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PREPARING FOR A LONG WALK

A grassy track climbs into the hills to cross the slopes of Cairnacay (Day 4, Speyside Way)

There are perhaps a few people who will fill a pack with the most inappropriate gear, tackle a national trail without any previous experience, and suffer no harm at all. Most who adopt this approach, however, will find themselves sore, and sorely inconvenienced, and may regret ever leaving home. Before embarking on something as ambitious as a national trail, spend a few weeks ensuring that you are physically and mentally fit for the trip, and overhaul the gear you plan to carry. Experienced long-distance walkers can skip the following sections, as they will already have evolved strategies and routines that are easily adapted to each and every trip they plan. Beginners will find that a little forethought will make all the difference as the days on the long trail unfold.

General Fitness

Walking long distances in all kinds of weather is always likely to present some difficulties, and those who have never done such a thing previously should be confident of their general health and wellbeing before setting out. The human body thrives on regular exercise, but it would be unwise for the unfit to suddenly shoulder a hefty pack and subject themselves to a long and arduous trek. Start gently and build up your fitness level to the point where a long-distance walk is good for your health, not an ordeal. Unless you can finish a simple day’s walk feeling refreshed and positively glowing with health, then you probably need to work at it with a bit more determination.

The next logical step is to discover whether you could also walk all day on the following day and still feel fit and ready for more. Devote a weekend to this kind of exercise and see how you feel on Monday morning. If it is a bank holiday Monday, use the opportunity to take a third day’s walk and confirm beyond doubt whether or not you are fit.

Next, you need to determine how well you cope while carrying more than your usual day-sack. If you intend camping along the length of a national trail, you will be carrying a heavy burden all day and every day, and you need to be sure that you are able to do it. Again, try it for two or three days, pitching the tent and making sure that all items of kit are useful and serviceable. If you feel comfortable with the day-in-day-out routine of walking, then you are probably in good shape to embark on any of the national trails.

Once on the trail, look after your health, whether that means eating and drinking wisely, or avoiding stress, strain and injury by trying to do too much. The commonest cause of misery on any long-distance walk is simply blisters, and as blisters are avoidable, it makes sense to deal with any rubbing or ‘hot spots’ as soon as they are noticed, rather than leaving them till too late. A sensible daily breakdown of the trail should ensure that you don’t over-tax yourself, so that you can start relatively fresh each day, rather than suffering aches, pains and fatigue.

You should find that your fitness increases over the duration of a trek, provided you don’t cause injury to yourself and compound each injury by continuing when you should be resting. Time for rest and recuperation is just as important as time spent covering the distance. Guard against dehydration by drinking sufficient water or soft drinks, and eat well to maintain health and energy levels. General hygiene is important, too, since sweaty bodies and clothes not only smell unpleasant, but could lead to distressing conditions such as chaffing or prickly heat – get into a routine to deal with washing and drying clothes. Also, take care to maintain equipment on the trail, especially if camping, as failure or loss of equipment could mean a swift end to the walk. For your own health and peace of mind, be sure that your equipment is tried and trusted before wearing or carrying it.

Packing

It either doesn’t fit in, or you can’t lift it – these are both sure signs that you’re packing too much. A pack that is too heavy on a long-distance walk is bound to cause misery, which isn’t what you want when you’re supposed to be having fun and revelling in the joys of the great outdoors. If you are overburdened, and only tackle the problem too late by posting the excess weight home, you will probably already be carrying injuries that need never have happened. A long-distance trek may be something that happens only once or twice a year, or it may even be the fulfilment of a lifetime dream, so don’t spoil it unnecessarily.

Almost everyone who embarks on a long-distance walk for the first time makes the mistake of getting a big backpack. Kit expands to fill the available space and you’ll pack far more than you really need. Tents and sleeping bags now tip the scales at less than a kilo each and squash down very small. Modern wicking and waterproof fabrics mean that bulky clothing is a thing of the past. No one really needs more than one change of lightweight clothing for the evening. A good choice of kit will sacrifice little in comfort, but much in weight and bulk.

Food also is the downfall of many – it is heavy and takes up space. Water is a kilo a litre. The lightweight backpacker is easily seduced into packing lots of lightweight meals, then walks past delightful little shops selling wholesome food almost every day on the trail. The obvious thing is to buy food when you need it, and pack only enough to get you to the next shop. On most national trails food can be bought on a daily basis, so there is no need to carry excess weight, and buying food along the way offers the chance to indulge in regional specialities, which is surely one of the great joys of travel.

