Some people may be simply looking for an escape into the great outdoors where they can meet other walkers and stroll a few miles each day; other people may be looking for challenging treks up rugged mountainsides. So it’s important first to establish what kind of walking holiday you want. Here are some questions you may want to ask when choosing a walking holiday:

Where do I want to walk – countryside, near the sea, urban, a mixture of all?
What would I like to see and do? There are specialist walking holidays for bird watching, photography, literature, etc.
How difficult or strenuous will the walks be?
How many miles/hours a day will I have to walk?
Will my level of fitness be adequate for this particular walk?
Will I go with family or friends or do I want to meet new people and arrange a walking holiday with a specialist company?
What accommodation/meals are provided? Some trips take you back to base
each evening, whilst others stay at different places each night.
Will the walking holiday provider take care of all the organisation for me?

Some companies specialising in walking holidays ‘grade’ their walks into categories of ‘degrees of difficulty’, taking into account:

As you can see, there are quite a few considerations to be made before committing yourself to a walking holiday. But once you make that choice and you are on your way, there is nothing like ‘chilling out’ in the great outdoors, away from the ‘getting and the spending’ as the poet Wordsworth called it.

The Right Shoes

The following tips will help you buy the right shoes for your walking holiday:

· Try them on late in the day – your feet tend to swell as the day wears on
· Wear socks similar to those you will be walking in – perhaps you like wearing thicker socks
· Do they feel flexible – do they support your weight?
· Is there enough space in the toe-box for you to wiggle your toes? When you push off, your
toes will want to expand and spread
· Is the heel firm enough? It should be firm but not rigid
· Walk around the shop. If they are not comfortable, don’t buy them. Don’t fall for sales talk
that they will wear in and expand – they probably won’t.

The Right Socks

To get the best out of your walking holiday, it is essential to kit yourself out with socks that not only protect the feet from injury, but disperse or ‘wick away’ perspiration which would otherwise eat into the lining of your shoes. Since each foot can sweat as much as a cup of perspiration a day, shoes can be easily damaged and they can become uncomfortable, causing corns and blisters. The best socks are those which provide cushioning and which draw perspiration away from your feet leaving them dry and cool – blends of synthetics with cotton or all-synthetic socks such as orlon, polypropylene and stretch nylon, or a mixture of these. Change your socks every day and, on long walks, if your feet perspire a lot, change your socks whenever they get wet. Consider socks that are padded in high-impact areas like the heel and toe and others with additional cushioning on the sole and top of the sock. You really will be ‘walking on air’.

The Right Clothing

After choosing suitable shoes and socks for your walking holiday, the next thing is to consider the type of clothing you are planning to wear – and that depends on the weather:

Hot weather. During hot weather, wear light-coloured clothes to reflect the heat and light. Although cotton is comfortable, when you sweat it gets wet, and tends to stay wet. So go for synthetic fibres, such as polypropylene, that wick moisture away from the skin and dry quickly. If you’re walking in the sun it’s an idea to wear a brimmed hat.

Cold weather. We’d certainly recommend picking up some North Face clothing from Blacks on-line. On cold days, the trick is to make sure your extremities are kept warm. Cover your head and neck, and wear gloves. And wear several light layers of clothing that you can add or remove while you walk. Start with an inner layer of synthetic wicking materials (such as the ones used in hot weather). Then follow with an insulating layer such as wool or a lightweight fleece material, with a zipper to warm up or cool down during your walk. Your outer layer should be water resistant and a wind stopper. Never let the rain put you off. Water-resistant fabrics such as Gore-Tex or Sympatex are light, they breathe, and they work. They may not be cheap, but they are a good investment for walking holidays in inclement weather.