GREAT BEYONDERS
Wise words from you out thereÉ
We always used to organise our own trips abroad but in 2016 we used Macs Adventures to help organise a self-driveand-walk tour in the south-west USA (just the two of us!) It was just fantastic. The locations were all in different national parks, from the Grand Canyon to Yosemite via Bryce Canyon, Zion and Death Valley. There were one or two recommended walks detailed for us in each location with spectacular drives in between. All the lodgings were pre-booked – but alterations to the venues were possible. The walks varied from fairly easy to quite strenuous, but again it was possible to program in walks for different abilities. Stunningly varied and unexpectedly amazing throughout! Frances Ipson
I love the feeling of just having to get from A to B each day, focusing on walking, caring for yourself and others physically, meeting psychological challenges and realising how little we actually need. Coastal paths and mountains are always spectacular, but we also derive huge understanding and pleasure from local walks near wherever we are staying, getting to know local flora and fauna and traditions and people. With modern technology (and I’m no expert) it is all so easy. That said – you can’t beat getting lost in a foreign or unfamiliar place and then finding your way! Helen Walker
Google had the answers to most of my questions, and joining forums or asking questions in online groups meant I could usually find somebody with fabulous information about where we were going. That really helped with organisation, what to see, where to stay etc. Tracey Parnell
I did my first ever walking holiday this year in the Black Forest in Germany. A friend and I chose to do a self-guided holiday through Whereabouts Holidays. We were given the full itinerary and route
for each day and just had to walk to the next guesthouse each day. Bags were transferred for us so we just had to take what we needed for each day’s walking. What a brilliant way to get to see another country. Also, the luxury of finding your hotel has a swimming pool after 16 miles trekking is a joy I never knew before! Lizzie Huckle
We organised our own flights, car hire and hotels in Arizona, Wyoming (above), Colorado, Utah and Nova Scotia, and did the most amazing walks. It involves lots of research and planning before booking, and poring over maps on dark evenings at home which I love! Our first trip abroad was scary but so satisfying, and gave me the confidence to think outside the box. I am 62 and my partner is 60 but we have walked in some very remote places, met a black bear on the trail in Wyoming, and seen things that most people only see in magazines. I feel blessed. Theresa Breuilly