Walking on your own? Take a Guided Walking Holiday

I have just had a great time from a walking holiday in the Lake District. This type of vacation I am familiar with and I simply can not get enough of it.

However it may be a different scenario for you. You could be in the position where a walking holiday is something you really want to do but you will have some challenges. A walking holiday could be for you but this may mean going on your own and you would rather go with a group of like minded people. Or maybe this is something you have never done before and the prospect appears scary.

If this is the case then maybe a guided walking holiday is for you. This involves a group or a guide taking you and a team of like minded individuals up the mountains on a walking holiday. So this would be a guided walking holiday. There are a number of benefits of this type of holiday can bring and these are

1. You meet other people with similar loves and desires that you have including fantastic scenary, the climbing challenges and the great funny stories that you can share as a group of individuals. The chances are you will get to feel very welcome and very at home with the type people you meet. They are in general not nerdy but fun people to be with

2. You don’t have to worry on a guided walking holiday. Your guide will be responsible and give you the quality time in the areas they believe will be best for you. The reason for this is that they will want you back next year – and of course your money.

3. They will provide assistance with the personal gear you need to take on a walking holiday. Again the worry is taken out of this type of walking holiday.
I have to say this will need to be balanced with the extra cost of a guided walking holiday.

The prices do vary of course depending on whether you just require a guide or it is a complete package of accommodation etc. Nowadays you can pick up a guide in the UK for say £100-£200 per day. Self package guided holidays I have seen for over £1000. However it is a personal view as to whether paying for piece of mind is worth the cost of a guided walking holiday.

My advise on this is that if you are nervous for the first time or want to be with other people – give it a go for one hike and see how it goes. Nothing ventured….
You can easily find these types of walking holidays on the internet. You can use some key search terms such as:

"guided walking holidays" Greece

...If Greece is where you want to visit.

So a guided walking holiday may be for you particularly if you are on your own or want to take the worry out of what could go wrong

Whether you arrange a walking holiday on your own or you do choose a guided walking holiday - have a great walking holiday.

The points to consider when purchasing mens walking boots

I have just returned from the Lake District with my best friend and my kids. We all hiked up Scarfell Pike – the largest mountain in England – it was great. It was great to be surrounded by the great summits in the area.

However before we went we had to plan to ensure we had the right walking gear. However in my view the most important walking gear that men will purchase is mens walking boots. The reason for this your foot is the part of the body that makes contact with the ground, takes the weight and therefore needs the protection required.

So if you are going to spend some cash is best to spend your hard earned money on mens walking boots. What do you need to consider as you want to ensure you get the best value for money?

Firstly you need to consider the sort of walking and hiking you are going to embark on. If you are walking in rough terrain you will need a hiking boot with an ankle support. If you are just going for a long walk on a flat surface (road or tarmac path) which means you do not need an ankle support (in fact some people hate the ankle support). To be honest your mens walking boot should be nearly one size bigger than your normal shoe size.

The reason for this is you need to be wearing 2 pairs of socks with one of them being a thick pair. The reason for the 2 pairs of socks is to prevent blisters. You prevent blisters by your 2 socks rubbing together rather than your skin on your foot. Always wear your thin pair first when wearing mens walking boots

Secondly, you need to go to a hiking store rather than shop online. This is to ensure you purchase the right boot for you. So you need to be able to try the mens walking shoe on and make sure it is a very comfortable fit. The hiking store will give you the best professional advice. You know your foot should not move inside the boot otherwise you could end up with blisters.

Thirdly, to have a better chance of buying quality you need to buy a well known brand of boot.

I mention a mens walking boot as this is very much different to women's walking boots. The main differences are women have a smaller cartilage area and a smaller narrower heel. The boots are not different because they are smaller. So make sure you view and purchase the right type of boot.

The last point is to make sure that you wear the boot a number of times before going walking in the hills. This is called “wearing in” and needs to be done until your foot is virtually a complete mould for your mens walking boot. You will not regret doing these simple things as your feet will be nicely protected in your mens walking boot

So have a great walk after you have purchased, with socks, worn in the correct mens walking boot.

Why Lake District Walks Should Be Car Free and example Lake District walks

I think out of all of the walks in the UK my favourite are Lake District walks. In my view this is the best part of the UK if it is not wet.

However there is a problem in this area. The problem is that to travel to the start of Lake District walks you need to get the car out. In the Lake District there are many traffic problems (highlighted below) to get to when you are visiting Lake District walks. In addition it is not great polluting the environment by using your car.

So why not go on a lake district walk that does not need the car. Why not arrive at your lake district walks car free?

So some advantages of arriving at your walk - car free!

• Use local transport which is great for the lake district area as a whole in terms of revenue for the area and keeping it well managed.

• Also if you are not using a car you will help to reduce the congestion around the lake district area. As the lake district area is so small congestion is a big problem.

