To gain the most out of any walk put some time in to planning it. The more effort you put in before heading out, the more enjoyment the walk will be. Heading out in to an area you are not familiar with “on the hoof ” may sound great but largely is not. A guide…

One of the great attractions of a visit to the Yorkshire Dales are the picturesque villages. Only on a few occasions do they let let you down (I’m not naming them). However I do believe some are better than others and here are my Favourite 6 villages in the Yorkshire Dales. The criteria I have…

Where2walk have published a number of Guide Books on the walks and mountains of the British Isles. They are all written by local, walking enthusiasts with a unique knowledge of their local area and the best walks. Most of the books are only available to buy via the Where2walk website or local bookshops. This therefore…

One of the best ways of enjoying a walk is to hop on a train (or bus…or ferry) for a stop or two and walk back. The blog looks at most of the feasible transport options in the Dales, Lakes & Moors and my favourite walks as a result. Reasons to take a one way…

The Best Views in the Yorkshire Dales are not the obvious ones. Malham Cove, Aysgarth Falls and Bolton Abbey are lovely but are far too popular, over photographed and lack that element of surprise. My favourites involve a little walking (obviously) but the views make it all worthwhile. Take a look. These are the 5…

One of the main attractions of walking in the North York Moors is the variety of walks. Choose between the wild moors, peaceful countryside, ancient abbeys, forestry and riverside strolls. Add in the coast and the options are seemingly endless. The main issue therefore is which walks to choose. Having walked the area over a…

One of the great pleasures of walking in the Lake District are the mountain tarns. Created by the work of glaciers around 15,000 years ago the tarns are the location of many of the most picturesque views. These are my favourites. The tarns in the Lake District (known as corries in Scotland, cwms in Wales)…

Sadie and Michelle have been walking with me in the Lake District for 10 years. They love it but there real love is wild swimming with the temptations of lake and tarn all part of the walks we do. Charlotte (my daughter) caught up with them and here are their thoughts on this ever growing…

The best Wainwright fells stand alone and proud. As a result they tend to have their own personality, albeit steeped in Lake District clothing, and are not diminished by ridges and higher neighbours. This is a list of my 15 favourites, ones I happily return to time after time. Many of the Lake District fells…

Learning Navigation Skills is an important element when heading in the countryside. There are two distinctive levels of skills you should have. The first concentrates on the basics; map reading and overcoming many of the fears people have when heading into the outdoors. Once mastered learn the second set of skills which will take you…

I have listed the best walks in the Yorkshire Dales. If you complete all these walks you will, without doubt, have a full and proper knowledge of the Yorkshire Dales (or Dales as I prefer it to be called as it includes a couple of walks in the the Cumbrian Dales). The list of the…

Anyone! I did when climbing Tower Ridge on Ben Nevis. The groups and their motives I have taken out have proved this. I have led groups and individuals, old and younger, from these shores and further afield and organized groups and private parties. What they all have in common is the expectation that the guide…