19-26 Aug - Intermediate Rhondope
Mountains |
| Small hotels - Sue B & local guide -
Bulgaria |
|
| 7 nights full board (ex.
flight): £690 |
A new intermediate holiday in the
Rhondope mountains of Bulgaria with walks through gorges, and to caves,
waterfalls, and viewpoints with far-reaching views. (NB. New dates since WW
Brochure was printed).
Fuller detail
After a first night in
Plovdiv, Bulgaria's beautiful second city we will travel via one of the largest
and most atmopheric monasteries in Bulgaria - the Bachkovo Monastery - to the
lush Rhondope mountains in the south of Bulgaria. Though not as high as the
Rila and Pirin massifs, the Rondopi are none-the-less striking with their rocky
tops and outcrops, deep limestone gorges, fascinating caves, and beautiful
flower-filled meadows. Here we will be based in the remote village of Yagodina,
staying in ensuite single rooms at the Yagodina Hotel run by two sisters (no
single supplement). From here our walks will take us up through ancient forests
and nature reserves that are home to roe deer, wild boar, and brown bears, and
through lovely meadows full of flowers and butterflies. We will reach panoramic
viewpoints such as Mt Sveti Iliya, and explore stunning gorges such as the
Trigrad Gorge with a cave where local legend says Orpheus emerged from the
Underworld. Another cave, the Yagodina Cave not far from the village, is one of
the most beautiful and interesting caves in Bulgaria with stalactites,
stalagmites and a fascinating prehistoric dwelling
The last night of the
holiday will be spent in the capital, Sofia, before flying home the next day.
Guided by Sue B & local guide Svetoslava.
Travel - flight from Gatwick or
Manchester is not included Easyjet flight from Gatwick or
Manchester. (NB. Manchester flights are already available on Easyjet's
website!) For full Accommodation, Grade, &
Guide information - click the buttons below or use left hand menu
links.
Price includes: 7 nights full board
in a small hotels Staying in ensuite single rooms in Plovdiv, Yagodina,
& finally Sofia (no supplement)
Includes: all transfers &
transport; all meals except for last lunch snack in Sofia, entrance fees, &
guided walks. Not included: flight, drinks,
& customary tip for local guides & drivers (allow £30).
You can book online - or phone us on: 08456
445335
|
20-28 Aug - High Alpine
Jungfrau |
| High Alpine - Sara B -hotels, Inns, &
refuges |
|
| 8 nights part board (ex.
flight/train): £635 |
The Jungfrau Tour is a classic Alpine
trek with superb Swiss Alps scenery to rival the TMB. You carry your extra gear
throughout (spare clothes & sheet sleeping bag).
Fuller detail
The Tour of the Jungfrau
region (TJR) is a horseshoe trek among some of the most spectacular scenery in
all the Alps. It is a journey into the Bernese Oberland that will leave you
awestruck: ridges, summits and passes, glaciers, waterfalls, gorges, beautiful
mountain lakes, and always the extraordinary backdrop of the Eiger, Wetterhorn,
Silberhorn, Mönch, and Jungfrau. Most of the places you stay are in
atmospheric locations with breathtaking views, ranging from Alpine refuges with
bunk beds and mattress platforms to comfortable small hotels with twin rooms.
At certain points the trek includes short sections of fixed cables and some
exposed sections that will stretch your comfort zone. No luggage transport is
feasible, so you carry the extra clothes you need in your pack. At the mid
point of the trek you'll walk the famous Eiger trail to the foot of the Eiger's
north face where the summit will feel within arms' reach. Yet while this trek
is strenuous, none of it is technical or at altitude. All bedding is provided
so you'll only need a sheet liner. Spare gear can be kept to a minimum, and any
unwanted travel gear can be left at the hotel in Interlaken where the holiday
starts and finishes. You can catch the train there from either Geneva or Zurich
airport, buying your ticket at the airport station for approximately £54
return. Alternatively you can do the whole journey by train from the UK,
leaving in the morning and arriving in Interlaken at 19.35 for approximately
£123 return. Whether you fly/train or train/train, we can help you book
your tickets. The amazing mountain train from Interlaken to the start and end
of the trek is included in the price. Guided by Sara B who will meet you in
Interlaken station. Group size 8 max.
