The first YHA Festival of Walking will take place from 4th September to 20th October, with the aim of bringing together individuals, friends, families, walking groups and communities to explore the beautiful countryside of England and Wales.
Walking. It’s a simple act, right? One foot in front of another. But really it’s a marvel. The delicate balance, the interplay of muscles and bones, all moving in unison. We walk around the shops, we walk around the town. If we’re lucky, we get to walk along the coast or in the countryside. And it’s in these places that the act of walking takes on a different aspect. It becomes a union with nature and, often, a union with friends.
To celebrate how walking can bring people together, YHA has launched a festival designed to introduce new voices, feet and faces to the joys of the UK’s outdoor spaces. YHA hopes to collectively get people walking 24,901 miles; that’s once around the world. Participants can log their miles through a programme of social walks, self-guided routes and challenge events, between 4th September and 20th October 2022.
“24,901 miles seems a long way but that’s just 5,000 people walking five miles each, which we think is more than achievable,” says Chief Executive James Blake. “Ideally, we’d love it if enough people got outside and got walking during the festival that their logged miles could collectively circumnavigate the globe multiple times. That’s the goal.”
To help with the challenge, YHA is mapping a number of circular walking routes, using Ordnance Survey mapping software, all of which start and finish at a youth hostel. The mapped routes will offer an easy, moderate and challenging circular walk from each youth hostel, suitable for novice to seasoned walkers. What’s more, everyone who takes part in the festival and logs their miles on the festival website will also be entered into a free prize draw to win a £500 voucher for Cotswold Outdoor.
As an extra incentive, YHA is offering 25% off accommodation at a number of hostels, as well as a free cuppa for everyone who gets involved (at participating hostels). James Blake adds: “YHA has been the walker’s friend since 1930, when our first youth hostel opened offering low-cost accommodation and a warm welcome. We still offer this today and more.”
“We want more walkers to discover our hostels and everything they have to offer, whether that’s a bed for the night, a day visit to enjoy a cuppa, filling up a bottle at a water refill station, using our drying rooms, or just grabbing a loo break. Our facilities are here, and we want people to use them.”
Join YHA’s virtual charity challenge
As part of the Festival of Walking, you can join YHA for a Virtual Adventurer challenge event along the 336km Ravenber Way — no matter where you are in the world. The coast-to-coast route, between Ravenglass in the Lake District and England’s northernmost town, Berwick-upon-Tweed, was created by YHA life member Ron Scholes. But now you can complete it virtually.
YHA has partnered with Ultra Britain, a platform that maps participants’ virtual activity to the real-life route. You can watch your avatar progress along the route — navigating the trail and passing landmarks and YHA hostels as you go. It’s just £15 to enter, with no minimum fundraising target, and all the money raised supports YHA’s work reconnecting people with nature, the outdoors, culture and heritage.
How it works
- Sign up: It costs just £15 to participate and, once complete, you’ll get an event medal to celebrate your achievement.
- Choose your distance: Pledge to travel 75km, 150km or 336.4km anytime from 4th September to 20th October. You can walk, run, cycle or do a mixture of all three.
- Complete your kms: From 4th September to 20th October, clock up your kilometres at home, on holiday, on the way to work, on one of YHA’s social walks and watch virtual you conquer the Ravenber Way route online.
Once you’ve entered, you’ll be invited to a JustGiving page to raise funds and support YHA. Everyone who raises £50 will be automatically entered into a prize draw to win a free two-night YHA stay (terms and conditions apply).
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