Whitefields Cottage

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Description:

Organiser – Gary Box
Where – Whitefields Cottage, Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal Park, Ripon, North Yorkshire HG4 3DY
When – 18th-20th May 2012 (Fri-Sun)
Cost – £50.00

Summary

Our accommodation for this 2 night trip is a National Trust bunkhouse situated in the grounds of a World Heritage Site. Whitefields Cottage sleeps 16 people in 3 dorm rooms and also has lounge, dining room, kitchen and male and female showers. The beds have mattresses, cover sheet, pillows and pillow cases so we only need to bring sleeping bags, towels and toiletries.

The property is on an estate that includes Fountains Abbey, a spectacular water garden and a deer park that contains over 500 Fallow, Sika and Red deer. Our stay does not include entrance to Fountains Abbey which is free to National Trust members or otherwise charged at £8.15 per person or £9.00 (which includes a voluntary 10% donation).

We will offer 2 walks during the weekend. On Saturday we will explore Wensleydale with a drive to Askrigg where we will start a 7 3/4 mile (12.5km) walk that involves 370 metres of ascent and should take about 4 hours to complete. From Askrigg the route heads to the River Ure and follows its course until Worton Bridge where we cross and head to Worton. After passing Worton Pasture we join a road and head south to Carpley Green Farm where we leave the road. The highest point of the walk is next, Addlebrough at 477 metres after which we again make our way to Worton and then back to the start. There are a number of pubs in Askrigg where we can enjoy a post walk drink.

On Sunday we will walk from our accommodation door. The route is about 10 miles but should only take 4 hours to complete. As well as Studley Deer Park we will have views of Fountains Abbey. Anyone who wants to spend time exploring the Abbey can do this themselves rather than join the walk (there will not be time for both). We hope to get back to the accommodation by 2:30pm and will then return to London, expecting to arrive back at about 7pm.

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Richardsons Boatyard

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Organiser – Gary Box
Where – Richardsons Boatyard, Stalham, Norfolk
When – 13th-16th April 2012 (Fri-Mon)
Cost – £110.00 (includes 3 nights accommodation on boat & all fuel)

Summary

The Norfolk Broads are the ideal location for a boating holiday. We will collect our cruiser, a Voyager  12.80m x 3.66m (42ft x 12ft) from Richardson’s boatyard in Stalham anytime from 2pm. For anyone who wants to get away early they can leave with me or alternatively there will also be an option to leave after work Friday.

Our boat sleeps 10 in a combination of 2 doubles and 6 singles. It has a TV for late night DVD’s, warm air heating, CD/Radio, galley which includes cooker, fridge and kettle and 2 showers and toilets.

Phones and other gadgets can be charged via the 12v system and I will bring various car leads and adaptors to charge the most popular devices. I will also bring a 12/240V converter for those who only have the 240V charger.

In the time we have the boat there are various places we can visit. One likely route would include the nature reserves of Barton Broad and How Hill, Ranworth, Horning, Wroxham (capital of the Broads) and Acle.

We can look at some short walks on this trip but this trip is ideally suited to anyone who has wanted to try a boating holiday. The area offers some good photographic opportunities including pretty towns, windmills and wildlife.

Please note that this is a 3 night trip and you will need to take the Monday off work.

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Coronet Cinema

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Organiser – Gary Box
Where – Coronet Cinema, 103 Notting Hill Gate, London W11 3LB
When – Tuesday 31st January 2012 (Prince Albert pub from 7:15pm or outside cinema at 8:15pm
Cost – £3.50 payable on the night

Summary

The Coronet cinema is a beautiful old fashioned cinema and on Tuesday nights tickets are only £3.50. We will watch The Descendants, the show starts at 8:40pm but you can meet me either in the Prince Albert pub from 7:15pm or outside the cinema from 8:15pm. This might be an ideal opportunity for new people to the group to meet us and ask any questions you might have. I will limit the number of tickets to 16, I will buy them at about 6:30pm that evening and you can pay me back when we meet. If you register and need to cancel please let me know before the day.

The Descendants

With his wife Elizabeth on life support after a boating accident, Hawaiian land baron Matt King takes his daughters on a trip from Oahu to Kauai to confront the young real estate estate broker who was having an affair with Elizabeth before her misfortune.

