City Mountaineering - Reading

The weekend will involve hiking the lesser travelled areas of Southern Snowdonia - camping away from the crowds and under the stars to clear your mind and open your senses to your majestic surroundings. Small group!! (Maximum 9-people) Travel, Food, Accommodation and Guided hiking all included in the cost - Just turn up at Maidenhead train station and enjoy! This trip is suitable for everyone and no prior experience is necessary (although carrying a larger rucksack may require a basic standard of fitness). The small group size will enable us to enjoy the tranquility of the area whilst enabling a flexible itinerary to explore the hidden gems that Snowdonia has to offer. --------------------------------------------------------- Weekend Itinerary Please note that exact timings and order of activities are subject to change, based on the local conditions at the time - The beauty of wild camping is that the plans can be loose to allow for uncontrollable factors such as the weather Day 1 – Friday Meet outside Maidenhead train station at 6:30pm then drive to Snowdonia. After a trip briefing we will head out for a short night walk in to the hills on a journey to our first camping spot Day 2 - Saturday Pack away the tent and head away on another journey to our second camping spot Day 3 – Sunday Pack away the tent for our final journey back to the cars for a return home --------------------------------------------------------- Accommodation: This is a wild camping trip, so we will be staying in tents, in the Snowdonia Wilderness Don't worry about the weather. Putting up/down a tent in the rain isn't everyone's idea of fun, so we have contingency plans in place to maintain the wilderness experience, whatever the weather! Your minimum kit list should be: - Large rucksack (minimum 65 litres) Sleeping Bag - Sleeping Mat - Camping cup (for tea/coffee) - Camping bowl & Cutlery (for breakfast/dinner) - Hiking boots - Thick socks - Hiking trousers (ideally waterproof) Non-cotton T-shirt - Fleece - Warm jacket - Waterproof jacket - Headtorch (and batteries) - Warm hat - Thick Gloves - Sun glasses - Water bottle - Personal medication --------------------------------------------------------- Cost: £285 for the entire weekend Included in the price: - Return travel from Maidenhead - Accommodation (I provide the tents, but you will need your own sleeping bag) - Food (from breakfast on Saturday, to lunch on Sunday) - 2-days guided hiking by experienced and qualified Mountain Leader Not included in the price: - Personal Snacks - Personal kit (I do have some spare kit for hire if you did not want to buy it) --------------------------------------------------------- All City Mountaineering trips are compliant with the 1992 Package Travel regulations (including financial protection)

Hiking in the Brecon Beacons National Park's lesser travelled areas away from the crowds and exploring the true Welsh wilderness. You don't need to have any prior experience, although carrying a larger rucksack requires a basic standard of fitness, and the small group size will enable us to give you our full attention throughout the weekend. Ensuring your safety and enjoyment is our number one priority. --------------------------------------------------------- Weekend Itinerary Friday (from 6pm) - Meet outside Maidenhead train station and drive to Wales. Short hike to a campsite in the Brecon Beacons National Park Saturday - We will pack our bags and head further into the wilderness. If the weather is fine, we may wild swim and even camp on a summit for sunset/sunrise photos. Sunday - We will pack away our tents and head off on another journey, back to the minibus, before returning back to Maidenhead train station (for 8pm) --------------------------------------------------------- Accommodation: This is a wild camping trip, so we will be staying in tents. Don't worry about the weather. Putting up/down a tent in the rain isn't everyone's idea of fun, so we have contingency plans in place to maintain the wilderness experience, whatever the weather! Your minimum kit list should include: - Large rucksack (minimum 65 litres) - Sleeping Bag and Sleeping Mat - Camping cup (for tea/coffee) - Camping bowl & Cutlery (for breakfast/dinner) - Hiking boots - Thick socks - Hiking trousers (ideally waterproof) - Non-cotton T-shirt or baselayer - Fleece - Warm jacket - Waterproof jacket - Headtorch (and spare batteries) - Warm hat & Gloves - Sunscreen and sunglasses - Water bottle - Personal medication --------------------------------------------------------- Included in the price: - Travel i.e. return travel to and from the pick-up point - Accommodation (I provide the tents, but you will need your own sleeping bag and sleeping mat) - All Food, from breakfast on Saturday through to lunch on Sunday - 2-days guided hiking by experienced and qualified Mountain Leader Not included in the price: - Personal Snacks - Personal kit (I do have some spare kit for hire if you did not want to buy it) --------------------------------------------------------- All City Mountaineering trips are compliant with the 1992 Package Travel regulations (including financial protection)

