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Ramblers Walking Holidays
Preston and District Walking Club is a member of The Walking Partnership. This partnership, supported by Ramblers Worldwide Holidays, provides direct financial contributions to local walking groups to help with organising group walks, encouraging people to get out walking, helping to clear and improve footpaths, providing equipment to help walkers etc. Over the past 65 years, Ramblers Worldwide Holidays has given many millions of pounds to assist walking charities and conservation projects in Britain and the countries they visit on their worldwide holidays. Our group benefits directly.
Ramblers Worldwide Holidays operate group walking holidays in the UK and all around the world. Each holiday is accompanied by a qualified walks leader, so you can leave all the organising to them and just enjoy meeting like minded people and of course, some fantastic walking. Holidays are graded in terms of difficulty, and there is a full range from sightseeing right up to hut-to-hut mountain treks. Take a look at their website by clicking below or give them a call on 01707 331133 for more details or to order a brochure.
Click here to visit the Ramblers Holidays Website
Remember when you book to quote the name of our group, and we will then receive a contribution of £10 per person on UK holidays, £20 per person on short haul holidays, and £30 per person on long haul holidays. This extra funding could really make a difference to us!
For more details, visit The Walking Partnership website by clicking below.
Click here to visit the Walking Partnership Website
A Walkers Guide
Recommended Equipment
Footwear
Stout walking type Boots and not Trainers as these can be very slippery in mud (See Stephen's article on this in our 'Articless' section). Thick socks are recommended for warmth and comfort.
Clothing
These should be in layers rather than a single thick layer to trap warm air, also a layer can be removed when hot. i.e. Tee shirt, sweat shirt, fleece etc. Jeans are not recommended (they absorb water and become stiff when wet). A good waterproof and wind proof jacket with over trousers are highly recommended.
Food
High energy foods are recommended (chocolate, nuts, fruit etc), as well as a normal packed lunch (low blood sugar levels can cause dizziness, whilst low salt levels can cause cramp).
Drink
Plenty of liquids must be taken, fruit juices, water etc, are needed to supplement flasks of coffee or tea as these are diuretics (makes the body reduce fluid levels). The first sign of de-hydration is a headache.
Stick
A walking stick or pole although not essential, can prove very useful as a walking aid. Walking down hill (help prevent slipping) or feeling your way through bogs are just some of the uses.
Extras
First Aid Kit, Survival Bag, Whistle, Torch, Map and Compass are highly recommended, although not essential (walk leaders usually have these) unless walking on ones own.
Tip
Spare Clothing and Shoes left on the Coach or in the Car, will make the journey home much more comfortable than sitting in wet clothing.
I C E – In case of Emergency
We all carry our mobile phones with names and numbers stored in its memory. If we were to be involved in an accident or were taken ill, the people attending us would have our mobile phone but wouldn’t know who to call. Yes, there are hundreds of numbers stored but which one is the contact person in case of an emergency? Hence this ‘ICE’ (In Case of Emergency) Campaign.
The concept if ‘ICE’ is catching on quickly. It is a method of contact during emergency situations. As mobile phones are carried by the majority of the population, all you need to do is store the number of a contact person or persons who should be contacted during emergency under the name ‘ICE’ (In Case of Emergency). The idea was thought up by a paramedic who found that when he went to the scenes of accidents there were always mobile phones with patients but they didn’t know which number to call.
He therefore thought that it would be a good idea if there was a nationally recognised name for this purpose.
In an emergency situation, Emergency Service personnel and hospital staff would be able to quickly contact the right person by simply dialling the number you have stored as ‘ICE’
For more than one contact name, simply enter ICE 1, ICE 2, ICE 3 etc
It really could save your life, or put a loved one’s mind at rest.
Pass this on to as many people as possible as this can help in an emergency.
Emergency 112 Calls
112 Service to Assist Hill Walkers and Climbers
It does not seem to be widely known but, running in conjunction with the emergency 999 service, is another number that works in all of Europe (inc U.K) + USA, Canada and many other countries. It is 112. This is of special interest to us walkers because it has a better coverage in the areas where we are likely to be, although you can use is in any rural or urban areas. 112 is pre-programmed into all mobile phones or SIM cards. Networks give special priority to this number and immediately initiate a special emergency setup to force the phone to make the call on any network, so even if your phone shows 'no service' or 'no signal' it will still transmit if another network is available.
Additionally most modern phones can still dial this emergency number if:
Emergency Call Procedure
Stand still and dial the emergency number. Hold the handset next to your ear and protect the microphone from the wind. Wait for up to 1 minute for a connection. Keep the phone in the same position to hold the connection.
