Difficulty

How long?

We make walks for everyone. Times for each day are shown in hours actually walked by Simon, amended to allow for relaxed holiday pace, but ignoring stops for lunch, looking at wild flowers, chatting and admiring the view. Walking distances are also provided for some routes.

How hard?

The grading of every route is clearly described, and is based on the following.

"Cumulative Uphill Stretches" (CUSs) represent the total vertical metres climbed in the course of a day.  They may imply one long climb, or, more usually, a series of shorter uphills spread out over the day:  So a walk involving the following spot heights – 100m, 200m, 150m, 300m, 100m, sea level – would mean a CUSs of 250m.  Note that the downhills are not represented in the CUSs figure, though often, at least over the course of a whole route, the amount of downhill is equal or very close to the CUSs.

A compass or GPS should be taken on all routes, though the sophistication of its use varies with the grade of walk

Easy -Well-marked paths with an even, reasonably yielding surface. Average CUSs up to 200m per day. Few steep sections, signage good. Basic map-reading skills only required. Compass or GPS needed for reassurance only.

Medium – Paths less well-surfaced and uneven in places. Average CUSs up to 500m per day. Some steep sections. Signage mainly clear but map-reading skills and aptitude with compass essential where the signage fails.

Hard – Some open walking, scrambling over rocks and hands-and-feet work, particularly if wet. Average CUSs up to 1000m per day. Regular steep sections. Map reading and compass skills essential, possibly for extended stretches.