🦅🪁🚌🚅⛰️🪂🛩️FUN HIKE- Spectacular Views from Chilterns Gateway Centre - 17kms

Fun pub walk with hot food in Dunstable Downs & the best of Chiltern hills

Dunstable Downs is the highest point in the East of England and is the best viewpoint on the Chilterns ridge. You will have excellent views of Chiltern National Landscape attractions like Whipsnade white lion & Ivinghoe beacon and off people flying kites, paragliding , hand gliders & even a plane dropping gliders etc. In this quite eventful hike , we cover pretty villages , places of special scientific interest ( SSI ), a tree cathedral & neolithic burial mounds. We will be on explore mode as usual HappyHikers style.

📆Date: Saturday 15 Feb 2025

🕔 Hike Start time: 10:20 am

🧗Altitude – 1017 feet / 310 metres

👣Length – 10.5 miles / 17 kms

Time – 5 hours 30 minutes (Including all the breaks)

🚥Grad – Moderate / Intermediate

Hike Starting/Ending Point: Chilterns Gateway Centre

🅿️ Car Park if driving - Chilterns Gateway Centre car park , LU6 2GY

(TIP: Install paybyphone app for easy paying for this carpark otherwise bring coins :-) )
Public transport :
Leg 1 - 🚅Train schedule Train to Luton
8.51 Thames Link Trains from London St. Pancras International [STP ] Platform B reaching Luton at 9.26

This is 7.28 from Brighton which stops at other major thameslink London stations on the route like East Croydon(8.21),London Bridge(8.36),London Blackfriars(8.42),Farrigdon(8.46) & Westhamstead thameslink(8.59)

🚌Leg 2 - Lots of frequent Buses to Dunstable Town Centre via dedicated bus way (Plus bus ticket will cover this trip). Take the first available bus . Bus numbers A,B,C, Hi,31,F7 etc. There are buses every 3-4 mins
🚌Leg 3 - Bus to Chilterns Gateway Centre from Dunstable
09.58 bus No. 40 from Asda ( stop J1) also stops at The Quadrant (Stop N3), Dunstable. This bus will reach Chiltern Gateway Centre at 10.12.

WhatsApp group Link ( for train ticket & hike coordination)

https://chat.whatsapp.com/KwA50hejuQGHP3LFwJ8SUg
if you don't have a network rail card. you can use WhatsApp group to coordinate with people who has network card . people with network rail card can get discount for 3 people who don't have the card.
🍻Pubs

Planned Pub Stop in the middle of hike - Cross Keys or The old farm inn, Tottenhoe
🍗Hot Food at the end ( optional ) - Luton has highest numbers of Arabic population in the UK. So this is a chance for us to taste authentic Arabic cuisine.
Roasty Arabic Grill restaurant. Luton ( Authentic Arabic )
🦺🥾🚰What to bring: You must bring a backpack with Waterproof Jacket ( as it can rain at short notice in the UK, hiking foot wear and 2 L water. There are many pubs and shops along the way.
📸photos of past trips
Please see the pics from our popular hike in 2020 & 2021 to Dunstable Downs
https://www.meetup.com/HappyHikers-FREE-Walks-cycling-Hiking-Travel-Run-Yoga/photos/31119946/493056073/
Important
Please be considerate to other group members and RSVP yes only if you are indeed joining us . If you are no longer gonna make it ,Please change the RSVP to No well in advance so that someone in the wait-list gets the opportunity.
Note: There is a 1 pound fee for the 'fun hike' to cover the meetup subscription fees unless you are a regular or a life time member (for just 10 quids).
⚠️Disclaimer⚠️
Please note that this a free self guided gathering of like minded people. The event is purely based on hobby. Each participant is responsible for their own safety. Hiking and hill walking are activities with a danger of personal injury. Participants in these activities should be aware of and accept these risks and be responsible for their own actions and involvement.