Director – Alexander Payne
Stars – George Clooney, Shailene Woodley and Amara Miller

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Shackleton Lodge

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Organiser – Gary Box
Where – Shackleton Lodge, Brathay Hall, Ambleside, Cumbria LA22 0HP
When – 5th-9th April 2012 (Thurs-Mon)
Cost – £98.00 (24 bunk bed spaces) or £70.00 (6 mattress only spaces) – includes 4 nights accommodation and all guided walks

Summary

The Lake District is always a popular destination and spaces on this trip are likely to sell out very quickly. Besides offering some of the best walks you could find anywhere in England, the Lake District is also hugely popular with photographers and we intend to cater to both of these interests during this action packed weekend.

Our accommodation for the trip will be Shackleton Lodge, which we also used during our August bank holiday of 2011. The property sleeps a total of 30 people, 24 in bunk beds and 6 on mattresses that will be laid out on the top floor meeting room (please note that this mattress room will be a mixed sex room and offered at a lower price). The 24 bunk beds are contained within a total of 7 rooms (5 rooms sleeping 4 people and 2 rooms sleeping 2 people). The accommodation has all the usual shower and toilet facilities, a drying room and a large lounge area. In a building opposite there is a kitchen and large dining room that has plenty of space for breakfast, making packed lunches and even catering in the evening should people want to. For those wanting to eat out in the evenings the accommodation is close to Ambleside, a very busy town with lots of dining choices as well as outdoor shops should you have forgotten to pack something.

During the day on Friday, Saturday and Sunday there will be 2 choices of walks / activities suited to moderate and more experienced walkers. To enable 2 choices we need at least one other walk leader who is willing to lead walks on these days and for anyone interested in doing this there is free accommodation. In the past on bank holiday weekends a number of people decide to make one of the days a tourist day and so this year I want to offer a car tour of the Lakes, visiting some of the most scenic landscapes that should prove very popular with the photographers in the group. This car tour day will be a long day making use of as much daylight as possible.

The walk options for the weekend will include:

Friday Harder Option

The Fairfield Horseshoe from Ambleside

Distance of 17.5km (11 miles) with 1107 metres of ascent, this route is likely to take 8 hours. The walk passes Rydal Mount, the home of William Wordsworth from 1813 until his death in 1850. Peaks include Nab Scar (450m), Heron Pike (612m), Rydal Fell (621m), Great Rigg (766m), Fairfield (873m), Hart Crag (822m), Dove Crag (792m), High Pike (656m) and Low Pike (508m).

Friday Easier Option

Hay Stacks & Fleetwith Pike from Gatesgarth

Distance of 7.5km (4.75 miles) with 730 metres of ascent this route should take 4 1/2 hours to complete. Gatesgarth is near to Buttermere and after crossing Peggy’s Bridge this walk will take us to Hay Stacks (597m), Wainwright’s favourite fell and where his ashes were scattered, before passing the Innominate Tarn, Blackbeck Tarn, Dubbs Quarry and then Fleetwith Pike (648m).

Saturday Walking Option

The Langdale Pikes via North Rake from Great Langdale

This 13km (8 mile) route involves 891 metres of ascent and should take approx 6 hours to complete. From the car park near New Dungeon Ghyll pub the path heads up to Stickle Tarn. From here there are two choices to the top of Pavey Ark (700m) either a straigtforward walk via North Rake or an interesting but non technical rock climb up Jack’s Rake. Other peaks reached include Thunacar Knott (723m), Harrison Stickle (736m) Loft Crag (680m) and Pike of Stickle (709m).

Saturday Car Tour Option

For those that want to do less walking on day 2 but want to really see as much of the Lake District as possible there will be an all day car tour. Expect an early start to make use of as much daylight as possible and we will try and visit as many classic viewpoints and scenic places as possible, perfect if you love photography.

Sunday Harder Option

Robinson & Dale Head from Little Town

This 14km (8.75 mile) route involves 973 metres of ascent and should take us a little over 6 hours to complete. This classic Lakeland walk includes the peaks of Robinson (737m), Hindscarth (727m) and Dale Head (753m).

Sunday Easier Option

Grasmoor Ridge & Whiteless Pike from Lanthwaite

This 11km (7 mile) route involves 988 metres of ascent and should take almost 6 hours to complete. It’s actually not much easier than the harder option and may even appeal to those who usually opt for the harder walk as it does involve a short section of light scrambling where the use of hands are required (nothing to worry about though). The walk includes the peaks of Grasmoor (852m), Wandope (772m), Whiteless Pike (660m) and Rannerdale Knotts (355m).

