YHA’s popular month-long Festival of Walking returns for the third year to youth hostels in the Peak District shortly (September 13-October 13, 2024).
Andrew McCloy, the YHA’s Walks Programme Manager.
Organised annually by the Matlock-based charity YHA, this national festival – which is funded by Sport England, Pilgrim Trust and Cotswold Outdoor – has a series of guided social walks led by walking experts at two youth hostels in the Peak District.
The free-to-join walks, which are suitable for walkers of all abilities, are taking place at YHA Hartington Hall on Saturday, September 14 and Saturday, October 12 – featured below – and at YHA Youlgrave on Wednesday, September 18. The circular routes start and end at the youth hostels.
All the walks during the festival are free to sign up to, however people are encouraged to make a voluntary donation towards YHA’s Heart of the Community Appeal, which aims to install life-saving defibrillators at every YHA hostel in England and Wales.
In addition to Hartington Hall and Youlgreave, more than 50 YHA hostels are hosting a series of themed walks during the month-long festival. The themed walks focus on health and wellbeing, learning new walking skills, and connecting with nature and heritage.
Seasoned walker Andrew McCloy, YHA’s Walks Programme Manager who is leading the festival, explained: “YHA has long been recognised as the walker’s friend, but we’re keen to get even more people walking, and to benefit from the mental and physical health benefits of this no-cost activity. We know that there are a number of barriers to participation, and we’re using this festival to overcome those blocks to get more people walking.”
A recent study by an outdoor brand, Helly Hanson, revealed that almost 3 in 10 Brits haven’t participated in any outdoor activities in the past year. Of those people, 45% didn’t know where to go, 33% weren’t sure what equipment they might need, and 53% stated that they have faced financial barriers to participation.
Andrew added: “A number of the festival’s free guided social walks, as well as the easy circular walking routes we’ve devised, require no specialist equipment, just a pair of comfortable shoes, a bottle of water and a possibly a jacket with a hood for the British weather. We just want to get more people active.”
There are more than 40 free social walks to participate in during the festival. “As with previous years, we anticipate high demand for the guided social walks, so I advise people to sign up early,” added Andrew.
As an added incentive, there’s a complimentary cuppa and a piece of cake waiting for everyone back at the hostel when each social walk finishes. All youth hostels also offer free-to-use refill stations where anyone is welcome to pop in year-round and fill their water bottles, have a loo break or use the café facilities.
Walkers who want to enjoy a walking mini break during the festival can also take advantage of a 20% discount on overnight stays at more than 50 participating youth hostels throughout England and Wales.
To find out more about the festival, download walking routes, register for a social walk or book discounted accommodation, visit www.yha.org.uk/festival-of-walking.
Editor’s Note: YHA is a leading provider of residential school trips, with more Learning Outside the Classroom (LOtC) accredited sites — more than any other provider. Further information about YHA can be found at yha.org.uk
Beresford, Wolfscote and Biggin Dales
(Saturday, September 14 & Saturday, October 12, 2024)
| Start | YHA Hartington Hall |
| Distance | 6miles (9.7km) |
| Time | Allow at least 2hr 45mins |