2008 photos coming
soon!
Travel - flight or train to Interlaken
is not included: You can fly to Geneva or Zurich from several UK
airports & take the train from the airport to Interlaken. Alternatively you
can take the train from the UK to Interlaken (from £123 return, taking
all day). For full Accommodation, Grade, &
Guide information - click the buttons below or use left hand menu
links.
Price includes: 8 nights part board
in Inns or small hotels, Pensions, and refuges Sleeping in 2-3 bedded
rooms, dormitories, or on refuge mattress platforms.
Includes: breakfasts & 6 evening
meals; mountain train & mountain bus beyond Interlaken to reach start of
trek. Not included: flight or train to Interlaken; lunches - for
lunch we will stop at huts & refuges along the way - from
£6-£9; 2 evening meals.
You can book online - or phone us on: 08456
445335
|
28 Aug-1 Sep - Peak District
Climbing Break |
| Youth hostel - Anita & Mo - Yorkshire
Dales |
|
| 4 nights full board, climbing
gear (ex. shoes): £350 |
This year the WW climbing break with
Anita & Mo is moving to the Peak District - offering 2 levels of
instruction for complete beginners to improvers, most of it out on the local
crags.
Fuller detail
Are you a complete beginner or have you
already done some climbing before? This new Peak District climbing holiday with
climbing instructors Anita and Mo will cater for both levels. On crags near to
Hathersage in the Peak District (& climbing wall in nearby Sheffield if the
weather is poor), you will learn how to climb safely: how to stretch and warm
up; use of static ropes, a harness, and other climbing equipment; and how to
belay yourself and your partner safely. You will develop personal climbing
skills to help you move more confidently from hold to hold, and how to abseil
back down - all great to learn with other women in a supportive environment. If
you have done some climbing before, this holiday will help you gain technique
and confidence for harder climbs. Before the end of the holiday there will be
an opportunity to learn about different kinds of equipment during a visit to a
local climbing shop. For both groups, making new friends to climb with is an
additional encouragement to take your climbing further. The holiday is based at
Hathersage youth hostel in Hathersage village (10 mins walk from Hathersage
station). Group size: 2 instructors to 12 women. Helmets, harnesses, and ropes
are included. Climbing shoes are not included since some women may already
possess a pair (Trainers are fine, or rock shoes can by bought at a climbing
shop in Hathersage if you wish).
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Travel - nearest train
station: Hathersage station is 400m away. For full Accommodation, Grade, & Guide information
- click the buttons below or use left hand menu links.
Price includes: 4 nights full board
at Hathersage YH Sharing a dormitory with other members of the
group.
Includes: breakfasts, packed
lunches, evening meals, instruction from 2 climbing instructors on a 1:6 ratio,
use of Sheffield Climbing Wall if necessary; most equipment hire. Not
included: Hire of rock shoes.
You can book online - or phone us on: 08456
445335
|
28 Aug-1 Sep - Low Int & Int
Hebden Bridge |
| Centre - Brenda & Sally - South
Pennines |
|
| 4 nights full board:
£320 |
This new venue in Calderdale is on the
hillside just above Hebden Bridge and offers a great choice of Low Intermediate
& Intermediate walks in Bronte country.
Fuller detail
Hebden House nestles on the side of the hill above the
old mill town of Hebden Bridge in the South Pennines - an ideal base from which
to explore the hills and valleys of Bronte country. Some walks will take us
through spectacular wooded valleys, walking beside the water as it pulsates and
pounds over rocks, hearing woodpeckers, and perhaps stopping for a paddle or a
dip! We can visit the unspoilt hilltop village of Heptonstall where Sylvia
Plath is buried, and walk the cobbled streets of Haworth where the Bronte
sisters lived. Other walks will take us along old packhorse routes and up onto
the less-trodden, purple moorlands of the Pennine watershed. Here we might hear
curlews and lapwings, and our views will stretch as far as Pendle Hill in the
north, and Blackstone Edge in the south. This holiday offers a choice of Low
Intermediate and Intermediate walks each day, and you can swap between grades
if you wish. Hebden House is furnished in a clean Scandinavian style with
ensuite twin and single rooms and a lovely lounge looking out onto a sheltered
patio. Hebden House is easy to reach by car, and Hebden station is less than 5
mins taxi drive away.
