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Books > Sport & Leisure > Sports & outdoor recreation > Active outdoor pursuits
A guidebook to the Swiss Via Alpina, a 400km (250 mile) trek east-to-west across Switzerland, from Sargans to Montreux on Lac Léman (Lake Geneva). Previously the Alpine Pass Route, the Via Alpina (VA) is a fully waymarked Swiss national trail that involves nearly 23,000m of ascent and descent over roughly 3 weeks of trekking – a serious challenge suitable for experienced trekkers. The main route is described in 19 stages of 12-29km (8-18 miles), as well as a 27km (17 mile) prologue stage from Liechtenstein and detour stages via Lenk and Gsteig. Comprehensive route description is accompanied by 1:100,000 mapping, route profiles, facilities listings and advice on safety, transport, accommodation and language. Crossing 16 Alpine passes, the VA showcases some of the Switzerland’s most breathtaking mountain landscapes, from flower-strewn meadows to snow-capped peaks including the majestic Todi, Titlis, Wetterhorn, Eiger, Jungfrau and Wildstrubel. Accommodation options range from mountain huts to hotels and inns, with camping available at licensed sites along the route.
This fully waymarked trail runs for 101 miles/162 km southward from the beautiful natural harbour of Tarbert to Macrihanish, near the Mull of Kintyre. Criss-crossing the entire peninsula, you pass castles, abbeys and prehistoric remains, sometimes walking along rugged coastline, sometimes high on forestry tracks with glorious views over Arran, the Firth of Clyde and towards Ireland. You will enjoy many wildlife sightings in this peaceful area, famous as Scotland only "mainland island". Since it opened (2006) the route has changed in places. The 2023 edition of this essential guidebook contains all you need to plan and enjoy your holiday: 11 pages with mapping showing the whole route (1:70,000); the Way step-by-step, with summaries of distance, terrain and refreshment stops; habitats and wildlife; whisky-making in Kintyre; side-trip to the island of Gigha; and planning information for travel by car, ferry, bus and plane. The book is printed on rainproof paper throughout, and has over 90 colour photographs.
With his sixtieth birthday looming, Colin Renton decides that it’s time to escape office life and focus on achieving some of his unfulfilled goals. He embarks on a year-long adventure that takes him from the busy streets of Edinburgh to the traffic-free roads, sodden fields and dusty paths of Europe’s winemaking regions. He laces up his running shoes and joins thousands of fellow athletes in races that test him over various distances, degrees of difficulty and levels of seriousness. His schedule, which culminates with a marathon debut, takes him to places he would otherwise not have visited. On his travels, he seeks out local wines that deserve a place in a carefully chosen twelve-bottle case, a process that throws up some fascinating insights and introduces him to a vintage crop of engaging characters. The crossover between running and wine uncorks a tale of endurance, curiosity and discovery, told in an accessible style and served up with a splash of local colour and a drop of wry humour.
This guide describes 23 day routes, graded by a combination of distance, climb and overall gradient, all suitable for road bikes and illustrated by detailed maps and profiles. In addition a six-stage tour takes in all the highlights, including Grassington, Leyburn, Hawes, Kirkby Stephen, Ingleton and Settle. And for those who really want to test themselves, the route of the Stage 1 of the 2014 Tour de France, a 206km loop from Leeds to Harrogate, is also included, with an option to close the loop without adding many extra miles. Appendices include a route summary table to help you choose your route, lots of information about facilities for cyclists along the routes, taking bikes on public transport and basic bike maintenance. The Vuelta a Dales takes in the best dales, passes and viewpoints as it passes through Grassington, Leyburn, Hawes, Kirkby Stephen, Sedbergh, Ingleton and Settle. The Yorkshire Dales have always welcomed visitors who enjoy the views. For cyclists, the national park and the areas overlapping its boundaries provide a splendid mix of varied scenic landscapes, an extensive network of roads and peaceful lanes and many cycle-friendly cafes and tea shops. With almost every turn revealing yet another stunning view, the Dales are an ideal area to explore by bike.
Brilliant, witty, perceptive essays about fly-fishing, the natural
world, and life in general by the acknowledged master of fishing
writers.
