It’s fun to stay at the YHA

I was delighted to see that in the July issue of CW, Guy stayed at YHA Hartington (above) and that #minichallenge34 was about the Youth Hostel Association. As a family, we are members and Hartington was the first hostel we went to as a family with two young children. We have since been back and tried the camping pod over a frosty Easter weekend, and I had a solo trip in a dorm on a very hot weekend during the last World Cup. Guests gathered in the lounge room and cheered the Three Lions v Sweden quarter final.

YHAs are not only ideally located for walkers, cyclists and families in often-beautiful buildings like Hartington, Ilam or St Briavels, they are also a fantastic opportunity to connect with like-minded people. One of our favourites is Kings YHA in Snowdonia, nestled in a deep valley off Dolgellau. A stream runs in front of it and walks for all abilities are available from its doorstep, including Cadair Idris. We’ve been back three times a year for nearly a decade, and the owners are now friends. No TV and limited Wi-Fi, but a lounge with board games, books and an open fire make it a home from home.

Our last stay with friends was in February 2020, when a storm struck and a power cut affected the hostel on our arrival. This made for an atmospheric first night, with lots of blankets, torches and guests gathering near the open fire, our only source of heat! This sums up the spirit of the YHAs. Nadège Rutter, Solihull