|
|
|
|
HOME | ABOUT US | NEW MEMBERS | FAQs | MESSAGE BOARD | PHOTOS | LINKS |
|
Located in the main street of the town of Egremont, this recently refurbished camping barn has accommodation in small dormitories with en-suite showers. There is a wide selection of shops and pubs close by. On Saturday there will be a moderate 10 mile walk from Wasdale Head to the summit of Scafell Pike where there are great views over the Lake District and on a clear day as far as Scotland and the Isle of Man. At the end of the walk there will be the opportunity to sample the local brews from the famous Wasdale Head Inn. Sundays' walk will be 4.5 miles long visiting some of the spectacular waterfalls in the Elterwater-Ambleside area. Breakfast will be provided as part of the trip cost. On Saturday night we will eat at The Bridge Inn in Santon Bridge which has won many awards for its food. You will need to provide lunch for Saturday and Sunday. |
|
Booking Opens: FULLY BOOKED, please email Owain Roberts (owain_roberts5@hotmail.co.uk) to be added to the reserve list.
Organiser: Owain Roberts
Cost: £25, please make cheques payable to Owain Roberts
Number of places: 15
A long weekend at Swanage YHA in Dorset with breathtaking coast and countryside and steam railway.
There will be full days' walks on Saturday and Sunday including the SW coastal path, Harry's Rocks and Studland bay. On Monday there will be a shorter walk to Corfe Castle with steam train return.
Packed lunches can be pre-ordered from the YH if required. Dinners are also available from the YH which is licensed but we'll also be eating at recommended nearby pubs. Facilities in the YH include shop, self catering kitchen, restaurant, drying room, luggage store and cycle hire.
Cost: £75, including 3 nights bed and hot buffet breakfast but not transport costs.
Number of places: 20
Organiser: Martina Street
Booking: If you would like to book please email jurassic@madwalkers.org.uk from Friday 12th February.
Our annual trip to the Scottish Highlands for some challenging hikes on the trailing edge of winter. This year finds us further north in the majestic valley of Glen Coe, whose history is as dramatic as the scenery.
|
Munros are in plentiful supply here and provide a variety of choice for our itinery. The eastern end of the valley hosts the imposing Buachille Etive Mor, a mountain rarely found outside lists of top five favourite Scottish mountains. A short distance to the west sees the traditional start of the Aonach Eagach ridge, a 3km traverse forming the northern wall of the Glencoe valley and often suggested as the best traverse on the British mainland. The south side of the valley is home to the Three Sisters and the Hidden Valley, which a round trip to the summits of Bidean nam Bian (1150m) and Stob Coire Sgreamhach (1072m) takes in nicely. We'll be staying at the Glen Goe SYHA hostel Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. |
|
Our itinery will ultimately be dictated by the weather and snow conditions. Given that the Glen Coe area often retains snow into late spring/early summer and the earlier dates of Easter this year, safe ascent of some areas may require the experienced use of ice-axe and crampons.
However, the experience of all group members will be considered when selecting routes and the ownership or use of winter equipment is not compulsory. Having said that, a reasonable group split and availability of walk leaders may permit some winter routes to be undertaken for those with the gear and experience.
Easier options may be explored in the case of snow - Kinlochleven provides a good base for a number of Munros in the Mammores range and the non-technical ascent of Ben Nevis via the tourist path is also an option.
The plan is to travel up on the Friday morning, stopping en-route near Loch Lomond to take in Ben Arthur, more commonly known as the Cobbler (884m). Food at the Ben More Lodge in Crianlarich followed by timely arrival at Glen Coe YHA later in the evening may permit a visit to the well-known Clachaig Inn, the local watering hole and also a regular host to live bands. We then have 2 days to explore the Glen Coe area before returning on Monday morning, perhaps tackling Beinn Dorain (1076m) from Bridge of Orchy on the way past.
Booking: FULLY BOOKED, email Rick at glencoe@madwalkers.org.uk to be added to the reserve list.