Guide to 50 walks and easy scrambles in north-western Scotland, covering Southern Torridon, Northern Torridon, Letterewe and Fisherfield, and the Fannichs. Ascents of 27 Munros, 20 Corbetts and 14 Grahams are included, with highlights including Liathach, Beinn Eighe, Beinn Alligin, An Teallach and Slioch. The walks are suitable for those with good navigation skills who are competent in a mountain environment. All the walks in the guide are graded, with summary statistics provided, and each includes clear route description and mapping. There's also a route summary table to help with choosing appropriate walks. Background information on local geology, wildlife and history, and planning details on when to go, where to stay and what to take are included to make the most out of any trip to Torridon. The region boasts spectacular and distinctive landscapes and breathtaking views. Steep-sided rocky mountains rise above long winding lochs, both freshwater and sea. From the hills there are vast panoramas out across the sea to the Hebrides and of mountains stretching out to the north, south and east. This is a land for those who love open spaces, vast horizons, and the domination of nature.
England used to enjoy one of the most comprehensive railway networks in Europe. By the last decade of the 19th century there was hardly a hamlet in the land which could not be reached by train itself or after a brief ride in a pony and trap from the nearest station. However, the improved reliability and sheer convenience of internal combustion engined road vehicles brought competition to the railways which caused a steady and persistent decline in freight and passengers throughout the second half of the 20th century. By then the railways, initially funded by private enterprise, had been nationalized as a state asset. This left the state paying for trains which ran at a loss for lack of goods and people to fill them. During the late 1950s and throughout the 1960s, successive governments sought to staunch this outflow of funds by closing thousands of miles of railway lines and hundreds of stations.Many of these were branch lines, that is a track leaving the main line to serve a specific place but going no further. At a stroke, large parts of the huge 19th-century civil engineering effort which went into building the network were redundant and, once any salvage of value was removed, duly abandoned. By and large, it was not economic to reinstate the cuttings, embankments and bridges built to give the most straight and level route possible for each line.What is left of these abandoned lines can offer rewarding walks through the heart of the countryside, away from roads and traffic, rich in flora and fauna and littered with dramatic examples of Victorian civil engineering. In short, there is something to the taste of the routine walker and the railway enthusiast. For either type they are best done twice, once in summer and once in winter. The summer will show what grows where the plow and the sprayer to not go, while the winter will show the detail of what was built, well over a century ago. This book features 12 of these walks throughout Gloucestershire and Wiltshire.
Outward Bound Canoeing Handbook is a handy, illustrated resource on the fundamentals of canoeing, including solid, sound instruction on all aspects of canoeing, from types of canoes to equipment choices, paddle and on-the-water techniques, safety tips, and more. In partnership with outdoor leader Outward Bound, this book combines expert instruction with practical tips to ensure a fun and a satisfying canoe trip for your next outdoor adventure.About Outward Bound: Outward Bound is the premier provider of experience-based outdoor leadership programs for teens, adults and professionals. Outward Bound is a non-profit educational organization and expedition school that serves people of all ages and backgrounds through active learning expeditions that inspire character development, self-discovery and service both in and out of the classroom. Outward Bound excels in curricula developed for struggling teens, groups with specific health, social or educational needs and business and professional organizations.
"Peak NE Pokketz" is a small compact guidebook covering the best of the north eastern grit crags in the Peak area, including Rivelin and Bamford, the majestic Stanage, the Burbage Valley, and Millstone and the other quarries. This book focuses on routes from Moderate to HVS and manages to pack more than 500 carefully chosen gems between its covers, but also includes 20 classic E1s and E2s to give something for everyone to aspire to.
The Kerry Way runs around Ireland's most beautiful peninsula for 130 miles (210 km), starting from Killarney. It features mountain scenery and coastal panoramas, and is rich in geology and wildlife. The book contains large-scale mapping, 100 colour photographs and is robust and rainproof. It has a special feature on the ascent of Carrauntoohil, Ireland's highest peak. This third edition has been fully revised and updated following a comprehensive route check in 2021.
