Author Topic: Organised Walks/ Ramblers Etc  (Read 4817 times)

Robbosoul

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Organised Walks/ Ramblers Etc
« on: 20:55:57, 25/03/07 »
Biggest problem we have is actually getting out there and thinking of somewhere to go. A friend suggested the local ramblers assoc. who have a lot of walks but can anyone recommend or suggest alternatives. The one thing i do like about the Ramblers angle is that you only have toget to the starting point at a set time which will commit us to going rather than sleeping in and missing some great walking days. What do you think?
Robbo

myzeneye

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Re: Organised Walks/ Ramblers Etc
« Reply #1 on: 01:46:44, 26/03/07 »

dont get me wrong, for some, im sure their a great organisation which brings joy to many, but for me, i see myself as more of an ASBO rambler.... not that im a nuscience or anything, just young'ish and feeling well detached from the red sock all the gear and no idear brigade.... :-*

Snowman

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Re: Organised Walks/ Ramblers Etc
« Reply #2 on: 11:12:18, 26/03/07 »
100% agree with you myseneye.

Sure, the Ramblers' Association if great for a lot of walkers, but not for me.    My perception is that they are primarily for those who don't want to prepare their own walks, can't navigate, etc.   However having observed organised groups (not saying they were Ramblers), the peace and quiet that I thoroughly enjoy about walking is at something of a premium.

I have a great deal of respect for the work The Ramblers' Assoc. do, for example in ensuring that footpaths remain open despite the best efforts of a few landowners to 'make them difficult to use'.   Even more importantly, I understand that they have been quite active in exerting pressure to keep the hated 4x4s off our tracks.

S.

summitzero

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Re: Organised Walks/ Ramblers Etc
« Reply #3 on: 13:57:26, 26/03/07 »
You could always start a route section here or if you dont like that idea, then maybe looking around at the monthly mags, as most offer route guides?
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Mr. Blister

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Re: Organised Walks/ Ramblers Etc
« Reply #4 on: 17:24:14, 26/03/07 »
"The red sock all the gear and no idea brigade!" Ha Ha Ha, class.  ;D

I organise all my own walks - none of my companions can be bothered to, but I have to say I am starting to lean towards joining the RA.  I don't particularly like big groups of people, though, and like to roam at my leisure, you know explore interesting areas and such.  I feel that this would just make others frustrated.

And yet ... The RA seems to offer a lot of variety and resource.  It's something I might consider further down the line, I'm on the fence right now, undecided.

There's still tons of walks and routes that I haven't explored in my own region yet (East Yorkshire), before I would really go in for the RA.

Robbosoul

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Re: Organised Walks/ Ramblers Etc
« Reply #5 on: 22:26:33, 26/03/07 »
Thanks so far folks but its the organised bit that i,m leaning towards. For instance we could have gone last saturday but by the time we decided to go it wasn,t worth it so another weekend wasted. Thats why the idea of day and start time appeals to me but your right coz the missus doesn,t like the idea of big groups and not being able to do our own thing. I might take the advice and ask you guys for walks to go on as my map reading skills need honing up a bit.
keep the ideas coming meanwhile

Emma

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Re: Organised Walks/ Ramblers Etc
« Reply #6 on: 19:53:58, 08/04/07 »
I semi agree with the comments about the ramblers. I am a member and have joined a group for people in their 20s and 30s which is much better suited to me. It is still sooooo true what you say about 'all the gear, and no idea' and i feel many people in the group are like that. They talk the talk but can't actually do anything.

I find that, being a busy professional and the only person in my circle of friends who likes the outdoors, going for a walk with the group is a good thing for when i have little time and no company. I have recently been on fewer and fewer walks with the group - but i know there is always a walk i can go on if i want to get out but don't have the time to think of my own stuff.

I don't necessarily agree with the comment that it is for people who can't plan and navigate their own walks - i'm more than capable of doing that - and often take myself of further afield to do my own walks.

