrison Stickle, Loft Crag, Paveys Ark and Sergeants Man.

To round off the day we’ll be holding the always popular evening dinner in Chapel Stile Village Hall.

Where: The start and finish will be confirmed nearer the time.

Cost:

• Walk & Dinner: £50pp
• Walk only: £25pp
• Dinner only: £25pp

To Register and Pay:

• Register: Complete this Registration Form to let us know you’re coming
• Payment: As a donation to LED on our dedicated JustGiving page – LED 2022 Fundraising Weekend – Langdale Valley

We’re looking forward to seeing you in May!