Travel - nearest train
station: Hebden Bridge station is less than 5 minutes taxi ride
away. For full Accommodation, Grade, &
Guide information - click the buttons below or use left hand menu
links.
Price includes: 4 nights full board
at Hebden House Staying in ensuite twins. Ensuite single rooms also
available with a supplement (Ensuite single supplement £10 a
night).
Includes: breakfasts, packed lunches,
evening meals, any transport to walks, + guided walks.
You can book online - or phone us on: 08456 445335
|
28 Aug-1 Sep - Low Intermediate
Hadrians Wall |
| Inn - Pam - Northumberland |
|
| 4 nights part board:
£330 |
A Northumberland holiday enjoying the
most scenic stretches of Hadrian's Wall - staying at the Twice Brewed Inn where
we have reserved mostly single rooms.
Fuller detail
Built in AD 122 during the time of Emperor
Hadrian to "separate the Romans from the barbarians", Hadrian's Wall is
Europe's largest surviving Roman monument and a UNESCO world heritage site.
This year's holiday is based at the Twice Brewed Inn which offers ensuite twin
rooms and a good number of standard doubles and twins that we can take as
singles (Single suppl. £10 a night). The food here is good, and the inn
has a prime location for exploring some of the most spectacular sections of the
Wall as well as the beautiful Northumbrian countryside beyond. There will be
milecastles, turrets, Robin Hood's tree, fascinating Roman forts, and dramatic
stretches of the Wall. On the last day we can walk from Vindolanda Fort up onto
Barcombe Fell for a last view of the wall receeding into the west. In the
evenings we will eat together at the inn (evening meals are not included - from
£12.00). (Nearest train station is Bardon Mill 2.5 miles away by taxi).
2008 photos coming
soon!
Travel - nearest train
station: Bardon Mill station - 2.5 miles away by taxi.
For full Accommodation, Grade, & Guide
information - click the buttons below or use left hand menu
links.
Price includes: 4 nights part board
at the Twice Brewed Inn Staying in Ensuite twin rooms. Standard single
rooms are also available (Single supplement £10.00 a night).
Includes: breakfasts, packed lunches,
transport by local bus along the wall if needed, + guided walks.
You can book online - or phone us on: 08456
445335
|
4-7 Sep - Walking, Contemplation,
& Yoga |
| Guest House - Jean - Gentle walks -
Grasmere |
|
| 3 nights full board:
£245 |
A chance to turn down the volume of
your busy life and listen to your inner knowing self. This year, Jean will
include yoga as part of this popular Walking & Contemplation break.
Fuller detail
This peaceful meditation
break is guided by Jean, based at Glenthorne Guest House in Grasmere. Over
these 3 days we will walk and talk, but also find opportunities for silence -
stopping somewhere special to sit, be with nature, and find our inner
stillness. A willingness to sit in silence and be still is all that is
necessary. The caring and sharing of the group will assist in this process of
turning down the volume of our busy lives, and participants should leave with a
stronger sense of connection with spirit, themselves, and each other. Jean, as
a yoga instructor, will also be offering at least one yoga session per day
(optional) so please bring a sit-mat and warm fleece for sitting outdoors, and
loose clothing for yoga sessions. We will be staying at comfortable Glenthorne
Guest House in Grasmere which also possesses an indoor yoga/meditation space
should the weather not be conducive to sitting outdoors. Glenthorne offers good
ensuite twin or single rooms (Ensuite single supplement £10 a night).
See photos and feedback from a previous W&C
holiday? Use your browser's Back button to return.
Travel - nearest train
station: Windermere, then frequent bus from the station forecourt to
Grasmere. 4 mins walk to Glenthorne. For full
Accommodation, Grade, & Guide information - click the buttons below
or use left hand menu links.
