Put on your hiking boots
WELCOME to the first of a weekly look at news relating to the activities of walking clubs and community groups in Sligo.
From here on, The Sligo Champion will feature the latest news about upcoming walks, how to get involved in a local walking group, or even how to start up one yourself. This information will also be available weekly on the new SligoWalks.ie website.
There are now over 60 different waymarked walks in Sligo, all of which have been uploaded to the Sligo Walks website.
These range in level of difficulty from moderate to strenuous, and there is also great variety in terms of gradient, the type of walking terrain and distance.
On a weekly basis we will pick a selection of these walks and describe the preparation for the walk, where to park, some simple safety guidelines, and also how to ensure that the ‘ leave no trace’ policy is adhered to so that we can all enjoy the beautiful countryside that surrounds us.
At present there are several walking clubs in Sligo, as well as different community groups. Many have weekly excursions, which range from short walks in Sligo itself, through to trips away to neighbouring counties, and trips are even organized to head abroad for walking breaks.
From next week, we will bring you walking news relating to the activities of the clubs and community groups promoting walking in Sligo.
We’ ll let you know how to join up, whether there are any costs involved, and what basic equipment you should consider investing in – like hiking boots and rain gear – before you head out for a ramble in the countryside.
If you are a member of a walking club, you can also send us your news in relation to upcoming walks and excursions, and we also welcome reviews of any of the walks you or your group have done recently, and we can include photos from these outings.
These will appear on the Sligo Walks website and here in the Sligo Champion. You can email your reports to news@ sligowalks.ie and if you have a comment or recommendation for the Sligo Walks website, feel free to send that to us as well using the same email address.
Walking is a very enjoyable pastime whether as part of a group or on your own. It can also be hugely beneficial from the point of view of promoting physical and mental health wellbeing.
We’d like to promote all of the positive aspects relating to walking, so if you have some news, let us know, and hopefully, together, we’ ll grow the walking community in Sligo, enabling us all to get more active, more often.
Visit www.SligoWalks.ie for more info.