• You will reduce carbon emissions by not taking your car on Lake District Walks

• What happens is that people park in the car parks at the start of famous walks. Let me tell you these car parks are quite expensive especially if you are hiking for the day. By not taking the car you can start your walk away from car parks and therefore spread the walking congestion around the area and save money in your pocket.

Here are 2 of the top Lake District walks that are car free

Lowland walk: A Walk to Easedale Tarn
This is a very nice short walk and starts at the lovely village of Grasmere where William Wordsworth lived. This is one of the lovely Lake District walks which routes you past a waterfall to end at Easdale Tarn. This is where you can have a picnic – very nice and very car free.

Mountain walk: A walk from Ambleside to Fairfield Horseshoe
This is one of the Lake District walks that starts at Ambleside which is at the top of Lake Windermere. From Ambleside you start to climb and routes you around Fairfield Fell and around the Lake District walk fells. There are really great views around Lake Windermere and the surrounding mountains.

Another very popular area is Ullswater. The lake is 7 miles long with a number of lowland and highland Lake District walks that are around the Helvellyn mountain range. You could make a holiday in this area and there are local buses that route up and down the lake. Some of these walks include boat journeys. The links in this article link back to these great lake District Walks.

So as they say "forget the strain take the train" or bus or even bike. I hope you enjoy and are proud to progress to many car free Lake District walks. This helps solves the problem of traffic and you will feel you have done your bit for the environment.

So have a great set of Lake District Walks – car free!

How to Prevent Wet Feet When Walking UK

I enjoy most of my hiking and rambling in the United Kingdom (UK). Places to walk such as the Lake District, Scotland and Snowdonia are my favourite places to go on a really challenging hike. These places are great. There is however a known problem when you go walking UK.

The problem is bad weather (i.e. rain). Walking UK is different to most places around the world as you never know what the weather is really going to do. The weather can change very quickly changing a great sunny day into suddenly low cloud and unstoppable rain. The weather produces boggy areas and these areas can give you wet feet.

There is absolutely nothing worse than wet feet. As well as not feeling comfortable wet feet can lead to cold feet and possible infections such as "trench foot" when walking UK.

So here are the actions you can take prior to and during walking UK. Of course you can use this anywhere there is wet and rain. However the UK is one of the best examples where there is repeated rain.

1. You need to ensure that you have good quality hiking boots that sit high on your ankle. You should not be walking with trainers. On my last hike I saw a young girl wearing trainers while I was hiking in the Lake District up Scafell Pike and she was in trouble coming down the mountain and was taking twice as long Your hiking boots should also have a sewn in tongue to keep the water out when walking UK and help prevent your feet getting wet.

2. Wear waterproof gaiters. These are great and keep out the wet from your boot and feet (especially walking UK). Waterproof gaiters have the added benefit of fitting from your hiking boot to just below your knee so the lower half of your leg will be protected from the damp and wet. I have used gaiters a number of times and found then to be very useful.

3. Always carry spare socks. Of course if your socks get wet whilst hiking you will want to change them. When you get to camp you can dry your wet socks in a jacket while you are setting up camp and cooking dinner. This will prevent wet feet the following day. Nice tip!

4. At hiking camp keep your hiking boots inside and stored away in a dry place. I have mad mistakes before by forgetting about them and leaving them outside in the rain. Your hiking boots can then also be dried out if needed. Put newspaper inside your hiking boots to draw out the wet and therefore keeping your feet dry for the morning and therefore prevent wet feet when walking UK.

So follow these steps and avoid wet feet when you are walking UK. Above all have a great walking UK.

How To Discover and Plan Eastern Europe Walking

I love hiking and rambling and walking. Right now I am currently planning my next trip with a twist. There is so much in the natural world to view and so much great scenery to take in and really discover.

I have been hiking and researching the usual places like the Lake District in the UK, Grand Canyon and many walks in the USA (you may have seen my blog posts) and the many walks in Europe etc including the Alps in Austria etc.

I have been looking on various websites and hiking discussion forums on the internet and I have found that there is a lot more than the usual famous places. So I am looking now at Eastern Europe Walking. Is it not exciting to discover somewhere new.

I did not realise that the countries around this part of the world are so beautiful. Yes it is true that I have not yet actually been to these countries however they are now definitely on my life planner from now.

The countries for East Europe walking I have looked at are Bosnia (Sutieska), Montenegro (Durmitor), Romania and Bulgaria.

Let us take a look at Romania as a starting point. It appears that Sibiu, Sighisoara and possibly Timisoara are a great base for East Europe walking. Sibiu looks great as I am told it is a Saxon city with great beauty. As for hiking areas, the Fagaras, Retezat or Bucegi mountains look very impressive however the research will continue. As for accommodation it appears the best overnight stays are mountain huts. In Retezat the mountain huts are very basic but are very large and homely. The largest is a Pietrele hut and very impressive

Another country for East Europe walking is Bulgaria. I am told that the great walks are in Rila, Pirin or Rodopi mountain ranges.

