By legin1710
17 March 2009 10:42
I am an unfit 50+ who has been totally moved by the stories and images from Comic Relief. I want to do a sponsored walk along Hadrian's Wall with my son to raise money for a children's charity and in the process get fit. As a complete novice where do I start, are there companies that organise routes/accomodation? Many thanks
Answer
By Country Walking magazine
Congratulations on a great choice of trail. Hadrian’s Wall path deftly combines amazing Roman architecture, stunning countryside and a surprising sense of calm and isolation given the wall’s international renown.
It’s also relatively easy to navigate, with excellent national trail waymarking (although don’t rely on following the wall itself – in parts it has disappeared completely).
There are a number of companies that will help with any or all elements of your walk, from transferring your baggage to your next accommodation (strongly recommended if you’re a novice walker as this means you can walk with only a light daypack on your back), to booking your accommodation along the route, to guiding you every step of the way. Naturally the fees rise for the more services you buy, but with a modicum of map reading skills, you shouldn’t need a guide. You can find a full list of service providers and accommodation providers here.
The trail stretches 84 miles, and while it doesn’t reach mountain heights, nor is it pancake flat. You’ll climb to more than 1,100 feet at Whinshields Crags, and the constant undulations in the mid-section can be exhausting. Consequently, while fit, experienced walkers would count on walking the trail in six days, we’d recommend taking at least seven, if not eight, to enjoy it fully. If you weren’t walking the trail for charity, we’d also point out the very good Hadrian’s Wall Bus AD112!
And it's definitely worth getting used to walking good distances on consecutive days before you set off. Start off with a few miles a couple of times a week, then increase it to every other day, building up until you can comfortably walk eight to ten miles on both days of a weekend.
For an official guide, buy Hadrian's Wall Path by Anthony Burton, Trailblazer's Hadrian's Wall Path by Henry Stedman, or see the excellent Hadrian's Wall website. For an insight into the adventure, excitement and achievement of walking the trail, we love Off the Wall Walking by Laurence Shelley, £8.99.
