What we’re about
Welcome to West Yorkshire 25s-45s Hiking Group. We are a friendly group of people from across the county and surrounding areas, hosting walks, trips away and social events. The group is accessible to people of all fitness levels. Our walks vary in difficulty ranging from a walk around reservoirs to the Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge.
We also do weekend & week trips. We are looking at organising trips abroad in the future. These trips can vary from staying in a B&B to wild camping.
Group Rules
- Everyone must have a recent photo of themselves as their profile picture.
- Let the walk/event leader know in advance you can no longer attend. Please have the courtesy to do so in good time.
- Zero tolerance for discrimination of any type.
- No advertising.
- Make everyone feel welcome.
- All members are accountable for their own safety and wellbeing. Ensure you come with the necessary clothing and footwear for the conditions.
Difficulty Scale
We mark our walks with a difficulty scale so you can judge if you are fit enough for the walk. Please bear in mind the difficulty of a walk comes down to a person's own personal fitness and how steady they are on their feet on rough terrain. The conditions can also factor and would not be known until the day, such as boggy terrain. If not sure, check the walks itinerary or ask the walks leader for confirmation.
Easy - Short flat walk or minimal overall ascent. Less than 7.5 miles in length and less than 300 metres of ascent.
Moderate = Moderate distance and/or small to medium amount of ascent. 7.5 miles - 12 miles and/or 300 - 599 metres of ascent.
Hard = Long distance hikes and/or a lot of ascent. 12 - 20 miles and/or 600 - 999 metres of ascent.
Strenuous = Challenge walk distances and/or proper mountain height amount of ascent. 20+ miles or more and/or 1,000+ metres of ascent.
Technical = Any walk which requires exposed ridge walking (Crib Goch, Striding Edge), scrambling, ice pick, torch or anything extra required.
FAQs
I do not live in West Yorkshire. Can I join the group?
Yes! Anyone is welcome to join the group.
Do I have to leave the group when I reach the age limit?
Of course not! Stay for as long as you feel comfortable.
I have paid for the walk but I now cannot attend, can I get a refund?
No. We have a no refund policy. The money will go towards future group events and charities.
How do I become a leader and host walks?
Send me (Jamie) a message and I will make you an organiser.
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- Skiing / Snowboarding - Xscape, CastlefordXscape castleford, Leeds
Hikers hit the slopes! 🏂⛷️ Nothing like being inside when it’s sunny and enjoying the snow… but seriously, with discounts like these at Xscape this month (for both lessons and slope passes), it’s really hard to say no! ☃️ Plus the post-ski drink really hits different when we go back outside and enjoy the sun at its peak. 🌞
Start Time: 11am - 2pm on the slope. 🎿
We will meet outside the entrance to Xscape for 10:20am. If we’re not at the entrance, just head to Snozone, located right at the back on the ground floor.
Price: £25 for a 3 hour slope pass (normally £44.99 / £51.99) + includes snowboard/skis, poles, boots and helmet rentals. There should also be 2 features available on the slope if you want to test your skills (e.g. jumps, boxes, rails or moguls).
Requirements: To use the main slope you need to be able to: link turns, control speed and use a button lift.
I would recommend wearing warm, comfy clothes (waterproof if you can) and thick socks. You will need to bring gloves too.
Lessons: These are currently discounted too, but the times for lessons vary depending on your level and whether you want to ski or snowboard. You can still sign up to the lessons and at least we’ll be around to say hi and check in with how things are going.
If you are a complete beginner, I would recommend doing Group Lesson Levels 1 & 2. This will be 3 hours of teaching and include equipment hire. You will definitely need to do Level 3 & 4 next, but if you’re feeling confident enough by the end of Level 4 and passed the other levels, you can then go on the main slope and probably skip Level 5 & 6 with help from the rest of us.
If you haven’t been in ages and fancy doing some lessons, have a browse through the different levels. Feel free to comment below and I can help pick the right level for you.
If you snowboard, I can re-teach the basics to get you back up to speed, as long as you’ve been on a slope before and can use the lift. 🏂
Booking: https://snozoneuk.com/ I would book asap. There are limits on capacity for the different time slots and these can easily get full if you leave it until a few days before.
Go to Lift Passes, choose Yorkshire as the location, 3 hours for the duration, add 1 Adult Lift Pass Ski or Snowboard, then pick the date Saturday 31st May at 11am.
It will show the full price £44.99, but when you click Book Now, the discount will now be applied in your Basket. Then Checkout.