A big, heavy, bulky pack is not only a tiresome burden, but an awkward one too. At some point a big pack will stick in narrow stiles, hit low branches, lodge in doorways, catch you off-balance in a gale, and probably clobber your travelling companion if you have one. Sometimes it may be funny, more often it will be annoying, and if you’re unlucky it could cause serious injury. Heavy packs also cause the wearer to lean forward, which stresses joints and restricts vision to the sight of feet shuffling monotonously onwards. A smaller, lighter pack leaves the wearer free to stand upright, walk tall and enjoy the splendour of the countryside.

A view of Loch Trool, close to the site of Robert the Bruce’s famous ambush site (Day 3, Southern Upland Way)

Before choosing to buy, read gear reviews in outdoor magazines, quiz retailers mercilessly, and continually ask yourself whether you really need everything on your list, or whether you can live without some of it. If you plan to trek with someone, a burden shared is a burden halved – a shared two-person tent is lighter than two one-person tents. Obviously you’ll still need two sleeping bags, but you won’t need two stoves, and coordinated packing means that both of you can carry considerably less than if you were travelling alone.

Baggage-carrying services operate on popular trails, while some companies offering self-guided walking tours arrange for accommodation providers to move baggage to the next night’s lodging. All of a sudden there is no need to think light – rather, it becomes very tempting to over-pack and include plenty of extra clothing, footwear and special treats. Having someone else move your pack will be expensive, but many walkers are happy to pay the price in order to be able to travel light.

Best Time of Year

Because many people take a summer holiday, it follows that many walkers who want to follow a national trail will do so in the summer. The weather is usually better and the daylight hours are longer, but bear in mind that some places will be very busy, and if using indoor accommodation it is wise to book well in advance to secure beds.

Most of the national trails could be walked at any time of year, although walkers have been asked not to follow the Hadrian’s Wall Path in the winter months, as the wet and muddy ground is easily eroded and this can lead to underlying archaeology being damaged. Those who wish to tackle one of the more remote high-level trails in winter should be aware that weather conditions can be severe – the highest stretch of the Pennine Way, for instance, holds the English records for the highest wind-speeds and most prolonged sub-zero temperatures!

In very general terms, trails in the gentle southeast of England will be easier to walk early in the year than trails further north, or at a higher level. The South West Coast Path can be a problem if attempted too early or too late in the year, since some of the crucial ferries across tidal inlets may not be operating. Heading far north into Scotland, midwinter daylight hours are really very short – as little as six hours. Spring starts early in the south of England and arrives later in northern Scotland, and springtime walkers can enjoy immensely colourful swathes of wild flowers, while deciduous trees gradually come into leaf. Autumn comes earlier in northern Scotland than in the south of England, and again this can be a delightful time to walk, as trees and bracken turn russet and gold. Provided the winter is not too wet and windy, walking a national trail can be enjoyable, but remember that accommodation and services might not be fully available. Deep snow is rare, but will lead to serious problems if progress is reduced to a crawl. On balance, long-distance walking in winter is best left to those with plenty of experience of difficult conditions.

In well-cultivated countryside, which generally means lowland regions, it is interesting to follow the slow rhythm of the seasons from the farmer’s perspective. Ploughing and sowing is followed by a period of slow growth where earthy colours are gradually replaced by fresh greens. Sheep give birth to their lambs, and cows to calves. Orchards bloom in spring, while oilseed rape blazes bright yellow in early summer, with wheat and barley turning gold in late summer. Come the harvest, apples and potatoes are picked and packed, cereal crops are mown down to stubble, and the land is prepared for the next crop. Those who walk throughout the year can observe the life and work of country folk, and if you use farmhouse accommodation, you can make further enquiries from those who know best.

Making Time

Most people have busy schedules at home and work, and it may seem almost impossible to pull together the necessary week or two to tackle a long-distance walk, especially if there are others who also have a claim on your precious holiday time. Some people are prepared to wait until retirement to chase their dream of walking a national trail, which is fair enough if you can bear to wait that long, but alternatively, you could clear a space in your diary and let nothing, absolutely nothing, occupy that space. Even if your life is filled with routines and you imagine yourself to be indispensable at home and work, you will find that most routines are easily broken, and you may be nowhere near as indispensable as you might like to think!

If you are the type who worries about whether you left the gas on at home, or cancelled the milk, or put out the cat before hitting the trail, then you probably need to relieve these worries by leaving someone in charge of things in your absence. If you like to ‘take work with you’ on your travels, then constantly phoning the office and chasing people will eat into your time on the trail, and is bound to limit your enjoyment. Moreover, if you intend to be in constant contact with the world while you walk, bear in mind that a mobile phone signal may not always be available when you want one.

My own preferred approach is simply to tidy up any remaining work, leave the house, and think no more about it until I return. Travelling by public transport to the trail, I’m happy to watch the scenery go by and take an occasional peek at my maps to familiarise myself more with the route. Loved ones will receive a postcard and my best wishes, while I make the most of the open trail and enjoy the walk to the greatest possible extent.

