What happens when you take 11 young people out of the city and drop them into the heart of the Lake District?
Three days of adventure, plenty of laughter, a few nervous leaps of faith - and a whole lot of time spent outside.
In August, we held our second BGH Youth Retreat, taking 11 young people to Ghyll Head Outdoor Education & Activity Centre, nestled in the heart of the Lake District National Park near Bowness-on-Windermere.
The retreat was an opportunity to step away from the familiar and experience the outdoors in a completely different way. Over three days, the girls took on challenges, tried activities they hadn't experienced before and, perhaps most importantly, had the chance to discover just how much they were capable of.
Settling in at Ghyll Head
When we arrived at Ghyll Head, there was one thing that immediately needed to be decided: who was getting the best bedroom.
The girls wasted no time racing to claim their spaces and make themselves comfortable before we gathered for a welcome talk with Lisa, one of the centre's instructors. She took us through everything we had planned for the retreat, giving everyone an idea of what to expect over the next few days.
And then it was time to get started.
Making a splash on Lake Windermere
Our first adventure took us down to Lake Windermere for a canoeing session.
Once everyone had their lifejackets on, we headed out onto the water, working together to paddle across the lake towards a small island. It was a brilliant opportunity to put teamwork into practice and there was plenty of encouragement along the way.
Once we reached the island, we took part in a team game before making the most of our surroundings.
A few of the girls even managed to turn the island into an impromptu TikTok studio, with a very kind member of the public stepping in to help film and direct their videos. Needless to say, they were delighted.
Then came the swimming.
The water was, let's just say, refreshing. A few of the girls were understandably hesitant about getting in at first, but it wasn't long before the hesitation disappeared. Soon, they were jumping in, taking full dips and embracing the Lake District experience properly.
It was a great first taste of what the retreat had in store.
Trust, teamwork and Nightline
After returning to base, we had some time to refuel and change before heading back outside for another challenge: Nightline.
Nightline is designed around communication and teamwork. Working in small groups, the girls had to navigate their way through the woods by following a rope line while relying on each other to guide them.
The catch?
They were blindfolded.
Without being able to see what was ahead, they had to listen carefully to one another and trust their teammates to get them through. It was a challenge that required patience and communication - and, unsurprisingly, produced plenty of laughter along the way.
Taking on the mountains
The following morning brought an early start and another adventure: ghyll scrambling.
For anyone unfamiliar with it, ghyll scrambling involves making your way through a mountain stream, navigating natural obstacles including rocks, cascades and waterfalls. It's one of those activities that sounds slightly intimidating until you're actually in the water and then the adventure takes over.
The weather was on our side, giving us a particularly beautiful day to explore the landscape.
As the girls made their way through the stream, we could see their confidence growing. What might have initially seemed daunting quickly became something to enjoy, with everyone finding their own way of approaching the challenge.
A couple of the girls, along with members of the team, even took things one step further with a cold plunge.
At this point, we think the Lake District water had officially become part of the retreat.
Taking the leap
There was still one more big challenge waiting back at Ghyll Head: the high zip wire.
For the thrill seekers, this was the moment they'd been waiting for. After climbing the tower, the girls had to step off the platform and soar through the air before working with their team to abseil safely back down.
Of course, standing on a platform several metres in the air is a very different experience from watching someone else do it.
Some of the girls stepped off without a second thought. Others needed a little encouragement from their friends before taking that final leap.
And that's exactly what made the activity so special.
It wasn't about everyone feeling fearless. It was about seeing what could happen when you were nervous, had people around you cheering you on, and decided to give it a go anyway.
One more swim
It seems the lake had made quite an impression.
Before the evening began, we headed back down for another quick dip. By now, the girls were fully embracing it - swimming, jumping into the water and even showing off their dance routine.
After such an action-packed couple of days, it was a chance to enjoy the lake simply for what it was: somewhere to play, cool off and have fun together.
Paint, sip and slow down
After all that adventure, we needed a change of pace.
That evening, our wonderful volunteer Rumbi organised a paint and sip session for the girls with Shloer, of course.
We settled outside, surrounded by the beauty of the Lake District, and let everyone get creative. For a little while, there were no ropes to follow, towers to climb or waterfalls to scramble through.
Just paint, conversation and the freedom to create.
It was the perfect way to wind down after two very full days.
A final walk through the Lake District
It wouldn't be a BGH trip without a hike.
On our final day, we headed out for a short walk through the Lake District, taking in a little more of the landscape before it was time to head home.
Along the trail, we encountered some local residents - a group of cattle resting alongside the path. The team were rather excited by the encounter. The girls? Let's just say they were less enthusiastic.
As with everything else on the retreat, there was no pressure to reach a particular point. Some of the girls made it all the way to the top, while others chose to stay where they felt comfortable, taking the opportunity to relax, make TikToks and enjoy the surroundings.
And that felt fitting.
The retreat was never about pushing everyone to do the same thing. It was about giving each young person the opportunity to experience nature in a way that felt right for them.
More than an adventure
Looking back, the Youth Retreat was about much more than the activities themselves.
Yes, there was canoeing and swimming. There were blindfolded challenges, waterfalls, zip wires and plenty of muddy adventures. But alongside all of that was something we care deeply about at Black Girls Hike: creating opportunities for young Black people to build a positive relationship with the outdoors.
There was something really special about watching the girls' confidence grow over the three days.
The person who was hesitant to get into the lake was later jumping in. The person who wasn't sure about the zip wire was standing on the platform, preparing to leap. And throughout it all, their friends were there to encourage them.
That's the kind of growth that doesn't always happen in a classroom.
Sometimes, it happens outside.
Thank you
A huge thank you to the team at Ghyll Head Outdoor Education & Activity Centre for helping us deliver such a memorable retreat.
We're also incredibly grateful to our wonderful volunteers, Rumbi and Lashone, for helping us facilitate the weekend and making sure the girls were supported throughout.
And thank you to the wider BGH team who helped make the retreat possible, including our Social Media Manager Nicole, BGH Founder Rhiane and Youth Project Co-ordinator Alice.
Most of all, thank you to the 11 young people who joined us.
We love having the opportunity to take young people out of the city and into nature, giving them the chance to explore somewhere new and discover what they're capable of.
Three days in the Lake District gave us plenty of memories to take home and we're already looking forward to the next adventure.
Until then, we'll be remembering the lake swims, the laughter, the brave leaps and, of course, those TikToks.