Similar procedure for Lessons, but you pick whether you want Ski or Snowboard Lessons, and then the type of Lesson you want.
Dogs Allowed: Not for this event sadly 😔
Public Transport: Train: Leeds 09:58am - Glasshoughton 10:23am. You will arrive right next to Xscape and just have to cross over the bridge to meet us by the entrance.
Parking: Really large car park in front and by the sides of Xscape.
Disclaimers:
The organisers do not have training or insurance. Therefore, anyone who joins the event is accountable for their own safety and anyone they bring with them. By signing up you accept this.If you have not skied or snowboarded before, and still choose to purchase a lift pass, you may be asked to leave the slope by the staff if it’s clear you don’t know how to ski or snowboard. When you purchase your slope passes, you have to confirm you meet Snozone’s basic requirements (link turns, control speed and use a button lift). The organisers are not responsible if you choose to ignore these requirements.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact the event's organiser.
- Loop - Group's 4th Brithday - Orienteering Competition @ SettleSettle , Settle
After Joanna's successful orienteering event in Todmorden I thought it would be nice to put one on myself for the group's birthday (6th June). I had a think and thought Settle makes for an excellent orienteering playground!
The event will cost the usual £1 - please send payment to https://settleup.starlingbank.com/jamiepope1 - put reference as 'Settle'.
What is Orienteering?
Orienteering is about navigating to a checkpoint on a map (or no map in some cases!). It can be done a variety of different ways; navigating to checkpoints along a set route, or there will be numerous checkpoints scattered across the map and you need to reach as many of them as possible. There is a time limit to do it in, to not reach the finish in the allotted time can either mean deducted points or disqualification.
What we will be Doing
We will be doing the type where checkpoints are scattered across the map and points will be deducted. We will be using the iOrienteering app so ensure you have it downloaded. Be sure to bring a way to charge your phone during the event, the app uses your location constantly so can drain your battery quite a lot.Teams
First I will split people into two groups; those that are competitive and want to power walk/jog/run to ensure they get as many points as possible and be the victor! Then those that are not as serious and rather do it more calmly and take their time (they may still win! Brains over brawn!). This is because there is nothing worse than people being on different wavelengths. It brings out the worst in people and then they won't enjoy themselves as much as they could.Each group will be split into teams (number per team will depend on how many attend). If there is a team with less people than others then I might add a minor points deduction to that team. As having less people will likely be an advantage.
Each team will have one person using the iOrienteering app. May want to bring power banks just in case!
Time
You will have five hours to get to as many checkpoints as possible. Be sure to be back in time! There will be breakpoints at POI's (points of interest). Breakpoints will stop the clock until you reach another checkpoint. They are added to allow people to stop for lunch if they want.Scoring
I have added a risk vs reward element. Every checkpoint you get to will give you more points the further away from the start you are. It is roughly an exta 10 points for every 100m (as the crow flies). With a maximum of 1000 points at 10km (6 1/4 miles)). Checkpoints at trig points, caves, waterfalls or other POI's have inflated points. For example, Pen-Y-Ghent is the biggest scorer with 2000 points! However, can you and your team get from Settle to the top of Pen-Y-Ghent and back in the allotted time? Are there enough checkpoints in between to make it worth trying?Penalities
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Up to 15 minutes late. Lose 10 points per minute.
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16-30 minutes late. Lose 20 points per minute.
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31-40 minutes late. Lose 30 points per minute.
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41+ minutes late. Lose 40 points per minute.
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Anyone using any mode of transport other than their legs will be disqualified.
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Team members must arrive back at the same time. Any team that has members arriving later than the first member will be disqualified.
Reward
£20 Go Outdoors giftcard (for each team member).Disclaimers
The walk organisers do not have training or insurance. Therefore, anyone who joins the walk is accountable for their own safety and anyone they bring with them. By signing up you accept this.
Check the weather (on multiple websites) before leaving your residence. Bring clothing & footwear suitable for the forecast. We advise you to bring walking boots for any medium or harder walk. Trainers are only recommended for easy walks. Bring a coat just in case (this is Britain after all...) and extra layers if it is going to be cold.
All proceeds go towards equipment for leading walks, group events & trips. A percentage will go to charities.
Bring a packed lunch and snacks. Bring enough food & water to last the estimated time.
We recommend bringing some cash just in case. Especially if parking. Not everywhere is contactless yet.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact the walks organiser. -