Swanlake Bay and West Moor Cliff, seen from East Moor Cliff near Manorbier (Day 11, Pembrokeshire Coast Path)

A well-wooded stretch of the riverside path on the approach to Reading (Day 5, Thames Path)

Who’s Going?

Some people prefer to walk on their own, others prefer company – there are no rules, but obviously anyone walking on their own is entirely responsible for their own safety. The solitary walker is a silent traveller, who probably notices more wildlife, and can please themselves when to walk, how far to walk, where to stay, where to eat, and generally is in control of everything that goes to make an enjoyable trip. On the other hand, walking with a companion is a joy shared, although a companion whose opinions and tastes differ radically to your own can either be a refreshing challenge, or a recipe for disaster.

I’m very much a solitary walker on the national trails, since I prefer the flexibility it gives me with all my arrangements. I meet other solitary walkers, of course, as well as couples and small groups of friends. Very rarely I meet a large group – either friends, or people who have enrolled for a tour offered by a guided walking holiday company. Walkers can be teenagers or senior citizens, and there are occasional families who walk the trails with very young and energetic children.

On the flip side, there are also people who seem entirely unsuited to walking long-distance routes, cursing their ill luck, or lamenting the performance of their companions, partners or children. Often enough, people you meet will be passing travellers, never to be seen again, but sometimes they will be walking your way for days on end and may become firm friends. There is no ‘typical’ long-distance walker – they come in all ages, shapes and sizes, as rich and varied as humanity itself. Some enjoy the experience, and some – sadly – seem to hate it, but they all share a common purpose on the trail.

Planning

This guide presents all the national trails to prospective walkers in a way that allows ease of comparison and contrast (see also the Route Summary table at the beginning of the book for an ‘at-a-glance’ overview). While some trails are short and easy, lending themselves to completion by beginners, others are much longer, or traverse rugged country, and are more likely to appeal to experienced walkers. Many trails have strong themes: they may follow a river or coastline, or they may traverse ranges of hills.

In this guide, simple location maps show the course of each trail, while gradient profiles show all the ups and downs. Suggested daily route breakdowns are offered, but walkers should feel free to adjust and amend these in any way that suits their particular pace and inclination. Some might split a long day’s walk over two days, while others will prefer to keep walking and may cover two days’ distance in one long day’s walk. As our American cousins would say: ‘Hike your own hike!’.

A beginner would do well to underestimate their abilities and plan accordingly. Don’t be tempted to cover huge distances in short time spans, but aim for something more leisurely. If you end up with a couple of hours to spare each day, you can be assured that the British countryside has more than enough charm and interest for you to make good use of the extra time. Ambitious schedules that are tied to pre-booked accommodation can result in disastrous trips. You may either feel the need to press on in deteriorating weather, when holding back would be more sensible, or when energy is flagging and your lodging is still a long way off, there is a temptation to call for a taxi or catch a bus, and so break the continuity of the journey.

Try to anticipate things that might go wrong or cause delays, and have some kind of contingency in mind to offset problems – if your overall plan includes a couple of ‘spare’ hours per day, these can be invaluable. If you think you may need to call on a taxi, or catch a bus at any point, be sure to collect telephone numbers and timetables well in advance, so that you don’t waste time searching at the last minute. A carefully made plan leaves you with much better control of your trip.

Public Transport

In this day and age, when most people travel by car, it is easy just to throw your pack into the boot, drive to the start of a national trail and start walking. The problems are, how do you get back to your car at the end of your journey, and will it be safe left for a couple of weeks in the middle of nowhere? In addition, is it a good idea to leave your car cluttering up someone else’s view of the countryside while you enjoy walking for days and weeks through wonderful scenery? Leaving a car at one end of a trail usually means a nightmare journey to retrieve it from the other end of the trail. In the case of the Pennine Way, for example, there are no direct services from Kirk Yetholm in the Scottish Borders to Edale in Derbyshire, a journey that would take a whole day to complete, even with good connections.

It seems to me that the most practical approach to joining and leaving any national trail is to use public transport, and work out good connections well in advance of travelling. My own preference is to cover the bulk of the outward and return travel using comfortable long-distance trains, such as those provided by Virgin or Cross Country Trains. A good connection with another train, or maybe a local bus service, is usually all that is needed to get me to the start of, or from the end of, each trail. An early morning start might ensure that several hours can be spent walking the trail the same day. At the end of a trail, either spend the last night indoors and devote the following day to travelling home, or finish with a morning walk and leave the afternoon free to travel home. Finishing late, rushing home and suffering poor connections can make what should be a triumphant return into something fraught with frustration and bad temper!