I think that you should give a younger walking  group a try.

Emma

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Re: Organised Walks/ Ramblers Etc
« Reply #7 on: 15:50:02, 09/04/07 »
I've been thinking about my previous reply. A walking group might be good to get you into the swing of things again, but if i'm really honest it can sometimes be annoying in a group.

Perhaps you could buy those green books with walks in, are they by jarold or something like that. You could use them as a start. some of them (if i remember rightly) are really short and easy, and others are longer or more challenging.

Or you could sit down with a map and plan your own half day walks. The advantage is that you don't need to be up early and decide too early whether you want to go out or not, because your walk will only be half a day anyway.

I have spent a couple of afternoons (during the miserable weather) planning some walks to do in the peaks. I don't live there, but when i planned them i knew there would be sometime soon when i'd just need to get out there for a few days. (I'm off to castleton for a few days on wednesday!)

Snowman

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Re: Organised Walks/ Ramblers Etc
« Reply #8 on: 11:54:24, 10/04/07 »
The green books you're referring to are OS books aren't they?   If so, they can be useful but the walks tend to be quite easy, even the longer walks that they call hard.

A few years ago I wouldn't have said this, but I was thumbing through a copy of Country Walker the other day, and looked at some of their routes over terrain that I know quite well, and was suprised to see that they were not the easy walks that used to be a trademark of that magazine.     Perhaps with Trail magazine's recent trend towards scrambling and climbing (which are wasted pages to me), Country Walker has taken up the mantle of serious walking (I'd need to read more copies to be sure).   

I always used to keep my old copies of Trail because if I was planning a few days away, a scan through them would provide me with a number of ideas.   I don't buy it anymore, but the walks in those old copies are still there so are a useful source.

S.

Mr. Blister

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Re: Organised Walks/ Ramblers Etc
« Reply #9 on: 17:17:14, 10/04/07 »
You know, I'm thinking of coming down off my fence.

I've always been a little cautious of the RA, as it seemed to me that everything they could do, I could quite easily do for myself.  I plan all my own walks, make sure there's always something for me to get distracted by on the way - a ruin here, a standing stone there.  In fact, I quite like Myzeneye comment about being an "ASBO walker".

BUT ... my hiking pals are getting fewer and fewer between, and I don't particularly like walking on my own, I like to have someone to shoot the breeze with, even if it is only to glorify the likes of Wainwright or John Merrill.  But it's the idea of crowds that bothers me, and all those colourful gore-tex jackets.  It would just spoil it wouldn't it.

Personally, I love pouring over maps and finding new ways to cross fields, but maybe one should make the plunge??  :-\

summitzero

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Re: Organised Walks/ Ramblers Etc
« Reply #10 on: 13:21:45, 11/04/07 »
How about instead of a walking group, we post one walk every week, with different levels, i.e comfortable ( grade c ), Mod ( grade b ), diff ( grade a ). Then maybe people can try the walk out on their own or with others?

Just a thought :)
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Crag Rat

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Re: Organised Walks/ Ramblers Etc
« Reply #11 on: 08:55:04, 13/04/07 »
Good idea SZ - I'd be up for putting some routes up if others were too.
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walkinggirluk

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Re: Organised Walks/ Ramblers Etc
« Reply #12 on: 10:28:21, 13/04/07 »
Sound good to me.  As sz mentioned it you can go first. ;D
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summitzero

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Re: Organised Walks/ Ramblers Etc
« Reply #13 on: 14:26:51, 13/04/07 »
WG Uk  ;D

Why not, i promise when i get home tonight i will put the first route on, erm now thats got me a thinking. 
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Robbosoul

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Re: Organised Walks/ Ramblers Etc
« Reply #14 on: 20:54:10, 19/04/07 »
Been away working for a couple of weeks but many thanks for the response eveyone.
Love the idea of putting our own walks on the site and grading gives everyone a choice. Top class thinking keep i

 

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