Hike For Charity

Updated 25 July 2025
Join us for some spectacular walking along the South West Coast Path.

What are we doing
This is primarily a walking holiday based in Porthleven. We plan to walk from Penzance to Falmouth - South West Coast Path.

You are welcome to opt out of walking for a day or more if you have other things you wish to do.

We need to have some flexibility to cater for prevailing weather conditions and group ability.

Accommodation
We have one room available for a third person staying in a lovely three bedroom cottage located just a few minutes walk away from the harbour at Porthleven. Please ask Carl R for details.

There is a variety of other good value accommodation at Porthleven. Some options can be found on AIRBNB, Booking.com etc. Early booking is advised to secure.

Travel arrangements
You can make your own travel arrangements or contact Carl R if you would like to travel in his 7-seater vehicle at any of the following times:

• From Reading to Porthleven on 13 September
• To or from the walk locations on a daily basis. Sometimes we will use the bus or a combination of car and bus.
• From Porthleven to Reading on 21 September

If you are traveling with us you are advised to book accommodation in Porthleven.

Hop in and drop out
You may wish to use your own transport or stay somewhere other than Porthleven. If so, please sign up for the holiday and let Carl R know so that he can provide you with details of our planned itinerary for the days you will be joining us.
The itinerary is subject to change, without notification, however you are welcome to contact us the day before each walk to ask for an update.

Costs

• Equal contribution towards the total fuel and parking for the 7-seater vehicle. The cost per person depends on the number of people using this transport option, however it is capped at £50. The actual cost is likely to be less.
• We will be using buses for some of our travel.
• We ask for a £5 donation for GOSH Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children.
• Pay as you go for accommodation, food, drinks, personal expenses, buses etc.

The organisers plan this holiday for the enjoyment of the participants and to raise money for charity, not for profit.

How do I secure a place on this trip?

• Just sign up to this Meetup.
• Carl R will message you to confirm availability and options.
• Book your accommodation and transport.
• After you have booked accommodation we will use WhatsApp for communication.
• Pay £5 donation to GOSH.

Important information

• You must wear suitable footwear and hiking clothes for the planned walks. If you are well prepared it should be a very rewarding experience.
• If you are not sure about suitable footwear or clothes or your ability to do these walks please discuss with Carl R in advance so that you can make a considered decision.
• Participants must take full responsibility for their own welfare and safety.
• You sign up for and attend our activities at your own risk.
• This Meetup group does not have insurances to cover your activity.
• Please do not attend if you do not feel confident to walk on all types of surfaces with steep inclines.

Finally
Please message Carl R if you need additional information.

In cases where a section is less than 16km in length we may increase the distance by combining two sections, or by extending the walk.
See.... London LOOP - Transport for London

Walk facts (Section 4)
Length: Approximately 16 km /10 miles.
Duration: actual walking time, circa 4.5 hours.
Walk grade: Easy. Moderate. Some hills with total ascent 320m.
Weather: Hayes (Bromley) - BBC Weather

Donation to charity: £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
For details and walk highlights, please see the Ramblers website
London Loop section 4 of 24: West Wickham Common to Hamsey Green

This well wooded route has a fair amount of hills, rewarded by some splendid views.

At the end of Section 4 (Hamsey Green) you can take bus 403 to Sanderstead station and on into Croydon. You also have the option to continue with the walk leader for a further 3km to Kenley Station, stopping along the way for a well deserved drink.

Pushed for time?
Public transport options are fairly good if you need to bail out along the way.

Facilities along the route

• The toilet at Hayes station is for ticket holders but is only available when the station is staffed.
• There are shops in Hayes, Coney Hall and Hamsey Green plus a convenience store at the corner of Sandpits Road.
• There is a café by the golf pitch-and-put course in Sparrow Den playing fields with toilets at the rear of the building.

Meeting at
Hayes railway station. We'll be outside the station exit at 11.20 am. We'll start walking at 11.30 am.

TRAVEL
by train
Plan your route: TFL and The Trainline

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 Group save tickets which will save you money.
3. See here for what to wear and take. Specifically make sure you bring good hiking boots and that you are ready for muddy conditions . Please - no trainers, they are not suitable for walking in the wintry muddy conditions.

AND FINALLY

• We're raising money for charity

We’ll deduct Meetup fees but all the profits will go to charity. 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 😊

Destination
Ecrins National Park, Hautes-Alpes, France.
Écrins National Park - Wikipedia

What are we doing
We need to have some flexibility to cater for prevailing weather conditions and 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 and 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. We can extend the route if conditions are good.
• d) If you like open water swimming you may like to swim in Lac de Serre-Ponçon.

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.
Our hosts live in a separate part of the building & may join us for some activities, drinks etc.
Check in from 4pm on Saturday 4 October.
Check out before 11am on Saturday 11 October.