You've heard of the mountain, you probably know someone that's climbed it... How about reaching the summit of Africa yourself? ----------------------------------------------------- The Mountain and the Route At 5,895m, The peak of Kilimanjaro is the highest point on the Africa continent and is the highest free-standing volcano in the world. There are many different routes used to reach the summit and we have chosen one that provides the group with the greatest chance of successfully summiting this wonderful lump of rock. The route chosen is The Machame Route. This is a hiking route and not a technical climbing route. The hiking is easy and on defined trails with the distances covered each day as follows (note: A detailed description of the hike can be found at the bottom of this page): • Day 1: 9km (4-6 hours) • Day 2: 9km (4-6 hours) • Day 3: 15km (6-8 hours) • Day 4: 5km (4-5 hours) • Day 5: 4km (3-4 hours) • Day 6 (summit day): 7km then 12km (12-14 hours) • Day 7: 10km (4-5 hours) As you can see, the pace will be very slow and the distances very manageable, with a final push for the summit being the typically longest day The main challenge on this trip is dealing with the altitude of this big mountain, plus the ability to hike for 7-days in a row, without showers (that's what wet wipes are for!) and sleeping in tents We have chosen the Machame Route to provide you with the best opportunity possible to acclimatise in order to reach the summit of Kilimanjaro!! ----------------------------------------------------- The Detail Over the past few months I have been liaising closely with local and trustworthy guiding companies, to keep the costs as low as possible, while receiving the same great service offered to 3rd party groups. The cost of the trip is just £2,350 and includes: - Transfers from Kilimanjaro International Airport - Hotel accommodation for one-night night before, and one-night after, the hike - 7-days fully supported Kilimanjaro hike (including local guide, team cook and a porter team that will carry all but your light day-pack for the entire trip) - All food on the mountain - Fully supported training plan (I am an experienced high altitude/big mountain mountaineer and can tailor specific training programmes to suit your own needs, taking into account your busy day-to-day schedules) - 10% discount on all City Mountaineering weekend mountain trips, to enable a cost effective training programme* (note: trips to the UK mountains as training are highly advised, but not compulsory) - Full compliance with the 1992 Package Travel Regulations (including Financial protection) ----------------------------------------------------- Not included in the price - Flights from London (currently £425 return - as at 20 Jul 2018) - Tanzanian Visa costs - Vaccinations - Personal Travel Insurance (The BMC offer very good insurance at great rates (https://www.thebmc.co.uk/modules/insurance/)) - Equipment (although equipment can be hired at a discount from the African ground crew) - Tips/gratuities for the local team * The 10% discount will be applicable on all trips (subject to availability) that take place before we travel to Tanzania on 3rd March 2017.

A 9-day trip (just 4-days off work!), including 7-days of hiking the Skye Trail - an unmarked route of 127km (79 miles) through the island of Skye. There are no waymarks for the route and many sections do not even have a path. However the rewards as you walk south from the most northerly point on the island are many in terms of: • Spectacular mountain views - passing under the shadow of the Jagged Cuillin, the finest mountain range in Britain; • Coastal scenery - from beaches to cliff-tops in areas that are remarkable but almost unvisited; • Haunting ruins of deserted villages - destroyed in the highland clearances, and; • The superb opportunities for watching wildlife. This route has been devised for those who prefer to get well away from the beaten track A trip never to be forgotten! click here for photos of the same trip in July 2017 (https://www.meetup.com/CityMountaineering/photos/28034617/) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 9-days for an all inclusive price of just £645 (or £595 if joined before 30 August 2019) which includes: • Travel and logistical Support from Inverness • All food whilst hiking (from breakfast on Sunday to lunch on Saturday) - But excluding a pub meal half way through the hike • All accommodation (tents provided for wild camping sections, hostels & B&Bs) • Guided hiking by an experienced and qualified Mountain Leader Not included: • Return transport between London and Inverness • Your personal hiking kit • food & drink before/after the hike and on the rest day ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Detailed Itinerary Saturday (AM): I will be picking people up from Inverness airport and Glasgow train station. We will then drive to Isle of Skye Sunday: Coastal hike to Flodigarry (17km) The trail starts from Skye's most northerly tip, Rubha Hunish, and follows a spectacular but rough section of the coastline, continuing above dramatic cliffs to reach Flodigarry for a night of wild camping Monday: Hike inland to The Storr - Trotternish Ridge (25km) A slightly more challenging stage than the first day climbs from Flodigarry beneath the amazing rock formations of The Quiraing, continuing south on the Trotternish Ridge towards the Storr before a final descent to the road. The rewards are tremendous - this must be one of the most dramatic ridge traverses in Britain! The day will end with a wild camp amongst the dramatic scenery of our surroundings Tuesday: Cliff-top hike to Portree (18km) The third stage of the Skye Trail, takes a short section of road which leads to a fabulous parade along the top of dramatic coastal cliffs with superb views. We will restock supplies in Portree and spend the night in a local bunkhouse, connected to arguably the best pub on the island. Wednesday: Rest Day You have the option of either hiking stage 4 of the trail, or seeing the trail in the comfort of the minibus. We will also visit some other local attractions that are not on the trail (e.g. Fairy Pools, Talisker distillery, Black Cuillins) This day we follow a rough track along Loch Sligachan to the Hotel, where we will stop for lunch before heading through the remote Glen Sligachan (a valley separating the mighty Black Cuillin with the Red Cuillin) to the beautiful bay at Camasunary . Arriving at the coast on the south-west of the island, we will camp on the shores of the Atlantic ocean Thursday: Hike below the mighty Cuillin mountains to Elgol (15km) From here a vertiginous cliff path with fantastic views across the water to the Cuillin reaches Elgol which has a shop, cafe, B&B and seafood restaurant. This will be a shorter hiking day, where we can spend the afternoon relaxing in Elgol for the afternoon Friday: Hike on good trails to Torrin (17km) The sixth stage of the Skye Trail presents a lovely day with great views to Sleat and the small isles, ending at Torrin where there is a summer cafe and a B&B - Although, depending on the weather, we may be spending our final night on that trail on a summit with views over the bay, the ocean and the mountains! Saturday: Coastal hike to Broadford (20km) The final stage of the Skye Trail follows the coast from Torrin to the cleared villages of Suisnish and Boreraig before heading inland to pick up the Marble Line, the old railroad route into Broadford and the end of the Trail. We will then check-in to our accommodation and celebrate the completion of the Skye Trail with a hearty meal and drinks Sunday (AM): Drive to Inverness, where I will drop the group off at the train station and/or airport