Hike For Charity

Tell me more

This is Part 1 of a two-part trip.

You can do Part 1 or Part 2 as stand-alone trips or link the two together.

Details of Part 2 will be available soon.

Destination

Ecrins National Park, Hautes-Alpes, France.

Écrins National Park - Wikipedia

Accommodation

Our accommodation will be a well-equipped former farmhouse in the mountain village of Pra Perier. Pra Périer Map - Hamlet - Hautes-Alpes, France - Mapcarta

There are two twin rooms & two double rooms available to us.

Full self-catering facilities are available & a catered option may be available if there is sufficient demand.

Our hosts live in a separate part of the building & may join us for meals & activities.

Check in from midday on Wednesday 27th September.

Check out before midday on 1 October.

Shorter or longer stay may be possible by arrangement.

What are we doing

We need to have some flexibility to cater for prevailing weather conditions & group ability, however our plan includes the following:

a) Hike to the summit of Pic de Morgan. Pic de Morgon - Wikipedia

We park at an altitude of approximately 1,700m & hike to the summit at 2,300m. The return route can be varied according to circumstances at the time.

b) low altitude walk in the vicinity of our accommodation. Possibly close to the lake Serre-Poncon & town of Embrun.

c) Hike to an altitude of approximately 2,100m on Les Aiguilles de Chabrieres. Aiguilles de Chabrières - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

We park at an altitude of approximately 1,600m. See photo above. We can extend the route if conditions are good.

Getting there

You make your own travel arrangements according to your preferences. The following option is likely to suit most people travelling from London.

Fly to Marseille & bus to Tallard. Free pick up & transfer by car from Tallard to Pra Perier (this is the organisers tried & tested route).

Please secure your place on this trip before booking any flights or other transport. You will need different return transport if you also book Part 2.

Cost

Return flight between London & Marseille typically £150, depending on which London Airport & airline you choose.

When comparing flight costs please remember to take account of baggage costs that vary significantly between different airlines.

Bus (return journey) between Marseille airport & Tallard. Typically, 60 euros.

Car (return journey) from Tallard to Pra Perier. No charge, subject to prior arrangement.

Sharing a twin or double room £35 per person per night. Please ask if you would like to know the cost for sole occupancy.

Pay as you go for your food, drinks, personal expenses etc.

Donation of £20 (£15 for transport to the hikes & £5 for GOSH Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children

How do I secure a place on this trip

Message Carl R to check availability.

Pay for the accommodation at Pra Perier.

Make your travel arrangements. Please note that your return journey will be different if you also book Part 2.

Finally

Please message Carl R if you need additional information.

If you sign up for this trip you will be added to a WhatsApp group.

Details of Part 2 will be available soon

KEY INFORMATION

YOU MUST READ THE THREE SECTIONS BELOW - if you join this trip, you're confirming that you have.

1. The perilous bit

2. Our FAQs, including an explanation of Groupsave tickets which will save you money.

3. See here for what to wear and take

AND FINALLY

We are not insured, so please have your own insurance for this type of activity.

The organisers run this group for the enjoyment of the participants & themselves; not for profit.

If you’d like to lead an activity please get in touch with Carl R.

COVID-19 safety measures

Event will be outdoor

The event host is instituting the above safety measures for this event. Meetup is not responsible for ensuring, and will not independently verify, that these precautions are followed.

Do this circular walk because – you’ll enjoy lots of variety and get great panoramic views across the Chiltern hills, a designated area of outstanding natural beauty.

WALK DESCRIPTION

One of the great things about this walk is that we’ll visit some remote valleys not often frequented by other hiking groups.

From Chesham station we'll climb to Dungrove Farm, for far reaching view over Chesham and the north Chilterns. We'll then continue across fields to Hawridge village, where we will stop to eat our packed lunches.

After lunch, we’ll cross several scenic valleys before walking through "Herberts Hole", part of the Chiltern’s link route, and then back to Chesham and a quick drink before heading home.

HIKE FACTS

Hike distance: Approximately 20 km /12 miles.

Duration: Walking time circa 6.5 hours plus approx 30 mins lunch and 20 minutes coffee break.

Hike grade: Moderate (there are some hills)

Hike speed: approx. 2.5/3mph over varied terrain

Weather: see here

COST

Donation to GOSH: £5 cash on the day.

MEETING AT

Chesham underground station.

Meeting point: Outside the station ticket office. We'll be holding a GOSH banner, please see the photo below.

Meeting time: 10.20 am. We'll leave at 10.30 am.

GETTING THERE

By tube: Chesham's at the end of the Metropolitan line so please make sure you're on the train departing Baker Street at 09:21, arriving into Chesham at 10:20 am.

By car: there's a carpark at the station but you'll need to pay.

KEY INFORMATION

YOU MUST READ THE THREE SECTIONS BELOW - if you join this trip, you're confirming that you have.

1. The perilous bit
2. Our FAQs, including an explanation of Groupsave tickets which will save you money.
3. See here for what to wear and take

AND FINALLY

• We're raising money for Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children

We’ll deduct Meetup fees but all the profits will go to GOSH. After each hike, we’ll let you know exactly how much we’ve all raised. And if you’d like to join us and raise money by leading some hikes, please get in touch – the more the merrier 😊

• We're volunteers hoping to establish a community of friends, so please go with the flow and help out where and if you can.
• If you need to get in touch on the day, you can call Colin on 07941 646 035 or both of us via Meetup.