A shorter or longer stay may be possible by arrangement.

Eating and drinking

• Full self-catering facilities are available to us with help yourself tea & coffee.
• Catering may be provided on one or two evenings if there is sufficient demand.
• Self service continental breakfast is included.
• Packed lunches may be booked in advance or prepared by yourself.
• In the evenings we can prepare our own food or drive to a local village to eat or get a takeaway.
• If you like beer we can visit Serre-Ponçon craft brewery - Organic beers brewed with water from the Ecrins!
• If you like wine we can visit The Cave des Hautes Vignes | Hautes-Alpes IGP wines
• Beer and wine are available at our accommodation on a 'pay as you go' basis.

Travel options
You can make your own travel arrangements according to your preferences. Options include the following:

• By car (transport free of charge) with Carl departing Reading on 3 October. There will be an overnight stop (accommodation cost not included).
• By car (transport free of charge) with Carl departing Pra Perier on 11 October. There will be an overnight stop (accommodation cost not included).
• Fly to Lyon and transfer by car with Carl between Lyon and Pra Perier.
• Fly to Marseille & bus to Tallard. The early BA flight from Heathrow is a good option to get the bus transfer to Tallard. Free pick up & transfer by car between Tallard and Pra Perier (this is the organisers tried & tested route).
• It is possible to travel by train via Paris and Marseille.

Please secure your place on this trip before booking any flights or other transport.
Carl can give detailed advice about travel options.

Basic holiday price of £390 includes:

• Car transfer between Pra Perier and Reading or Lyon or Tallard.
• 7 nights accommodation at Pra Perier. Sharing a twin or double room.
• Self catering facilities.
• Tea & coffee consumed at Pra Perier.
• Daily travel by car to various locations.

Costs not included in the basic holiday price

• Overnight accommodation if traveling by car with Carl. Budget cost is £75 per night.
• Flights. Typically £150 return fare.
• Bus (return journey) from Tallard to Marseille airport. Typically, 30 euros.
• Pay as you go for food, drinks, personal expenses etc.
• Travel insurance.
• Optional packed lunches, wine and beer at Pra Perier.

How do I secure a place on this trip

• Message Carl R to check availability.
• Secure your accommodation and seat in the car by paying £100 deposit.
• Arrange your travel to suit your requirements and let Carl have details.
• Pay second instalment of £150 no later than 9 August 2025.
• Pay third & final instalment of £140 on 20 September 2025.

Your responsibility

• To have suitable hiking clothes & equipment.
• If you are not sure about anything, including your ability to do the walks, please discuss with Carl in advance so that you can make an informed decision.
• You must take full responsibility for your own welfare & safety.
• You sign up for and attend the walks at your own risk.
• This Meetup group does not have insurances to cover your activity.

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.

Do this walk because - it takes in historic landmarks, autumn colours along the Thames and Virginia Water, and finishes with stunning views of Windsor Castle and a grand arrival via the Long Walk.

Walk facts
Distance: Approximately 19 km / 12 miles
Duration: Walking time circa 5.5 hours.
Grade: Moderate. We will maintain a steady pace over varied surfaces.
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
From the station we'll follow the scenic Thames Path to the historic site of Runnymede. Leaving the Thames Path we'll head for Virginia Water where we'll take a break for lunch. Toilets & café are available here.

After lunch, we'll continue our walk through Virginia Water to admire the autumn colours and enjoy a magnificent view of Windsor Castle from the bronze statue, often referred to as The Copper Horse

From the statue, we'll follow the iconic 'Long Walk' all the way into Windsor, where we can relax with a well-earned drink. From here, its a short walk to one of the two nearby railway stations.

Meeting at
Datchet railway station. We'll be outside the station exit holding a GOSH banner, please see the photo below.
Meeting time: 10.25 am. We'll leave at 10.30 am.

TRAVEL
by train
The day starts at Datchet station and finishes in Windsor.
Buy a day Return to Windsor & Eton Riverside station. It will cost £17.80 but with Groupsave or a Network Railcard, it's £11.85 (as of 19/8/25).
From London: catch the 9.33 am from London Waterloo arriving Datchet at 10.24 am.
Coming back: there are 2 trains an hour going back to London from
Windsor.

Plan your route: TFL and The Trainline

If you're driving there is a car park at Datchet railway station & also near Windsor & Eton Riverside railway station. A train between these stations runs at 30 minute intervals with a journey time under 5 minutes.

Limited spaces will be available in a car traveling from Reading to Datchet. Message Carl R for information.

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 Group save tickets which will save you money.
3. See here for what to wear and take. Specifically make sure you bring good hiking boots and that you are ready for muddy conditions . Please - no trainers, they are not suitable for walking in the wintry muddy conditions.

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 😊