|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Adventures with walking sticks are an important part of life at Classic
Canes. Here are some of our favourite long distance walks, and others
we would love to find time to undertake:
For 2019, we felt we'd like to explore our neighboring county of Devon. The coast-to-coast path starts at Wembury on the south coast and crosses Dartmoor, central Devon and Exmoor to reach the north coast at Lynmouth, eight days and 117 miles later. We stayed in wonderful pubs, Morag enjoyed swimming in many different rivers and I even joined her on a particularly hot day on Exmoor. We saw Bronze Age dwellings, standing stones and stone circles, reminding us how much history there is right under our noses in Britain's beautiful West Country.
In 2018, Malcolm and Charlotte completed a 99km stretch of this beautiful path through rural Germany. We started at Brilon and finished four days later at Giller, near Hilchenbach. We saw a lot of Christmas tree farming and timed our trip for when the white asparagus was in season; we think we had it for every meal. Delicious.
This was the challenge of summer 2017. Starting
in the Peak District National Park, this 266 mile walk proceeds up the
Pennines (the 'backbone of England'), through Yorkshire, through
Northumberland, through the Cheviot Hills and finishes in Kirk Yetholm
in the Scottish Borders. Charlotte and Malcolm, accompanied for the first time by young Morag, walked for six days, covering the middle stretch of this great walk: Malham Cove to Dufton, which is approximately 80 miles. It rained every day but the waterfalls were magnificent.
The Rheinsteig: The Upper Middle Rhine, Germany www.romantic-germany.info
What
a fabulous walk this was! The Rheinsteig is an eight day hike from
Rüdesheim to Koblenz of 117 km (approximately 73 miles), through
surprisingly varied scenery of farmland, vineyards, forest and
attractive little villages, often with a view of the majestic Rhine far
below. In the evenings we descended to the riverside towns such as
Boppard and Braubach for excellent meals and to enjoy the local
Reislings. Our Classic Canes folding trekking poles were essential kit,
especially on the very rocky parts where hand ropes were provided! Our
illustrated report on this, our 2015 walk, can be read at: Eight days on the Rheinsteig.
The King Ludwig Way www.koenig-ludwig-weg.de
This
was the challenge of June 2014 for Charlotte and Malcolm. The King
Ludwig Way is a 120km footpath through Bavaria in Germany, from Lake
Starnberg (where Ludwig II's body was found in mysterious circumstances
in 1886), past many famous baroque churches and monasteries, to the
fairytale castle Neuschwanstein that Ludwig built at the edge of the
Alps. The walk is scenic rather than difficult, so there was plenty of
time for Bavarian food and beer along the way. We took Classic Canes
folding trekking poles; the easiest way to fly and hike. See the
photographs at King Ludwig Way | König Ludwig Weg
The South West Coast Path www.swcp.org.uk
This
beautiful path covers 630 miles from Minehead on the north Somerset
coast, right around Land's End in Cornwall, to Poole in Dorset. In
2003, Charlotte, Malcolm and a succession of dogs started walking
Britain's longest national trail at the rate of one week a year,
finishing at long last in June 2010. The total ascent over the 630 miles
is equivelent to more than three Everests! It was a fabulous
experience and we recommend it thoroughly.
The Pembrokeshire Coast Path, Wales www.visitpembrokeshire.com
Charlotte,
Malcolm and Boris are in the process of completing this beautiful walk
by tackling it in stages when time allows. The path covers 186 miles
from St Dogmaels to Amroth, through diverse scenery on north, west and
south facing coasts. We have seen choughs, porpoises, seals and red
kites along the way, as well as enjoying the beautiful weather and
fabulous sandy beaches. The total ascent of the path is 35,000 feet
(equivelant to just the one Everest) so we need our Classic Canes
trekking poles....
The West Highland Way www.west-highland-way.co.uk
95
miles from Milngavie to Fort William, this wonderful Scottish walk
passes from the lowlands to the highlands, much of it on old drove
roads. Highlights of the walk include beautiful Loch Lomond,
Charlotte's favourite mountain - Buchail Etive Mor, and the impressive
Devil's Staircase.
The Southern Upland Way www.southernuplandway.gov.uk
Another
Scottish walk, this one is 212 miles, coast to coast from Portpatrick
in the south west of the country to Cockburnspath by the North Sea. The
terrain is very varied, covering remote moors, farmland and woodland.
Exmoor www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk
There
are many wonderful walks on Exmoor, taking in such famous scenery as
the Doone Valley, Dunkery Beacon (the highest point on Exmoor), Tarr
Steps and the beautiful Horner Woods. One of our favourites is to park
at Tarr Steps, follow the River Barle to Withypool and return via
Winsford Hill, where wild Exmoor ponies can often be seen. A favourite
of the Classic Canes golden retrievers!
Il Sentiero dei Fortini (The Walk of the Old Forts), Capri, Italy www.italytraveller.com
A short but perfect 6km path along the west coast of Capri from the
Grotta Azzurra in the north to the lighthouse at Punta Carena. A series
of ceramic tiles set into the limestone rocks along the way illustrate
the flora and fauna of Capri, including the European Whip Snake, one of
which we encountered! The dazzling blue of the sea and gleaming white
of the cliffs make this a truly memorable walk.
and some we dream of doing:
The National Forest Way, UK www.thenationalforestway.co.uk
A
new walk of 75 miles from the National Forest Memorial Arboretum in
Staffordshire to Beacon Hill Country Park in Leicestershire. It is of
great cultural interest too as it demonstrates the area's evolution from
a rural landscape, through industrialisation and decline, to the
modern-day creation of a new forest.
The walk to Everest Base Camp
Definitely
not to be undertaken without Classic Canes trekking poles. None of us
have yet done it, so we stand in awe of our long-standing customer, Mr
David Jones of T Jones & Son, Oswestry, who has. Here is his
photograph to prove it (note the Classic Canes trekking pole held
proudly aloft!).
The Eagle Walk www.austria.info
The
longest walk in Europe, Austria's Eagle Walk covers 1480km; we like the
look of the 180km section that runs the length of the Tirol. The
mountains, flora and fauna are all spectacular; we would take the
Classic Canes monopod camera stave (ref. 3569) to ensure perfect
photographs of this beautiful region.
The Appalacian Trail www.appalachiantrail.org
At
2,178 miles, this famous North American walk would be a huge
undertaking! It starts in Georgia and finishes in Maine, passing
through a total of fourteen US states and eight national forests. We
would carry substantial Classic Canes hiking staffs in case we met any
bears….
The Inca Trail www.incatrailperu.com
Just
26 miles, but apparently rather steep and with lots of steps, the Inca
Trail to Machu Picchu looks rather fantastic. If only we could find a
stockist in Peru to justify our visit as a business trip. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