Monday Walking Option

As this will be the day we return to London there will only be one walk option, a short but scenic route.

A Circuit of Buttermere

A 7km (4.5 mile) walk with only 148 metres of ascent that will take only 2 hours to complete. The ideal way to end the Easter weekend by walking around the small lake that is beautiful Buttermere.

What to Bring

• Hiking Boots
• Hiking Clothes
• Towel & Toiletries
• Sleeping Bag
• Pillow
• Sun screen & sunglasses
• Camera and accessories (if interested in car tour day)
• Food for your breakfasts and packed lunches

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Description:

This is the registration page for the waiting list for the Luxury Hiking Weekend in Wales taking place Jan 20th-23rd.

In the event we get any cancellations we will contact you to see if you would like to attend.

Thanks

Gary

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YHA Dufton

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Organiser – Gary Box
Where – YHA Dufton, Dufton, Appleby, Cumbria CA16 6DB
When – 3rd-5th February 2012 (Fri-Sun)
Cost – £45.00 (includes 2 nights accommodation and all guided walks)

Summary

One of my favourite hostels is YHA Dufton (for many reasons). Firstly it’s situated in the North Pennines on the Pennine Way with great walks from the doorstep, including High Cup Nick (often referred to Britain’s Grand Canyon). The accommodation itself sleeps 34 in a mixture of rooms sleeping from 2 to 6 (3 twin rooms for couples). It is fully centrally heated but also has an open fireplace in the lounge which makes the place feel really cosy on a winter weekend.

Within 2 minutes walk is a really great pub which would be an ideal place for our evening meal on Saturday (though the self catering kitchen is ideal for catering for large groups if people prefer).

As an added bonus the back garden frequently has visits from red squirrels which are easy to photograph with a decent zoom lens.

On Saturday the walk will start from the hostel door. The distance will be 11 1/4 miles (18km) and involves 672 metres of ascent. It should take approx 6 1/2 hours to complete. The route passes Dufton Pike (481m), Brownber Hill (519m), Great Rundale Tarn, Backstone Edge (699m) before reaching the dramatic High Cup Nick which is a spectacular view. From High Cup Nick it’s an easy path back down to the village of Dufton.

On Sunday the walk will be a much shorter and simpler 7 miles with only a couple of hundred metres of ascent. Starting in Bowlees we walk the Pennine Way following the River Tees passing Low Force and High Force waterfalls.

You can expect to be back in London by about 7pm latest. Details of car sharing options will be announced soon. I’m expecting this to be a popular trip so if you are interested you are advised to book early.

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Caerhafod Lodge

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Organiser – Gary Box
Where – Caerhafod Lodge, Llanrhian, Nr St. David’s, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, SA62 5BD
When – 30th March – 1st April 2012 (Fr-Sun)
Cost £54.00 (includes 2 nights accommodation and all guided walks)

Summary

As a group we did not manage to Pembrokeshire National Park which is a shame since it contains some of the best beaches and coastal walks you will find anywhere. Our accommodation for this trip is Caerhafod Lodge near St. David’s which is Britain’s smallest city! The lodge sleeps 23 people in 5 ensuite bedrooms. All bed linen is provided but we will need to bring our own towels. There is a good self catering kitchen and a comfortable lounge.

The walks we have planned for the weekend are as follows:

On Saturday there is a 9.5 mile (15km) walk starting from Trefin which will allow us the opportunity to explore some beautiful coastline. The route also passes Careg Sampson burial chamber.

On Sunday once we depart the accommodation we will drive along the coast to Moylgrove where we will do a short 4 mile (6km) walk that involves more spectacular coastal scenery including Traeth Bach natural arch.

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Chatton Park Farm

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Organiser – Gary Box
Where – Chatton Park Farm, Chatton, Alnwick, Northumberland NE66 5RA
When – March 9th-11th 2012 (Fri-Sun)
Cost – £62.00 includes 2 nights accommodation, guided walk and visit to all photo locations

Summary

Northumberland is a rugged and beautiful landscape that offers a huge amount to both walkers and photographers. We will explore both interests during this action packed weekend. On Saturday there will be a short walk in the Cheviot Hills, the highest point of which is Cheviot itself at 815 metres. Once the walk is over there will be time to visit the coastline to photograph places like Bamburgh Castle, Dunstanburgh Castle, Embleton Bay and Seahouses.

