Newsletter > Newsletter archive > August 2022
August 2022
Navigation Training Days
Our last attempt to organise some navigation training days in Cumbria was stymied by Covid, but we are hoping make it happen for real this autumn. The plan is to offer a single day's introduction to map reading and navigation, including a couple of hours on 'open fell'. It's ideal, therefore, for those who want a grounding in map and compass work and also for those who need a little more confidence in pathless, hilly terrain.
The workshops will run from our venue in Kirkby Stephen, visit the surrounding countryside and last all day. The outdoor training sessions will be in small groups with an experienced mountain leader. You might want to make it the basis of a short break in this beautiful area of Cumbria and we'll be giving a list of recommended accommodation providers.
If you expressed an interest before in navigation workshops we should still have your email address and we will get in touch. If you would like to be contacted when we finalise dates and prices, please email david@walkingworld.com. We expect the cost to be around £60-£70 per person. It would be useful to know whether weekends or weekdays are best for you (we may be able to put on both).
Walkers are Welcome in Langholm
The town of Langholm is in Dumfries and Galloway, twenty miles north of Carlisle, on the western edge of the Border Hills. The town has been a member of Walkers are Welcome since 2018. As well as developing 100 miles of waymarked walks, Langholm has been party to a ground-breaking community land ownership initiative.
In autumn 2020 a group from the town was successful in raising £3.8m for the purchase of 5000 acres of Langholm Moor from The Duke of Buccleuch, with the option of another 5000 acres to follow. The initial purchase enabled the establishment of the Tarras Valley Nature Reserve. A management team for the reserve is now in place, to develop and conserve the land over the next few years.
Phase 2 of the plan to purchase the further 5000 acres has come a step closer with the award from the Scottish Land Fund of £1m towards the purchase price of £2.2m, making the prospect of doubling the size of the reserve very much closer.
More information on the Langholm Walkers are Welcome website
Luxury Walking Holidays in Slovenia
Are you looking for a truly unique walking experience? Visit Walk Slovenia and spend your week hiking in the foothills of the stunning Julian Alps. After your walk you return to the award-winning hotel, Pri Lenart, to relax and unwind in a luxurious setting. Walk Slovenia offers week-long all-inclusive guided walking trips amongst some of the most beautiful scenery in Europe paired with top-notch hospitality, including locally-sourced and lovingly prepared food and drink.
Their Summer season runs from May through to early October. On your holiday you will follow paths through beautiful terrains, including dramatic woodlands and wildflower meadows as well as upland alpine pastures and challenging mountain summits that take in some of Europe's most breathtaking views.
Explore Slovenia and start planning your next adventure. Visit the Walk Slovenia website or call +386 41 650 321 to book today.
Personal First Aid Kits - what's in yours?
Accidents can happen on short walks as well as longer ones. But as the folks at Mad about Mountains point out, outdoor users ought to be reasonably self-sufficient, as help may not be immediately to hand. Carrying a basic first aid kit could make all the difference. However even if we have one, we're probably all guilty of letting the items in it go beyond their use-by date. Maybe it's time to get it out and check?
It's usually best to assemble your own kit using supplies from a chemist. Mad About Mountains have some good first aid dry bags in varying sizes. The contents list below is designed as a guide to help put together a small to medium sized kit. It is by no means definitive and you may want to adapt it for different activities and durations in the outdoors, as well as your own first-aid skill level.
You may choose to carry antihistamine and antiseptic lotions or sprays and sting/bite relief, along with pain relief such as paracetamol, aspirin and ibuprofen. Any medications should be for personal use only. It is always worth carrying disposable gloves and face masks (as Covid hasn't gone away), in case you need to assist others.
1st Aid Contents Checklist:
Emergency Care Leaflet (included in most ready-made kits) or booklet * Non-latex gloves * Disposal bag for contaminated items * Face mask * Tweezers * Scissors (ones that can cut clothing are ideal) * Safety Pins * Medium/ Large bandage with sterile pad * Small/ Medium bandage with sterile pad * Crepe/ cohesive bandage * Triangular bandage * Non-cotton gauze swabs * Low adherent dressing/pads * Assorted plasters * Blister care (plasters/ pads) * Micropore/ fabric tape * Non-alcohol cleansing wipes * Emergency/ foil blanket * Tick removal tool
Member News
On the night of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee quite a few of us were involved in lighting beacons, many on the highest spots in the local area. Here in the Upper Eden Valley the Mountain Rescue Team lit one at the Nine Standards, a prominent landmark overlooking Kirkby Stephen and the Eden Valley. From there we could see at least seven other beacons. At the very same moment Peter Salanieks was on a much higher peak in the Scottish Highlands, in fact on Britain's highest point, Ben Nevis. He has written a short piece about his trip to the Highlands, accompanied by some glorious photos. Get the PDF of his account