Cost: £70, including one evening meal at the hostel and a variety of breakfast cereals. Not included in the cost is lunch material (bring your own), eating out and transport (we will lift-share where possible to save costs and parking room; there is very little at the hostel.)
Number of places: 10
Organiser: Rick Connor
Staying at the newly opened Llangollen Hostel which boasts all sorts of modern luxuries from en-suite dorm rooms through to wi-fi, the weekend will have three walks all rated between the 2.5 to 3.5 boot ratings.
|
The walks will include a trip on the Llangollen railway and walking back, a walk taking in Offa's Dyke path and the world famous aqueduct and finally a circular walk heading south west from Llangollen. Also for this weekend there will be the opportunity to do other activities such as canoeing, mountain climbing, cycling and possibly sight seeing. These will all be subject to an activity organiser and demand. Breakfast and lunch will be provided for all three days. For Saturday we will be eating at the Corn Mill restaurant which has a good selection of meat and veggie options. Sunday night will be catered. Cost: £55 (Cheques payable to MAD Walkers) Number of Places: 32 hostel based. There will be an option for an additional 10 people to book into surrounding accommodation - this must be run by the weekend organiser to confirm this. Booking Opens: Hostel is fully booked. If you would like to added to the reservation list please email jwbuckland@hotmail.com. If you would like to book alternative accommodation (B&Bs/Camping) and join the walks please email jwbuckland@hotmail.com beforehand. Organisers: Jon Buckland & Kathy Macdermid |
|
A long weekend at Mount Hooley YHA Bunkhouse, College Valley, a prime location amidst the Cheviot Hills, Pennine Way and the St Cuthberts route from Melrose to Holy Island.
Cost: TBC, likely to be around £50
Number of places: 22
Details: TBC
Organisers: Jo and Karin
Booking: If you would like to book please email hooley@madwalkers.org.uk from Friday 16th April.
MAD Walkers' weekends are very popular. They are a great way of really getting to know people, having a laugh and making the most of your weekend by exploring the great British countryside with your new friends. Their popularity means that we have to limit entry to members of the MAD Walkers (Group MR8). For safety and insurance reasons, all attendees have to book officially through the weekend leader. If you're not a MAD Walkers' member - join or transfer today!
Accommodation ranges from bothies, barns, YHA hostels, independent hostels and tents and anywhere else that will take us! We typically book for about 20-30 people and travel out on the Friday night sharing transport with two or three other people, wherever possible. It's a poor state of affairs if we don't make it to the pub for last orders! Meals are usually self-catering, but for more remote places where there are no shops or pubs serving food, meals are sometimes provided. It is all down to the decision of the weekend organiser.
If you have stayed at a hostel, bunkhouse or campsite that
has really impressed you please let the weekend coordinator know by emailing
so that we can consider them when organising future trips.
Walking
The difficulty of the walking really depends on several things, mainly the terrain. We do aim to offer a variety of walks on the weekend, which depends on the surrounding terrain and potential walk leaders coming forward. The final day's walk is generally shorter so that they finish earlier to allow people to get back home in reasonable time.
How to go on a weekend
First, make sure that you're a member of the MAD Walkers (Group MR8); if you aren't, join or transfer. Then check the weekends above to see if any of them appeal to you, and at what time they open for booking. This will be usually be at a specific social, which will be advised on the website and bulletin board. Please bring your membership card and a cheque or cash to pay. Included in the cost of the weekend is an administration charge, which covers the weekend leader's expenses with any surplus going to group funds.
Before booking, please ensure that you can cope with the walking difficulty. For example, much of the walking in the Lake District and Scotland is not suitable for people with questions about their fitness, or equally if the weekend leader has questions about their fitness. Please consult the weekend leader for reassurance.
After the weekend has opened for booking, any remaining spaces will be advertised on this page. Places are not reserved until full remittance or the specified deposit is received. The weekend leader decides on a maximum number of people on the weekend based on comfort in the accommodation and to make for easy management of the group whilst out on the walks.
Hopefully, you won't be too late, so good luck!
| © Manchester And District 20s-30s Rambling Group 2009 |