Price includes: 3 nights full board
at Glenthorne Guest House Staying in ensuite twins rooms or standard
singles. Ensuite singles are also available (Ensuite single suppl. £10 a
night).
Includes: breakfasts, packed lunches,
evening meals + guided walks.
You can book online - or phone us on: 08456
445335
|
4-7 Sep - Intermediate Snowdonia
|
| B&B & hostel - Anita -
Wales |
|
| 3 nights full board & all
luggage transport: £205 |
The Intermediate Snowdonia trek is
always so popular that we are repeating it this year in September. Easy to
reach by public transport.
Fuller detail
This exciting Intermediate
Snowdonia trek in September starts with a first night at the Dol Peris Hotel in
Llanberis which is easy to reach by train to Bangor, then local bus. From here
we set off for 2 nights at Snowdon Ranger hostel beside beautiful Llyn Cwellyn
(Llyn means lake), walking there over the saddle between Foel Goch and Moel
Cynghorion, and maybe detouring over the latter for great views of Snowdon. On
our second full day we can do a circular walk onto Mynydd Mawr across the lake,
seeing Snowdon again and the nearby Nantlle ridge, then stopping at the Cwellyn
Arms on our way back. On the last day we return to Llanberis, heading over Foel
Goch onto Moel Eilio, with wonderful views back to Llyn Cwellyn, and forward to
Llyn Dwythwch and the Llanberis lakes. It's all too good to miss, so don't book
your train home before 4pm! (Day pack only). Guided by Anita.
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May) Use your Browser back button to return here.
Train station: Bangor station, then
bus from the station to Llanberis. For full
Accommodation, Grade, & Guide information - click the buttons below
or use left hand menu links.
Price includes: 1 night part board
at Dol Peris B&B, & 2 nights full board at Snowdon Ranger
hostel Staying in shared ensuite rooms at the B&B, and a dormitory
at the hostel shared with other members of the group.
Includes: breakfasts, packed
lunches, 2 evening meals, all luggage transport between hostels, + guided
walks.
You can book online - or phone us on: 08456
445335
|
5-12 Sep - Gentle & Low Int
Croatia |
| Pension or Apartments - Madeline, Lorraine,
& Ivana |
|
| 7 nts full board (ex. flight
& 3 eve meals): £530 |
Olive groves & scented pine
woods
pebbly coves & little fishing villages
a monastery hidden
away in a gorge... this is the Dalmatian island of Brac.
Fuller detail
The Dalmatian island of Brac
lies off the coast from Split, threaded by lovely old mule tracks through olive
groves and pinewoods. Ancient chapels and monasteries dot the island while
along the rocky coast there are pebbly coves that invite a swim and small
picturesque fishing resorts. Sutivan is one of these - built of famous Brac
stone, and at night you can see the lights of Split across the water. Sutivan
has no hotels so we do as Croatians do and stay in small apartments, all within
walking distance of Pension Dora whose vine covered courtyard and
restaurant/bar we will use as our focal point. Here we will share breakfasts,
and meals on 4 evenings. On 3 evenings we'll eat out at seafront restaurants in
smaller groups (not included - from £8). The apartments are simple and
typically Croatian, some with ensuite rooms, others with 2 single rooms sharing
a bathroom and small kitchen. Some have a terrace for relaxing after walking,
others have sea views. At Pension Dora there are ensuite twins and singles.
Besides a choice of Gentle & Low Intermediate walks, we will also take a
day off to enjoy the sea, hire a bike or sea kayak, visit Diocletian's Palace,
or simply relax with a book! Guided by Lorraine, Madeline, & local guide
Ivana.
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Use your browser Back button to return.
Travel - flight to Split not
included: Flights to Split from Manchester (TCX) & Bristol (EZ) are
available now. Jet2 flies from Newcastle, but you would have to get your
own transfer. Flights from Birmingham & Southampton (Flybe), & London
Gatwick (EZ) will be available shortly. We can happily book it for you on the
Internet. Book early for the best prices! For
full Accommodation, Grade, & Guide information - click the buttons
below or use left hand menu links.
Price includes: 7 nights full board
in apartments or Pension Dora (excl. 3 eve meals) Staying in ensuite
twin rooms. Standard or ensuite single rooms also available (Std single suppl.
