LONGER WALKS

Derek HarwoodThe Longer Walks group has a programme of walks normally of between 8 to 14 miles, usually with options to shorten the walk. Walks are over a full day with a break for lunch (usually in a pub or café, although sometimes people bring a picnic). Group size is typically between 6 and 12 people.

Group Coordinator: Derek Harwood (click to contact)
When
Normally there are four walks a month, on varying days of the week so as to avoid always clashing with the same iU3A groups that meet on fixed days.
Where
We go to any good walking area in Greater London and the South East that can be reached relatively easily by public transport. Our walks cover a variety of terrain, including park and woodland, canal or riverside paths, open countryside and hill walking. Most walks are suitable for anyone who is reasonably fit and active.

Main Walking Groups
Choice of walking groups:
  • Leisurely: up to 3 miles at a leisurely pace taking 2 to 3 hours, one a month
  • Amblers: up to 5 miles at a reasonably steady pace, usually twice a month
  • Shorter: between 5 to 7 miles usually at a moderate to brisk pace, three times a month
  • Longer: between 8 to 14 miles at a reasonably fast pace, once a week.
(click on the relevant name above for more information)

Background
The Long Walks group is wonderfully balanced; some join walks regularly, others less frequently. To help the leader in their duty of care and to ensure safety we have a few rules. In summary the rule is 'respect others and stick together' but see the fuller version here.

To join the group, please either drop me an email (address as above) or register through Beacon. Having joined the group, to join a particular walk click on the relevant walk 'sign up' link below. If you are not a member of Islington U3A then you must firstly join this before joining any Group. Go to the Join Us page and there click on the Membership Form.

Our Next Walks

Walks Coming Up
See below for our programme of walks in 2024. We tend to fix the dates a quarter at a time. We'll make available the full walk details (including the meeting point) on this webpage about a week before each walk. Once sign-up is open please click individually on 'sign-up open' (in blue) for each walk you plan to join. To drop out of a walk, please return to the form, and enter your details again but with a 'No' instead of a 'Yes'.
Please note: the Walk Details provided by the Walk Leaders are provided as 'best endeavours' but cannot be guaranteed to be 100% accurate. Members should check travel times and costs themselves.
 
Friday 24 January (DH), Dollis Valley Greenway, Our 500th walk (sign-up open): this walk will continue the trail from the walk above. Starting from Totteridge and Whetstone, we follow the Dollis Brook southward. By picking this walk, which is relatively easy to reach, I've tried to give opportunity for members to join at lunch time or join us at the end. Details here.
We've proceeded to procure a badge to record this our provided 500th LW group walk. You don't have to have walked all 500 to be eligible to buy one of these cloth badges. All group members qualify.
 

Tuesday 28 January
(SH),
Hayes to Knockholt: 10 miles. Details to follow.


Lookahead provisional schedule
(* = where a walk leader is required):

February
: Friday 7 (KM), Thursday 13 (DL), Wednesday 19 (DH), Tuesday 25 (RI)
March: Monday 3 (KM), Tuesday 11 (*), Wednesday 19 (*), Thursday 27 (DL)
April: Friday 4 (DH), Thursday 10 (*), Wednesday 16 (*),
April: Tuesday 22 (RI): Sevenoaks Circular via Ightham Mote
April: Monday 28 (*)
May: Tuesday 6 (*), Wednesday 14 (*), Friday 23 (*), Thursday 29 (*)

May: Saturday 31 May (DH): extra weekend walking, Isle of Wight (sign-up open). We last visited in 2017. Preliminary details here.

June: Wednesday 4 (*), Tuesday  10 (*), Monday  16 (DH), Tuesday  24 (*)
July: Wednesday 2 (*)
August: other dates to follow later.

Extended Walking Weekend, Malhamdale, 26 September 2025: yes 2025. Get it in your diary now. Southern Yorkshire Dales 3 Nights, 4 days. But all places have already been taken. If you want to go on a waiting list please email Derek (contact details above). We do get a number of cancellations so it is worth going on the waiting list if you are interested in coming. PRELIMINARY details here.

Useful and Other Information
Travel link — if you are going on a walk outside the Freedom Pass areas, here is a link to help decide which station to buy your ticket from online: Freedom Pass Map. If you need to figure out what train line we are going on then this overall map can help: Rail Map.

Ticks — there have been reports of increased population of ticks in the UK. If you are worried about catching a tick bite while out walking, for more information see here.

Jo-Anne has provided three useful walk guides. You can view them here:
u3a has formed a partnership with 'Slow Ways' and hence we have also signed up for this initiative. The Slow Ways initiative is trying to get more people walking, and walking for more purposes. They are creating a network of walks joining up all villages, towns, cities. They aim then to get all these 'ways' reviewed so that full route information is available through their websites. And that's where we come in. They hope that u3as will help complete these reviews (and surveys). We hope as a group to check out some of these Slow Ways and you can do this as individuals as well. For more information see their website here.

Walks Register: if you want to look up any of our previous walks you can view our main Register here. Quote the walk number to Derek and he can send you the relevant Walk Details sheet.

Leader Responsibilities: see the following guidelines for reference here

Recent Walks
Further walk reports will not be created.
Church Stretton, Extended Walking Weekend: weekend's report here. Details here.

Past Walks
Islington u3a is now over ten years old. Here are our archive walk reports:
For Walk Reports October 2023 - September 2024: look here.
For Walk Reports October 2022 - Sept 2023: look here.
To see details of our ninth year (October 2021 - Sept 2022) look here
To see details of our eighth year (October 2020 - Sept 2021) look here.
To see details of our seventh year (October 2019 - Sept 2020) look here.
To see details of our sixth year (October 2018 - Sept 2019) look here.
To see details of our fifth year (October 2017 - Sept 2018) look here.
To see the details for walks in the previous year (Oct 2016 - Sept 2017) look here.
If you want to see details of the walks we completed in our third year (Oct 2015 - Sept 2016) then look here.


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