Lake District trailrunning camp: 'from muppetry to mastery'

Educational, exhilarating, engaging, enlightening … and wet! 

Those are just some of the words that sprung to mind when we asked Ant, Tim, Neil, Chris & Simon to describe their experiences on our Lake District training camp last weekend.

Our runners had travelled from all corners of the country to converge at the Keswick B&B on Thursday night, and over dinner at the local pub (and a couple of pints of Snecklifter, the local brew),

Phil's Night of Adventure

For Alpine Oasis cameraman and photographer Phil Coates, you could say that adventure is a way of life. He's clocked up more than 30 expeditions to date, with destinations including Everest, Makalu and Broad Peak - right now he's thawing out after a springtime trip to the Arctic - and his film credits include documentaries for the BBC, National Geographic TV, ITV and Discovery International. Phil has worked in some of the most challenging environments on the planet, filming in temperatures of up to (or down to!?) minus 48 degrees, where simply existing is a challenge - let alone documenting the experience!

He's also a qualified International Mountain Leader,