On Sunday we will spend more time photographing the coastline and other local scenics before making the short drive to Kielder Forest where we will complete a short walk to photograph the photogenic waterfall that is Hindhope Linn.

Equipment Needed

• Sleeping Bag
• Hiking Footwear and clothes.
• Camera
• Tripod and filters (optional but will improve your results)

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London Waterloo Station

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Organiser – Gary Box
When – Sunday 8th January 2012
Meet – London Waterloo Station (outside M&S food shop) at 9:40am
Cost – £12.00 (includes the train fare)

Summary

We will catch the 10:00am train from London Waterloo to Haslemere but get off early at Milford. Please note that for group discount tickets we must travel together. You are welcome to make your own way if you prefer but you will need to buy your own train tickets in that case.

From Milford station we will walk through Milford itself on towards Bagmore Common and then to the lakes of Warren Mere to the village of Thursley which has a possible lunch stop at the Three Horseshoes pub and a lovely old church.

http://www.threehorseshoesthursley.com/

The route then continues to the Devil’s Punchbowl, a large natural basin and well known beauty spot which has a cafe which could be a late alternative lunch stop.

The 18.7km (11.7 mile) route ends at Haslemere station where we will catch the train back to Waterloo (return journey time about 1 hour).

What to bring

• Walking boots
• Suitable hiking clothing for the season
• Rucksack
• WaterPacked lunch or money for a pub lunch / cafe stop

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Castlehaw Farm

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Organiser – Gary Box
Where – Howgills Bunk Barn, Castlehaw Farm, Castle Haw, Sedbergh, Cumbria LA10 5BA
When – June 1st-5th 2012 (Fri-Tues)
Cost – £114.00 (includes 4 nights accommodation and all guided hikes)

Summary

The bank holiday Monday we used to get at the end of May has been moved to the start of June for 2012 and the government has kindly given us the Tuesday as well to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. As a result I have decided to book 4 nights (Fri-Mon) at Howgills Bunkbarn in the Howgill Fells. The accommodation which is on three floors is within walking distance of the charming market town of Sedbergh which has a good selection of cafes, pubs and take away restaurants. The town is just inside the Yorkshire Dales National Park but is only 10 miles east of Kendal so at least one walking option will be within the Lake District National Park.

Main Street, Sedbergh

The Howgills Bunk Barn sleeps a total of 35 people in a total of 8 ensuite bedrooms. Since 2 of the bedrooms have a double bed with a single overhead we may limit the capacity to 33. Bedding and linen can be provided by the bunkhouse for a £6.00 charge for the duration of the stay, otherwise we will have to bring our own sleeping bags and towels.

The accommodation also has a lovely lounge / dining area with both plenty of tables and chairs as well as comfy sofas. A music system and DVD player are provided for some evening entertainment. There is a full sized kitchen as well as a smaller kitchenette plus a drying room and study room complete with internet access points.

Howgills Bunk Barn Lounge / Dining Room

The walks planned for this weekend will include:

The Fairfield Horseshoe from Ambleside
Since we are so close to The Lake District I thought we should include one of its classic walks over the weekend. This 17.5km (11 mile) route involves over 1100 metres of ascent and is likely to take a little in excess of 8 hours to complete. Many summits are reached including Heron Pike, Rydal Fell, Great Rigg, Fairfield, Hart Crag and Dove Crag. This really is a Lake District classic and requires Explorer maps OL5 & OL7.

The Calf from Sedbergh
One we can do from the accommodation door, this 14km (8.75 mile) route involves 686 metres of ascent, should take up to 6 hours to complete and includes the peaks of Calders and The Calf. Offers wide expansive views. OS Explorer OL19.

Calders, The Calf & Yarlside via Cautley Spout from The Cross Keys
This 10.5km (6.5 mile) route includes 796 metres of ascent and is likely to take 5 hours to complete. Cautley Spout is considered to be Cumbria’s finest waterfall.

The Howgill Fells 2000ft’ers
Similar to the previous walk but also including Fell Head and Randygill Top so it covers all the 2000ft peaks in The Howgill Fells in one walk (it excludes Cautley Spout waterfall though). The 18.5km (11.5 mile) route involves 1344 metres of ascent and is likey to take a little over 9 hours to complete. Route also starts in Cross Keys. OS Explorer OL19.

Details of what to bring and car sharing will follow.

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