The view upstream from Victoria Bridge near the Inveroran Hotel (Day 5, West Highland Way)

Some national trails have dedicated public transport services, such as the Hadrian’s Wall Bus or Peddars Wayfarer. Other trails, such as the Cleveland Way, run through an area with walker-friendly bus services, such as the Moorsbus. A network of interlinked bus services covers most parts of the Pembrokeshire Coast Path. Walkers on the Great Glen Way from Fort William to Inverness can easily catch buses running parallel. Of course, not all trails are so well supported, and some services may be seasonal at best, but walkers who take the trouble to pick up timetables in advance will always be able to include public transport options in their plans, rather than having to chase details later.

Call on the services of Traveline to discover if there are any useful public transport services going your way – either telephone 0871 2002233, or check the website www.traveline.info.

Daily Routine

Walking a national trail means adopting an entirely different routine to that of usual daily life. First thing in the morning you rise from your sleeping bag or hostel bunk, or awake in an unfamiliar hotel or guesthouse room. If self-catering, breakfast is whatever you make of it, otherwise whatever your accommodation provider can offer (any special dietary requirements should be made known well in advance). Wise walkers will already be aware of the day’s weather forecast and will arrange their clothing to suit prevailing conditions.

Generally, most people will aim to start early on the trail, and this is easily arranged if you are camping or hostelling. However, negotiating early breakfasts with hotels and guesthouses requires tact, and consideration for the needs of your host – some will oblige and others will most definitely not!

Walking long distance in high summer means that you can make good use of extended hours of daylight. In the winter months, on the other hand, fewer daylight hours means shorter walks, or you risk continuing in darkness. The important thing to do, day after day, is pace yourself comfortably. Dawdling and dragging your feet will mean finishing late in the day, while rushing like a maniac along the trail could easily result in pain, fatigue and injury. Neither the hare nor the tortoise was right – the best approach lies in between.

Looking to Froward Point from Combe Point on the way to Dartmouth (Day 35, South West Coast Path)

Looking along the coast path as it heads from Port Quin towards Pentire Point (Day 12, South West Coast Path)

Take an interest in your surroundings, especially if it is unlikely you will ever pass that way again. Enjoy the scenery and photograph it if you want a lasting memory. Visit museums and country churches and take note of the vernacular architecture. Support little country shops and pubs wherever possible, and passing the time of day with local people can give access to founts of local knowledge. Mark the changing seasons and the effect this has on trees, flowers and wildlife. Have a chat with other walkers on the trail, especially those coming the other way, since they may have important information about conditions and facilities ahead. If you find a kindred spirit heading in the same direction as yourself, you may even find a friend for life. The daily routine on the trail should not be one of predictable drudgery, but should allow you to keep moving without undue stress or fatigue, leaving you free to savour the sheer joy of being alive and among some of the country’s most scenic and interesting landscapes.

Towards the end of each day, honour any advance bookings made with accommodation providers, and most importantly, phone and tell them if anything has upset your plans, making you late or unable to show. Some people worry and may call out the emergency services if they don’t hear from you. If you need collecting from the trail, or transporting to and from a pub or restaurant in the evening, be sure to make arrangements in advance, rather than springing this on your host at the last minute.

If the day has been hot and sweaty, you should rinse out clothes and hang them to dry, or if the day has been wet and miserable, be sure to get your clothes dried at the first opportunity, since that will make all the difference to morale in the morning. Those who prefer to camp in the wilds should be scrupulous about being as low key as possible, leaving no trace of their pitches. Also, be sure to pop your head out of the tent on clear nights, as the view of the stars above is often truly remarkable and stirs the soul (of all who walk the national trails, surely those who camp in the wilds are the most blessed).

Emergencies

Getting slightly lost, or suffering a minor cut or scrape, is quite likely to happen at some point on the trail, but is of no real consequence. If you are a rusty navigator, then keep an eye on your map and guide and take every opportunity to improve your skills. If you miss a turning, it is usually better to backtrack to a position where you are certain you are on course, rather than try to cut across country to pick up the trail at some other point. It is very rare that anyone becomes so hopelessly lost on a national trail that they need to be rescued, but walkers have been inconvenienced by straying off-route, losing time and energy while trying to undo their mistakes.

Serious injury is quite another matter. Anyone suffering a bad fall or an accident that leaves them unable to keep walking will need to be rescued. In upland areas, this will doubtless involve the nearest mountain rescue team, while in coastal areas it may involve the coastguard. As many of Britain’s national trails run through fairly gentle countryside, the usual ambulance, fire or police services might attend an evacuation. It all depends on the nature of the emergency, and the best thing for anyone to do is simply to alert the emergency services by calling 999 (or the European 112) and giving them full details so that they can make an appropriate response. Better still, walk with due care and attention to avoid emergency situations in the first place.