Man and his Bog, by Barry Pilton, Corgi
Pennine Walkies, by Mark Wallington, Arrow
500 Mile Walkies, by Mark Wallington, Arrow.
Websites
The main online resource for all the national trails in England and Wales is www.nationaltrail.co.uk. This site gives links to the ‘official’ sites for each national trail, where abundant up-to-date information can be discovered. Most of the sites include accommodation details and plenty of other practical notes that are useful for anyone planning a trek. In Scotland, the four original classic ‘long-distance routes’ are now part of a wider selection of trails known as Scotland’s Great Trails, covered by the website www.scotlandsgreattrails.org.uk. Walkers who search the web for information will of course be able to find plenty of other resources, including ‘blog’-type accounts written and illustrated by walkers who have trekked the trails. (See also Appendix A, Useful Contacts.)
Accommodation
When the Pennine Way was opened in 1965 it was generally assumed that the majority of walkers would carry full packs and camp at intervals along the trail. Many did, but there was also good provision of youth hostels along the way, and the Youth Hostels Association once offered a service allowing walkers to book all their bed-nights in one fell swoop. Things have changed over the years, and while there are still plenty who camp, the provision of hostels has been drastically reduced. Many now choose to stay in bed-and-breakfast accommodation, and some are quite happy to pay someone else to make all the arrangements for them, booking their long-distance walk through commercial trekking companies.
Some national trails are eminently suitable for backpacking and camping, but others have very few campsites. Some trails have far more youth hostels than others, but Glyndŵr’s Way has none at all. Anyone planning to stay indoors every night will have to mix and match several types of accommodation. All the ‘official’ trail websites include searchable accommodation lists, and it is wise to refer to these at an early stage of planning. Some locations may offer plenty of lodgings, but may also be very popular and likely to completely run out of space in high summer. Other crucial stops may have nothing more than a single, small bed and breakfast, and if you can’t get your name on a bed, then your entire trip might fall apart because of it. The Southern Upland Way has some very long distances between services, and walkers will either have to cover that distance, camp in between, or spend a night at a bothy to get a roof over their heads. Careful planning will ensure that you have a bed each night.
The bracken slopes of Hergest Ridge rise above the village of Gladestry (Day 4, Offa’s Dyke Path)
I’m sure there are many who would love to walk a national trail, but find themselves overwhelmed by the minutiae of planning. For these people, all is not lost, since many trails are covered by commercial trekking companies who will, at a price, make all the arrangements. Usually, these are ‘self-guided’ treks, where walkers take care of their own navigation along the trail, with all their meals and accommodation booked and waiting for them. Some companies ensure that luggage is transported from place to place, so that walkers can travel light, carrying nothing more than a day-sack. If this appeals, then by all means make further enquiries, but the extra services come at a price, and not every trail is covered. In a very few instances, it may be possible to join a guided party along a national trail, but this is very rare.
Food and Drink
The national trails run through such rich and varied countryside that it is unsurprising to find services along the way can also be very varied. When a trail passes through a city or town, it is safe to assume that there will be abundant offers of food and drink, so there is no need to carry excess weight. While many villages will have a shop or two, and perhaps a pub and restaurant, many others will have absolutely nothing to offer the passing wayfarer, and you need to know in advance what you are likely to find. There is little point carrying huge loads of food past lots of convenient shops, but it is much worse to have no food at all, and no chance of buying any.
Gritstone outcrops jut from the bleak moors around Gorple and Widdop (Day 6, Pennine Bridleway)
Rural services are in decline in some places, and increasing in others. Check the ‘official’ website for each trail to discover the likely availability of services such as pubs, restaurants, cafés and shops. However, also be aware that the provision of services can change, with businesses opening in some places and closing in others. Bear in mind that some shops and pubs in rural areas open and close at odd hours, and even a thriving town might observe a rigorous half-day closing. It is a good idea to make sure you always have a little extra food in your pack, just to cover emergencies. (I once walked into a village and headed for a shop that I knew from previous visits, only to find it had closed its doors for the last time just two days earlier!)
Tourist Information Centres
Walking into a tourist information centre to ask for detailed route directions will generally cause raised eyebrows – use your map and guidebook for all that! However, TICs are the best places to head if you need any kind of hard, local, up-to-date information. If you are travelling and taking pot luck on the availability of accommodation, then most TICs will be able to help you find a bed. The expertise of TIC staff can save you a huge amount of time and frustration walking from door to door, or making expensive rounds of phone calls. If you need information about local attractions and public transport, they can help, and they usually keep detailed notes of opening times for museums and heritage centres, along with admission prices. Many TICs are good sources of local maps and guides, if you find yourself in an area that you may want to return to and explore more thoroughly in the future.
PREPARING FOR A LONG WALK
A grassy track climbs into the hills to cross the slopes of Cairnacay (Day 4, Speyside Way)
There are perhaps a few people who will fill a pack with the most inappropriate gear, tackle a national trail without any previous experience, and suffer no harm at all. Most who adopt this approach, however, will find themselves sore, and sorely inconvenienced, and may regret ever leaving home. Before embarking on something as ambitious as a national trail, spend a few weeks ensuring that you are physically and mentally fit for the trip, and overhaul the gear you plan to carry. Experienced long-distance walkers can skip the following sections, as they will already have evolved strategies and routines that are easily adapted to each and every trip they plan. Beginners will find that a little forethought will make all the difference as the days on the long trail unfold.
General Fitness
Walking long distances in all kinds of weather is always likely to present some difficulties, and those who have never done such a thing previously should be confident of their general health and wellbeing before setting out. The human body thrives on regular exercise, but it would be unwise for the unfit to suddenly shoulder a hefty pack and subject themselves to a long and arduous trek. Start gently and build up your fitness level to the point where a long-distance walk is good for your health, not an ordeal. Unless you can finish a simple day’s walk feeling refreshed and positively glowing with health, then you probably need to work at it with a bit more determination.
The next logical step is to discover whether you could also walk all day on the following day and still feel fit and ready for more.
