This past week-end I went on a walking holiday for the first time in years. I used to do them a lot when I was younger, tramping across the hills on rough ground or, on tracks and way marked paths.
I booked a trip with HF Holidays on a Tread Lightly weekend based at their Newfield Hall, Calton, Skipton – a few miles north of Skipton. I am not a member of HF Holidays.
Friday 12th April was the 200 mile drive to the Hall. There were delays on the M6 near Penrith where 3 lanes had to merge into 1. It took about 30 minutes to get through this. Was lucky not to be heading North on the M6 at this point. Some motor bikers appear to have blocked the motorway with all traffic diverted off the motorway onto the A6 around Shap. All I saw was a very long queue of almost static, single lane traffic heading North. On arrival there was a briefing by the 2 leaders with 9 people in the group overall. I chose Option 1 for both walks. I also had to select my meal plan for all 3 evenings and my packed lunch.
Saturday 13th April was the first walk to Gargrave. I started off OK but was at the back quite quickly. Then we crossed over a fence onto The Pennine Way and I started to struggle. You had to walk across a slightly boggy fields to the riverbank, along this bank for a wee stretch that was very boggy and full of mud. Even with 2 walking poles I struggled to keep my feet at times. Then we started an uphill walk. It wasn’t too steep but there was still lots of cloying muddy ground. I was too slow. I agreed to come off the hill and walk back to the Hall. Which I did but, slowly, not my normal pace. After a rest in my room, with lunch, I dozed odd for a bit, then went to the boot room to clean my boots of mud. Couldn’t do anything about my trousers but I tried to wash off the worst. I was back to walking normal pace at this point. After the evening meal we played indoor curling for 3 rounds.
Sunday 14th April. This was a better day. I decided I would walk on my own which the leaders weer OK with. I walked on the road to Malham. The first 2 miles were OK, decent pace for me. Then the traffic started. Malham you see is where the Yorkshire Dales Visitor Centre is based so a lot of people want to get there to walk up the hills for a few hours. I had a bright orange-ish jacket on so I could be seen. I had to stop many time to let traffic get past me. I could hear it coming up behind me and see in front of me most of the time. I stopped early at times and just stood still until they had passed. About 2 hours later I arrived in Malham. I had decided I would not be walking back. It would be dangerous. I took the bus back. Got back to my room about 15.00.
The holiday was OK in parts not in others. I realised I might struggle with this type of holiday in future and am thinking twice about my one to the Cotswolds in June, I don’t think I’ll be using HF again.
