Trekking and walking holidays

Getting out on foot is one of the most rewarding ways to explore the world!  Whether you want to just do short day walks or a more challenging trek through high mountains, there are hundreds of options to suit everyone.

Most ‘walks’ are at a fairly leisurely pace, stopping and sight seeing along the way.  ‘Treks’ are usually something more strenuous and sometimes involving the use of mountaineering equipment such as ropes and crampons.

I will search through many operators to find the right trip for you whether you want to join a group or go tailor made. Some Natural History holidays, particularly in Europe, involve plenty of beautiful scenery and botany are done on foot and around the Mediterranean there are plenty of  tours to historical and archeological sites that involve good long walks.  What about a trek in the Atlas mountains of Morocco or walks through the berber hill villages there?

If you like a leisurely walking holiday, moving between your accommodation each day on foot, ask me for either a self guided or walking point to point with a guide holiday.  In northern India there are some amazing holidays where you walk through the foothills of the Himalayas staying in villages along the way, which helps towards community tourism. Immerse yourself in the day to day life of the people of the mountains and breath in the clean air. There are lots of unusual and off the beaten track walking holidays in the mountains of Morocco, the medieval villages of Spain or ask me about rural hideaways from where you can enjoy day walks.

How about some of these unusual mountain challenges or trekking holidays?  Kamchatka Wilderness Trek in Russia – Mountains of the Moon in Uganda – Mini Annapurna Circuit in Nepal – Mt Fuji and the Japanese Alps – or what about climbing volcanoes?  Ask me about any mountain treks and I’ll find a group trip to suit you.

School groups and charity groups are often looking for a challenge and I have expertise on hand to help with this kind of trekking holiday, including guides used to dealing with large numbers of people and mixed grades of ability.

When you are assessing the suitability of a walking holiday you need to take into account the length of the walks or treks each day – how far can you walk in one go?  Bear in mind terrain underfoot will vary dramatically from day to day, strong footwear (already worn in!) is essential to a comfortable holiday. On longer and more challenging treks you will need porters and support staff and consider how remote you may be (or may want to be!).

Altitude sickness needs to be taken into consideration, the important thing when you are climbing a mountain is to take it slowly – as slowly as possible.  Also to ‘walk high, sleep low’, so once you have got to camp, take a walk a little higher up a mountain and come back to your tent to adjust to the altitude. Kilimanjaro, The Himalayas – try Bhutan and Nepal for stunning trekking holidays, The Andes in South America and the Alps in Europe are all popular high altitude climbs.

Of course, not all walking holidays are mountain treks! Walking along fairly flat terrain, enjoying the scenery, stopping along the way is a relaxing way to explore. Cyprus, Turkey and Greece all offer fantastic walks in the Mediterranean and in Africa, why not try a walking safari?  Zambia is a fabulous destination and the birthplace of walking safaris.  Either walking from bush camp to bush camp or taking walks early morning or late afternoon, gets you up close to the wildlife and allows your guide to show you the side of nature you don’t see from a vehicle – learn about tracks and signs, medicinal plant use and smell and hear the environment around you.  Some walking safaris will allow you to camp under the stars, simply sleeping on a bed roll round a campfire, like the days of the explorers!

So contact me for advice on the right holiday to you, to explore our Natural World on foot.