Speak slowly and clearly.
You can establish a calling schedule say every 20 minutes, and turn off the phone in between to save the battery.
lf you had 'no service/signal' on your phone only you can contact the emergency services - they cannot ring you. If you cannot get through, alter your position or go to higher ground. If that fails, send a text.
What information to give to emergency operator.
Finally if still unable to communicate by phone use the international Distress Signal i.e. 6 quick successive whistle blasts {or light flashes} or wave bright clothing. Wait one minute. Repeat every 5 minutes. The reply is 3 blasts or flashes in one minute. Keep repeating the signal till help arrives.
Boot or Trainers
As a walk leader I have been asked many times if walkers can wear their trainers on C walks instead of walking boots. While I did not ban anyone from a C walk who turned up in trainers I strongly advised them to obtain a pair of good quality boots for their next outing. But now, since the advent of new materials and trainer development, it has become a question that is not easy to answer. Originally, trainers were just that, trainers, designed for sports activity where freedom of ankle movement was required while still supporting the foot. Nowadays some designs of trainers have evolved into walking shoes with some styles even offering waterproof protection thereby blurring the boundaries between training shoe and walking boot.
After being asked the same question again recently I had to think about the answer carefully before coming to the same conclusion. I offered an analogy that happened a few years ago. A group of walkers were enjoying their amble ramble when one young lady stumbled. It was a simple stumble as a rock moved unexpectedly beneath her but it was enough for her to fall and twist her ankle. She was wearing walking boots which provided good support. Had she been wearing trainers her injury could have been a lot worse and she may have needed support to return the three miles or so to base before having her injury looked at by a professional.
Boots may seem a bit of an over kill on some of the C walks but considering the protection they provide I still think they are an essential part of the walkers outfit. With good grip, waterproof materials and ankle support even an economy pair of walking boots are more suited to the terrain that can be encountered when out walking and with a little maintenance they will last for years and could save you a trip to A&E.
Stephen Watson
Dehydration
This is a subject that affects all walkers new or experienced, whether it’s winter or summer. The main symptoms of dehydration usually begin with a headache accompanied by tiredness, dizziness, muscle weakness and cramp. The effects on a group of walkers can at the very least ruin the enjoyment of a good walk and at most endanger the group’s safety, especially if the weather deteriorates.
Dehydration is as big a threat to all walkers. Fluid on a walk is just as important as packing the correct food, clothing and equipment.
Humans need around eight pints of liquid a day to maintain a correct fluid balance. This of course depends on what you are doing; sitting in an armchair watching TV uses a lot less fluid than walking or running a marathon.
We loose fluid from our bodies in a number of ways. A significant amount is lost via your lungs, which expel around two pints of water each day through normal breathing and more on a cold day. Sweating through your feet or arm pits, can lose yet another pint. Also a few trips to the toilet for an average adult, excrete around three pints of urine each day and all this is on a normal day, more is lost when exercising.
Although your skin temperature can vary a lot, your core temperature (deep body temperature) is kept within narrow limits; this is 37°C in a healthy adult. A lot of the heat needed just to keep your body warm, comes from the food you eat. This process is very inefficient with 75 to 80% of the available energy from food being lost as heat, amounting to about one calorie per minute when you are just sitting around. As soon as you start charging across the hills, this goes up to around 20 calories a minute.
Water has an important role in helping the body to function correctly; its main role is to regulate temperature during exercise and keep our body temperature around the 37°C already mentioned. This is achieved via evaporation of sweat from the skin’s surface. One litre of evaporated water from the skin will get rid of 580 Calories of heat from the body which is equivalent to 40 cups of steaming tea. So sweating is vital when taking exercise to prevent severe overheating – but at a cost. The loss of a large amount of sweat brings the threat of dehydration.
Research has shown that how hard you think your body is working is affected by dehydration. If you keep yourself well hydrated, the effort of slogging uphill will seem less. The more you drink the easier the exercise feels.
To prevent dehydration, drink before you set off, especially in hot weather; don’t wait until you feel thirsty. If you feel thirsty you are already dehydrating. Water, isotonic drinks and pure fruit juice are an effective way of keeping hydrated. Avoid colas or cans of fizzy drinks as these are concentrated and contain too much sugar to promote water absorption.
Aim to drink small amounts regularly as this helps to maintain your brain and muscle function and will allow you to enjoy the whole day without feeling too tired.