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To ensure that your holiday is an enjoyable and successful one it is
important that you choose a holiday that is within you capabilities.
For this reason each of our holidays is given a grading from A to
E, with E being the most difficult grading. The grading of each trek
is clearly stated on the internet site and in any brochure material.
You should also read the detailed itinerary for each holiday to ensure
that you are comfortable with the distances and descriptions described
therein.
Clearly everyone’s definition of what is comfortable and what
is tough will vary and that is why we provide this breakdown of our
definitions and examples for you. Things to consider when assessing
the grading of the walk include distance walked each day, average daily
ascent and descent, remoteness of the trail and the likely trail conditions,
and likely weather patterns to be experienced. The degree of difficulty
is also affected by the time of year the holiday is undertaken and
we cannot account for that in our assessment. Consequently each of
the treks is graded based on optimum weather conditions.
This involves easy walking on either coastal paths or low-level country
paths with little in the way of ascent and descent. These treks are
often suitable for occasional walkers.
Examples: Peddars Way and North Norfolk Coast
These walks are normally in hills, low mountains or along more mountainous
or tricky coasts. Experience of walking in hills or mountains is preferred
but the primary requirement is good health and a reasonable level of
fitness.
Examples: Cornish Coastal Path, Dingle Way, Hadrian’s Wall.
For these walks it is important that you are reasonably fit before
you embark on your holiday. Experience of walking in mountains is a
must and you must be comfortable with walking in, but usually at significantly
higher altitudes; climate and remoteness can also play a part. Walking
days are usually between 6 to 8 hours although there may be some longer
days for pass-crossing or similar. Previous trekking experience is
desirable but not essential if you are confident of your physical condition.
Examples: Kerry Way and Lake District.
These treks are for the experienced mountain walker. You need to be
comfortable with walking along ridges with a degree of exposure and
in handling steep ascent and descent daily. Experience of dealing with
difficult terrain is necessary as you may encounter scree, scrambling
or snow underfoot. High passes or dealing with difficult paths on steep
mountainsides may well be a feature. You need to be very fit and have
good stamina as you will normally be walking for most of the day each
day.
Examples: Pyrenees and Swiss Pass Route.
This grading is for treks that have additional difficulty in excess
of our Grade D treks. Additional factors that might give rise to a
Grade E rating would include very high altitudes, glaciers or tricky
river crossings, significant peak ascents or perhaps may include non-technical
climbing. Any of these factors may also require the use of specialised
equipment such as crampons or ice axes. If specialised equipment is
required you must be experienced in its use.
Examples: We are not currently offering any treks with an E grading.
Although we provide you with detailed walking instructions and maps
for each day, walking means being prepared for the unexpected, and
you should be able to navigate in open countryside using a map and
compass.
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