East Europe walking costs change between countries. Croatia seems the most expensive. This is closely followed by Montenegro. Bulgaria is a bit cheaper and I am researching Romania and will update content on this later.

Again this is a short report to what I think is a great place for East Europe Walking. I am really on a discovery mission to learn a lot more and will be discussing this in various hiking forums.

However have a great hike. If it happens to be in East Europe I would be particularly interested to hear your story.

Knowing your rights of way when planning walks Britain Activities

I am amongst of the many hikers and walkers that I love to go on many walks Britain activities. Now is the time of year to get out in the sunshine and go on walks Britain. The good thing is that there are a number of footpaths that can be used all around Britain that can be used for walking. These footpaths the council have deemed "rights of way" that are made for this very purpose.

I am sure you are aware however Great Britain is a European country that is a collection of 5 separate countries England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. There are many paths that link throughout these 5 countries and offer some excellent walks and hikes. You can be hiking in the mountains of Scotland, Wales and the Lake District or having a gentle walk on the Devonshire or Yorkshire moors (some may not be so gentle). All of these add up for some pleasurable walks Britain activities.

However there is a problem. I have seen on a few hiking forums that people are not fully aware of their rights and don’t know where to walk. It is very important to know your rights to enjoy your walks Britain time.

So here are some questions and answers that may help.

1. So what could be a right of way?
A right of way is a footpath that has been deemed as a public right of way.

2. What are my rights on a particular public right of way?
Your right is to walk, rest or run or anything legal on a public right of way. However remember this is only on the path deemed as a public right of way. As soon as you move off the path you may not have right of way which is not good. So keep to the path during all your walks Britain activities.

3. How do I know if the path is a public right of way or not?
The way to do this is to go to your local surveying authority and ask for a "definitive map". The definitive map shows you the official public rights of way. However be aware that some paths are "rights of way" but not shown on the definitive map. This is because the official application has not been raised yet however is likely to be shortly. However not all footpaths are public rights of way so be careful.

4. What person or group is responsible to make a path a public right of way?
In England the county councils and local district councils together with top government (i.e. Secretary of State) are responsible for making a particular path a public right of way for all walks Britain paths

My suggestion is that when you are planning any walks in Britain then go to your local surveying authority and ask for that "definitive map". You are then in a strong position to know where to walk and therefore be comfortable planning for your particular route.

Have a really great walk!

Some Really Lovely Ullswater Walks in the Lake District, UK

The Lake District in the UK really has some great walks. I go there quite regularly as it has some great views and super scenery. Lots of hikers and ramblers climb the highest mountains. However some people get just as much enjoyment from a nice leisurely walk in some more lowland areas. Some great lowland walks are Ullswater walks. These are nice walks which have the Ullswater Lake and the Helvellyn mountain range for super scenery

Now a bit about Ullswater to show why is offer great Ullswater walks. Ullswater Lake is the second largest lake in the Lake District with the first being of course Lake Windermere. Ullswater Lake and can offer some lovely lowland walks. So why not stay around Ullswater and I have provided 6 of the best Ullswater walks listed below.

1. Glenridding to Howtown.
In my view the top lowland Ullswater walk as its the most beautiful of the Ullswater walks with stunning views of the Ullswater Valley and Helvellyn range. It is 7 miles long and will take you about 3-4 hours to complete. This particular Ullswater walk has a wavy path and is a bit hilly but is a nice one to do. I would say the difficulty is moderate to easy. Have a go!

2. Aira force circular walk
This is a short walk and was actually developed in Victorian times. This walk quite woody and leads to a wonderful waterfall. This is the sort of place you can walk for a picnic at lunchtime. This is a walk to take your mum as its only 1 mile long and only takes an hour. Nice and easy.

3. Howtown to Pooley bridge Walk
This has great views across the Ullswater lake and is moderately easy but a longer 6 miles long and will take you 3 hours to complete – again taking it nice and easy. Some parts are a little more uphill and you need to watch out for boggy areas so take some good hiking or waterproof boots. One of the nicer Ullswater Walks

4. Lantys Tarn circular walk
This again is a nice short walk with great views of the Ullswater Valley. It is a 3 mile easy walk taking 1-2 hours. Also this one includes a boat trip which is an added extra in my book!

5. Hallin Fell Circular Walk
This one is very similar in format to Lantys Tarn. This one is a very nice rewarding walk with great Ullswater Lake views and is 3 miles long with a 2 hour timeline. This may take a little longer if you want to climb and visit the local churches.

6. Howtown to Glenridding
This is another lovely walk with great views of the Ullswater Valley and Helvellyn range. This is 7 miles taking roughly 4 hours in total. This walk has up and down hill stretches and some slightly rocky parts – again walking boots recommended on this one.

So some lovely gentle Ullswater walks. You can easily search them on the Internet for the finer details of parking and step by step routes etc. So why not travel to the Lake District, head over to Ullswater and enjoy some lovely Ullswater Walks.