Tell me more
This is Part 2 of a two-part trip. You can join or leave to suit your agenda. There are no charges levied by the organisers, however we ask for a donation of £5 for GOSH.

You can do Part 1 or Part 2 as stand-alone trips or link the two together.

Details of Part 1 are shown on this Meetup group as a separate event.

Destination
Crete, France.

Accommodation
You book your own accommodation to suit your requirements.

The organisers plan is as follows (more details available if required):
1st October - Overnight ferry from Marseille to Ajaccio.
2nd October - One night hotel accommodation in Ajaccio.
3rd October - Five nights hotel accommodation in Santo-Pietro-di-Venaco.
8th October - Overnight ferry from Ajaccio to Marseille.

What are we doing
This is a holiday with day hikes. We need to have some flexibility to cater for prevailing weather conditions & group ability, however our plan includes four of the following locations:
Chapel of Sant Elisco
Manganello Valley
Monte Rotondo
Vernet-les-Bains, Pyrénées-Orientales
Monte d'Oro
Hike to the lakes of Melo and Capitello
Lac de Goria
Travignano valley trail near Corte
Arche de Corte

Getting there
You make your own travel arrangements according to your preferences. The following option is likely to suit most people travelling from London.

Fly to Marseille, ferry to Ajaccio, train to Santo-Pietro-di-Venaco.
Please secure your place on this trip before booking any flights or other transport. You will need different arrival transport if you also book Part 1.

Cost
Return flight between London & Marseille typically £150, depending on which London Airport & airline you choose.
When comparing flight costs please remember to take account of baggage costs that vary significantly between different airlines.

Overnight ferry as foot passenger typically £80 to £120 return.

Hotel in Ajaccio typically from £70 per night for a twin room.

Hotel in Santo-Pietro-di-Venaco typically from £45 per night for a twin room.

Pay as you go for public transport on the Island, food, drinks, personal expenses etc.

Donation of £5 for GOSH Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children

How do I secure a place on this trip
Message Carl R to check availability & options.
Make your travel arrangements. Please note that you will have different arrival transport if you also also book Part 1.
Book your accommodation. At the time of writing there are some vacancies at the hotels we have booked.

Finally
Please message Carl R if you need additional information.
If you sign up for this trip you will be added to a WhatsApp group.

KEY INFORMATION

YOU MUST READ THE THREE SECTIONS BELOW - if you join this trip, you're confirming that you have.

1. The perilous bit
2. Our FAQs, including an explanation of Groupsave tickets which will save you money.
3. See here for what to wear and take

AND FINALLY

We are not insured, so please have your own insurance for this type of activity.

The organisers run this group for the enjoyment of the participants & themselves; not for profit.

If you’d like to lead an activity please get in touch with Carl R.

Do this linear walk because – you’ll get great views of Windsor Castle, Eton College and Virginia Water – all in glorious autumnal sunshine (we hope – keep your fingers crossed!).

Hike facts
Approximately 18 km /11 miles.
Duration: actual walking time, circa 5 hours.
Hike grade: Easy
Weather: see here:
Donation to GOSH: £5 cash on the day.
What to take: a packed lunch and plenty of water. Also, we're not insured, so please have your own insurance for this type of activity.

Walk description
After leaving the railway station we head to Virginia Water Lake. There are toilets here. We’ll walk near the lake until we reach the famous 100 foot-high Totem Pole that was erected in 1958 to mark the centenary of the establishment of British Columbia as a Crown Colony.

From here, we’ll walk to Windsor Great Park, passing Valley Gardens, Obelisk Pond and the entrance to Savill Garden. More toilets and hot drinks are available here.

We’ll then continue on to the Three Castles Path that leads us to the statue of King George III at Stone Hill. After a short break, we’ll follow the Long Walk with stunning views of Windsor Castle.

At the end of the Long Walk, we’ll be in the town of Windsor, where we’ll cross the River Thames for a stroll in the vicinity of Eton College before heading back to Windsor Town for a drink at the end of our adventure.

MEETING AT
Virginia Water railway station. We'll be outside the station exit holding a GOSH banner, please see the photo below. Meeting time: 10.35 am. We'll leave at 10.45am

TRAVEL
by train
We'll need two singles (times and prices as of 9/9/23):

1. Getting there - Waterloo to Virginia Water. Get the 9.50 am arriving at 10.31 am. Single ticket is £12.30 but with Network Railcard or Groupsave discount (see link below) it's £8.10.
2. Coming back - Windsor to London Paddington (slightly cheaper pricing than above). There are three trains an hour. You may wish to club together for the Groupsave discount for this leg.
   Plan your route here: trainline

by car
You could park at Staines and travel by train to Virginia Water and return from Windsor to Stains by train.

KEY INFORMATION
YOU MUST READ THE THREE SECTIONS BELOW - if you join this trip, you're confirming that you have.

1. The perilous bit
2. Our FAQs, including an explanation of Groupsave tickets which will save you money.
3. See here for what to wear and take

AND FINALLY

• We're raising money for Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children

We’ll deduct Meetup fees but all the profits will go to GOSH. After each hike, we’ll let you know exactly how much we’ve all raised. And if you’d like to join us and raise money by leading some hikes, please get in touch – the more the merrier 😊

• We're volunteers hoping to establish a community of friends, so please go with the flow and help out where and if you can.
• If you need to get in touch on the day, you can call Colin on 07941 646 035 or both of us via Meetup.