Shining Cliff hostel is in a remote, off-road, woodland setting. There are cliff edges and old quarried areas and a reservoir within the woodland.
Please consider the following factors before making your booking:
- The Hostel and Woodland Hut are on a valley side; the approach to the hostel involves walking downhill from the car parking area or uphill from the train station or bus stop.
- The hostel is only accessible via a woodland footpath. It is uneven and can be muddy when wet.
- The hostel car parking area is accessed via a 400 metre unmade track from the road. It is uneven, bumpy and can be muddy with no passing places. The track is frequently driven along but some people find it daunting so please be aware of this.
- The woodland is a popular place for the local community; the footpath next to the hostel and woodland hut is well used, and frequently people will walk around the hostel building to have a look, as it is a really interesting place to come across in the middle of the woodland!
- The hostel is within touching distance of Shining Cliff, it is an area often used by climbers, and please be aware that climbers may access the crags directly behind the hostel or by the Woodland Hut fire pit area.
- There are unofficial paths behind the hostel, they have unfenced cliff edges.
- One crag directly behind the hostel has a hole at the top that leads down into the Bat Cave, the hole is unfenced.
- The picnic area for the hostel has 2 steep sided drops. A sapling hedge has been planted along this in 2020, but until it is established supervision of children is recommended.
- Emergency information and grid references are all provided in the hostel welcome pack.
- Please be aware that in high winds there is risk of falling debris from trees. As a guide, woodland activities run by the hostel are postponed when the wind gusts are predicted to be 39 miles per hour.
- Be aware of the risk of rock fall when exploring Shining Cliff crags or when using the fire pit areas.
Windfinder forecast
Carsington Water is 7.5 miles from Shining Cliff hostel and is the most local weather station I can locate.
