Safety
First
Great Walks Challenge Events are managed by experienced walk leaders with safety and first-aid
training. Please read the safety guidance notes in the Challenge Info
Pack supplied to event participants.
The following notes are essential reading for those utilising Great Walks in Britain
routes for personal or team fundraising challenges.
Safety should always be your first priority
in planning and undertaking a walk, whether on your own or leading a
group. Please read these Safety First and Walking Our Routes notes.
Lead a group of
other walkers only if you have leadership and navigational experience
adequate for the ‘worst case’ conditions which may be encountered on
the particular walk, bearing in mind the terrain, possible weather and
navigational demands.
Weigh up the capabilities of your party, in terms
of fitness and walking speed. Adjust
your time expectations accordingly.
Ensure all your party are adequately clothed for the weather and conditions.
Footwear is particularly important.
Clothing must protect against cold, wet or strong sun according
to the time of year.
Emergencies are
quite rare, but it is essential to think ahead about what to do if
someone in your party sustains an injury. Will you have a First Aid kit
? Is there a qualified First Aider in the party ? How could help be
summoned in a serious eventuality ?
Refreshment, particularly water,
can be vital. Dehydration in
hot summer conditions can be rapid, and frequent intake of fluids is
essential.
On tougher walks
it
is a good idea to tell someone where you are planning to go – and when
you expect to be back. Remember
- mobile phones often lose reception in mountainous or isolated areas.
All our walks use legitimate routes:
Public Rights of Way, Public Footpaths, Bridleways, Permissive Paths,
Access Land, Byways and Roads.
Road
walking calls for particular care. When
there is no defined footpath or verge wide enough for safe walking it is
usually best to walk on the right – facing oncoming traffic.
An exception may be a tight bend, where walkers would be more
visible on the left.
Occasionally you may find a public footpath blocked or unuseable. It is perfectly in
order to take the shortest available diversion without damaging crops,
perhaps around a field margin.
It
is courteous to close gates after
passing through, sometimes even if the gate was open when you arrived
– particularly if it is obvious livestock may escape.
Mutual
respect for farm animals is to
be encouraged! Don’t frighten or annoy them, but equally don’t put
your party members in danger or discomfort.
You certainly wouldn’t be the first walkers to go round the
outside of a field of frisky bullocks.
Dogs should always be kept on a lead anywhere near farm animals, and under
close supervision elsewhere in the countryside.
Walking Our Routes
On mountain, moorland and open heathland walks it is ESSENTIAL to have navigational expertise and tools, including the recommended Ordnance Survey map(s).
Take care to observe any cautions in the route description; exposed paths, areas liable to flooding etc.
Consider conditions before setting off. Will heavy rain have made a water meadow impassable? Will frost or snow make a path slippery?
When navigating the route look for clues to confirm you are in the right place. Are map features where you would expect on the ground? Are features mentioned in the text where expected? If you suspect you may have taken a wrong turn, take action sooner rather than later. It is better to re-trace to a known point rather than carry on regardless with the possibility of becoming increasingly confused.
All our routes are carefully checked before publication, but features can change on the ground – sometimes surprisingly quickly. Footpaths may be re-routed, buildings can appear or change significantly and these days pub names seem to change frequently.
The approximate time given for each walk is based on an average walking speed of 2.5 miles per hour (4 km/hour), plus an allowance for ascent, descent and any difficult terrain.
Total ascent is the approximate total ascent over the whole walk.
GPS users can enter in the waypoints provided in each of our walk reports. It is important to read our guide Introducing GPS for Walkers, available as a PDF file from the Great Walks in Britain web site.
Remember that GPS is a great navigational tool, but only one of those available to the navigator. Never dispense with conventional map and compass – and the training and skills to use them, especially on mountain, moorland or open heathland walks.
Toughness Ratings have been allocated to every walk in the context of the terrain in the edition area. The Toughness Ratings are detailed in individual walk reports and the Edition page within this web site. For example, our Peak District ratings are shown in the panel below:
|
Most
of our Peak District routes can be undertaken by reasonably
fit walkers able to utilise the map segments and our recommended
Ordnance Survey maps, together with the route guidance notes.
|
Text & pictures are the
copyright of Great Walk Guides Ltd 2008
Mapping is copyright Great Walk Guides Ltd 2008
Developed under license from The Ordnance Survey
