GO ON, GET OUT!
ALEADING champion of the outdoors is taking steps . . . to get people wheeling and walking!
The Youth Hostels Association’s six-week long 2023 Festival of Walking aims to get more people sampling the great outdoors.
With tried and tested walking routes all over England and Wales, the YHA’s popular calendar of free events will run from September 3 to October 19.
James Blake, chief executive of YHA (England & Wales), said: “YHA has more than 90 years of experience working with people of all ages in the outdoors, and we have seen first-hand the myriad health benefits associated with walking.”
YHA has produced more than 180 freeto-download circular walking routes – ranging from easy to severe and across a range of terrains, including towns and cities.
All tested by experienced walkers, they range from easy one milers to challenging 20-mile routes, and all start from and finish at a youth hostel.
Or the 4.7mile Haroldston and Druidston route in Broad Haven, which covers woodland, country, and coastal terrain during the walk.
There are a number of routes accessible to wheelchair users, including the beautiful, stile-free, 4.5-mile Gordale Scar and Malham Cove route in the Yorkshire Dales, suitable for powered wheelchairs and with accessible parking and toilet facilities.
The festival also features a programme of free-to-join social walks.
Led by qualified walk leaders, these offer a supported and safe space for people to get involved with walking, meet other walkers, and build confidence in the outdoors.
There’s also a 20% discount on youth hostel accommodation during the festival to encourage as many people as possible to get out and about.