£5 a night; ensuite single suppl. £10 a night)
Includes: breakfasts, packed lunches,
4 evening meals, airport transfers, ferry to Brac, transport to walks, + guided
walks (includes local guide, Ivana). Not included:
Flight to Split; 3 evening meals; & any activity you do on the day off.
You can book online - or phone us on: 08456 445335
|
11-15 Sep - Intermediate
Borrowdale |
| Walking centre - Diana - Lake
District |
|
| 4 nights full board:
£305 |
4 days of wonderful days on the
intermediate fells of Borrowdale, staying at the Glaramara Centre near
Seatoller.
Fuller detail
This 4-night holiday with Diana gives
plenty of time for exploring all the best Intermediate walks on the glorious
Borrowdale fells. We might warm up by climbing the path to Dock Tarn which will
give us superb views over Eagle Crag and allow us to reach Watendlath Tarn. We
will also include the fabulous High Spy ridge where our efforts will be
rewarded with views in all directions and a lovely descent overlooking Derwent
Water. On other days we might be tempted by Haystacks near Buttermere -
Wainwrights's favourite fell, or rocky Glaramara - the fell across the valley
where we'll pass waterfalls on the way to the summit. If the weather keeps us
low, there will be plenty of lovely low rambles through Borrowdale to enjoy.
Glaramara Centre, though like a hostel in some respects, has mainly single
rooms without a supplement, serves good food, and is fantastic value in every
way. Its bar and large comfy lounge both have open log fires if needed, and the
general atmosphere is warm and friendly.
See
photos & feeback from a previous year's holiday? (in March) Use your
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Travel - nearest train
station: Penrith Station, then bus from the station to Keswick, and bus
up the valley. For full Accommodation, Grade,
& Guide information - click the buttons below or use left hand menu
links.
Price includes: 4 nights full board
at Glaramara Centre Staying in standard single rooms (without a
supplement).
Includes: breakfasts, packed lunches,
& evening meals, a choice of guided walks each day.
You can book online - or phone us on: 08456
445335
|
12-19 Sep - Low Intermediate Mull
2 |
| Small hotel - Fran - Scotland |
|
| 7 nights full board, includes
trip to Iona : £650 |
A second opportunity to explore the
stunning island of Mull and mystical Iona with Fran, staying at a comfortable
women-run hotel on Mull's south facing coast, above a lovely deserted cove with
views to die for.
Fuller detail
Mull is one of the largest of the Hebridean
islands off the west coast of Scotland. It has a long and strikingly beautiful
coastline of high cliffs and bays, with caves and rock arches, and views out to
the many smaller islands that surround it. Most notable of these is the 'Holy
Isle' of Iona where we will walk on one day. Another rewarding visit might be
to cathedral-like Fingle's Cave on the island of Staffa, whose geometrical
basalt pillars have even inspired a Mendelssohn overture! On other days we will
take beautiful walks along Mull's coastline, stopping at sandy bays, or walking
to other famous caves and rock features. Inland, our eyes will often be drawn
to the island's only munro, Ben Mor, and from a walk over its lower shoulder
there will be striking views back to the coast. We will be staying at women-run
Ardachy House Hotel on the south coast, overlooking the deserted sands of
Ardalanish Bay and the islands of Jura, Colonsay, and Islay. Iona is only 7
miles away; seals, otters and the elusive Corncrake are regular visitors to the
area, and there is a standing stone and Iron Age fort close by. The hotel
offers comfortable ensuite twin, double, and single bedrooms, and some of the
bedrooms and the residents' lounge have a lovely view towards the sea. Mull is
reached by train from Glasgow to Oban, then a magical ferry to Craignure on
Mull, & local bus from the ferry to Bunassen where Maggie & Cathy will
collect you. Guided by Fran.
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Travel to Mull: Mull is
reached by a magical ferry trip from Oban on Scottish mainland. Oban is served
in turn by train from Glasgow, and is also easily accessible by road (2.5 hours
from Glasgow). For full Accommodation, Grade,
& Guide information - click the buttons below or use left hand menu
links.
| |