Summer FAQ's for Open Groups

What should I wear & bring?
- Drinking water: When you breathe out you lose water, exercise increases this. Loss of water leads
to headaches, dizziness, nausea, and fatigue. You must carry one to two litres of
water per half day, plus we recommend drinking a litre of water before starting.
- Rucksack:To carry your water bottle and spare clothes. It should be long enough to fit your
back, with a waist belt and a cushioned, supportive back section. It must not
chafe your shoulders, cause a stooped position or restrict movement. Don’t rely
on one rucksack between two people as everyone moves at different speeds.

- Walking boots, shoes or trail running shoes: the trails will be uneven, with stony and rocky sections as well as slippery grass.
You need to protect your toes (so no sandals), and your ankle (supportive and sturdy footwear). Good soles with deep traction patterns are required. Finally, they need to NOT MOVE on your foot, otherwise you will get blisters.
- Walking socks: Avoid cotton –it absorbs sweat and can start to stick to the skin which, with movement, can cause blisters. It’s worth carrying spare socks.

- Sweat compatible clothes: If it is sunny and hot you will sweat. If your clothes trap this sweat you will
become really uncomfortable. Cotton is particularly bad for this.

- Sun resistant clothes, wide brimmed hat / cap and sunglasses: Covering up with baggy trousers and long sleeve tops and hats is better than being sunburnt wearing vest tops and tight shorts (with the attendant chafing!). Clothes with some man-made fibre component have added stretchiness and won’t absorb sweat. Sunglasses minimum Category 3, preferably Category 4.

- Wind / cold resistant clothes including hats and gloves: The temperature decreases by 1°C per 100m of ascent and wind chill makes it feel colder. You need adequate wind-proof clothing plus an insulating layer to help you maintain your body temperature if we slow or stop exercise (e.g. at lunch). Hats and gloves are light and make a huge difference to comfort.

- Factor 50 sun cream: The higher the factor the less you will burn, but it certainly won’t last all day so a small top up bottle is useful. Sunburn is no fun.
- Insect repellent: Some people just get bitten more – if that’s you then carry some.
- Personal first aid kit and medication: Personal medication, such as pills, asthma inhalers, epipens are vital – please
have the necessary medication (e.g. asthma inhalers are full and in date). A personal first aid kit to deal with any small cuts and scratches by cleaning and covering wounds is useful. Your leader carries a first aid kit suitable for the day.
- Wild weeing kit - tissues, hand sanitizer & a small bag to put paper waste in.
- Picnic lunch (depending on the time of your walk) and snacks You need to fuel the machine! Eating a little and often is better than waiting for one huge sandwich. Bags of snacks in the pocket are more accessible than a baguette in the rucksack. People rarely complain about carrying too much food.
- Walking poles: Walking poles divide people – some are devoted to them (we are) some have tried them and don’t get on with them, some people dismiss them because they are ‘not old enough to need poles’. The simple truth is that poles used correctly
provide additional traction (helps with climbs and descents), stability (prevent ankle and knee injuries), and reduce load bearing impacts (knees again). We see them as human four wheel drive for walking in the mountains.

- Insurance: Legally in France we have to check that clients have adequate insurance to fund a rescue in the event of an immobilising injury, which may require a helicopter. You will be asked about this on your booking form.

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What do you provide?

An expert qualified  leader fully registered and insured to work in France, we have a selection of walking poles if you don't have your own, For summer walks we ask you to meet us at the start point but if you don't have transport, we can arrange pick up from a central location - please email us if required.  We also provide a hot drink (usually coffee or tea) and cake which is provided by Apeeling Cakes 

What is the difference between an Open walk and a Private walk?
You pay for an open walk per person.  It is ideal if there are just a couple of you as it makes it cheaper than a private walk.  This is also the place to come to meet more people and socialise a little!  Of course you don't know who will be in the groups and so we may go at a slower pace than you would like.  On open walks the times and routes are pre-set.  Not sure?  Consider booking a bespoke private walk for your group!
 

Can I bring my dog(s)?

Yes!  On an open group walk in the summer you can bring your dog but please check with us first!  Please be aware that there may be other people in the group who may not be comfortable with dogs and so they should be under your control and well-behaved. You must put them on a lead when we tell you - for example when near livestock or groups of children. Please be aware that we will generally bring our border collie with us.

Will I be fit enough?
Yes! We are trained guides who find an easy middle pace.  We have lots of mini breaks to look at the view or to learn about the area - we go at the slowest pace.  We do reserve the right to shorten, lengthen or amend the walk depending on the speed of the group.

Can I bring my small child?
Yes of course - small children that can be carried in a carry pack are welcome.  We ask that you still book a (free) ticket for them as of course they will need their own seat in the minibus.  You will also have to provide your own child seat for the minibus as we only have booster seats.  We ask that children 6 or younger who are not in a carry pack do not come on the Open sessions as this will considerably slow down full paying adults.  However, again, please do ask as it depends how many other bookings we have on the event.

How long are the half day sessions?
They are 3.5 hours from start to end of the walk (does not include driving time).  

Where do we go walk?

We choose safe but interesting areas.  We reserve the right to change the location of the walk due to unforeseen factors, e.g. weather., but will always inform you ahead of time where possible.

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Can you pick me up from my accommodation?

On an open walk with other people on this we ask you to meet at a central location so that we can all get the maximum amount of time out walking.

 

What if the weather is bad?

If we judge the weather to be too bad we will contact you as soon as possible to arrange another day or a full refund.