High Point Holidays Walking Holidays Brochure 2019 2019

Choosing Your Walking Holiday Walking Grades When choosing your walking holiday you need to consider whether the amount and difficulty of the walking is a good match to your abilities and experience. We grade all our walks from Easy to Strenuous based on the daily hours walked, the amount of ascent and descent, and the type of terrain. We then give a recommendation as to the walker's experience and fitness for each grade. Challenging Easy Less than 5 hours walking per day at a gentle pace with less than 250m (820 feet) ascent/descent. Generally good paths on undulating terrain with gen- tle gradients. Average distances 10 – 15km Anybody in reasonable health should enjoy this grade of walk- ing. No previous walking experience required. Moderate Average walks of between 4-6 hours, with the odd longer day and less than 500m (1650 feet) as- cent/descent. Generally on good paths although there could be steeper sections with rough condi- tions underfoot. Distances average about 15 - 20km per day, although on some holidays they can be longer. You should have experience of day walking and be in reasonable health. Moderate to Challenging Average walks of between 4-7 hours, with up to 750m (2450 feet) ascent/descent in the day. The terrain is often more rugged (but not necessarily mountainous) with some rough paths, with longer and steeper ascents/descents. The distances are often similar to the moderate grade but combined with the extra climbs they make for a more difficult week. These holidays can be in both hilly regions such as the Beaujolais in France or in higher mountains such as the Pyrenees. You should have recent experience of day walking in upland terrain, be surefooted and have a reasonable level of fitness. Some holidays may require a good head for heights. Walks of between 5-8 hours, with average altitude gains of 750 – 1000m (3300 feet) per day, but with the odd more difficult or longer day. Rugged paths in mountainous areas such as the Alps with prolonged ascents/descents some of which can be steep. There could be sections of easy scrambling (using hands for stability and assistance), which are highlighted on the specific website holiday page. Factors such as the altitude at which you are walking and backpacking can make some holidays relatively more difficult. In addition, local elements such as the weather conditions and snow on the ground can have an impact on the relative difficulty of the walk. You should be a regular walker with mountain walking experience, with a good level of fitness and a good head for heights. Strenuous Walks of between 5-9 hours, with altitude gains averaging over 1000m (3300 feet) per day involv- ing prolonged ascents/descents. Rugged paths in mountainous areas such as the Alps with prolonged ascents/descents some of which can be steep. There could be sections of easy scrambling (using hands for stability and assistance). These mountainous holidays often contain several difficult days one after the other and are some- times made more strenuous by walking at altitude, backpacking or difficult mountainous terrain where route finding is problematic. In addition, local elements such as the weather conditions and snow on the ground can have an impact on the relative difficulty of the walks. You should be a regular mountain walker, with a good level of experience and fitness with a good head for heights. Experience of walking in the Alps and in snowy conditions is preferable. Holiday Profile Guided Walking Holiday As well as the Grade symbols above, on our holiday pages we use symbols to identify whether the holiday is self guided only or is also available as a guided holiday—see right. Self-Guided or Independent Walking Holiday A holiday can also be described as Linear or Centre based: Linear Trail: Walking between guest houses most days Centre-based: Staying in 1 to 3 guest houses with circular day walks sometimes with link walks between them. Please note that on our website you’ll find much more information about the make up of each walking day as well as the region. www.highpointholidays.co.uk 11

High Point Holidays Walking Holidays Brochure 2019 2019 | Page 11