Looking for some of the best pub walks around Dartmoor? Look no further! The 15 circular walks in this pocket-sized guidebook take in beautiful scenery and all start/finish at a top-rated local pub. Experience Dartmoor's vast and varied landscape at its best; from the dramatic moorland around Princetown and Peter Tavy to the beautiful woods of the Bovey and Plym Valleys; from South Zeal in the north to Buckfast in the south. HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE: Impressive Lydford Castle; The charming village of North Bovey with its thatched cottages & picturesque village green; The remains of an old copper mine & the wonderful views from Ramsley Hill; St Pancras church, the cathedral of the moor, in Widecombe-in-the-Moor; Hound Tor, which, according to legend, was formed when a pack of hounds was turned to stone.
The Speyside Way runs for 85 miles (136 km) from the fishing port of Buckie to Newtonmore in the Cairngorms National Park, with an optional 16-mile spur to Tomintoul via Glenlivet. Following the lovely valley of the River Spey, you walk through countryside rich in malt whisky and wildlife, along riverside paths, railway trackbed and forest and moorland tracks. This fully revised edition of the essential trail guide is based on several field trips in 2021 to research the newly extended route. It has custom mapping at 1:42,500 and plans of villages and towns along the Way. The book contains all you need to plan and enjoy your holiday: detailed mapping of the whole route; the Way step-by-step, with summaries of distance, terrain and refreshment stops; habitats and wildlife, including ospreys, dolphins and wildcats; explanation of whisky-making and distilleries; planning information for travel by car, train, bus or plane; printed on rainproof paper throughout.
The three long-distance walks described in this book - the Suffolk Coast Path, the Stour and Orwell Walk and the Sandlings Walk - link together to provide a comprehensive and varied circuit of the entire Suffolk Heritage Coast. The Suffolk Coast Path stretches along the coast between Lowestoft and Landguard Fort, close to Felixstowe in the south, a total distance of 60 miles (97km) depending on whether beach walking or inland options are followed. The Stour and Orwell Walk continues where the Suffolk Coast Path ends, starting at Landguard Point threading for 40 mile (64km) around the estuaries of the Stour and Orwell rivers to finish at Cattawade, close to the Essex border. The Sandlings Walk (59 miles/94.5km) explores the heathland region that lies immediately inland from the Suffolk coast. With the exception of the first stage, between Ipswich and Woodbridge, the route of the Sandlings Walk lies entirely within the confines of the Suffolk Coast & Heaths AONB. With a unique landscape of cliffs, marshes, dunes and shingle beaches, and rare plants and birdlife galore, there is much to attract anyone seeking interesting day walks or longer multi-day itineraries.
The Snowdonia Slate Trail is a waymarked trail that runs for 83 miles from Bangor on the North Wales coast, making a circuit through the heart of Snowdonia to end at Bethesda. The trail joins up villages with a choice of welcoming accommodation. The walking is varied, ranging from easy valleys to mountain passes, from wild moorland to river gorges. Highlights include the National Slate Museum of Wales, stunning views of Snowdon and nearby mountains, and abandoned slate villages high in the hills. The trail also passes the Penrhyn quarry with its impressive galleries of slate crossed by the longest, fastest zip-wire in Europe. This guidebook is in rucksack-friendly format and printed on rainproof paper. Lavishly illustrated with 95 colour photos, it contains large-scale mapping and all you need to plan and enjoy your holiday: 14 pages with clear mapping of the route at 1: 40,000 practical information about public transport and travel section with inside knowledge on how best to climb Snowdon detailed route descriptions including where to find refreshments and accommodation background on the slate industry heritage, the 'Great Little Trains of Wales' and wildlife.
The Dorset Rockfax is now the established source of climbing information for this increasingly popular area. With a huge increase in new climbers coming into the sport from the metropolitan areas of Southern England, this book represents their closest extensive sport climbing area. The fifth edition of the Dorset Rockfax and the biggest Rockfax guidebook yet. It covers all the sport climbing across Portland, Lulworth and Swanage in Dorset and also the best of the trad climbing. The book features all the new developments since the previous book in 2012 and a few extra areas. Every crag has been rephotographed and presented with big aerial overviews and detailed new maps. Crags Covered Portland - Blacknor North, Blacknor Central, Blacknor South, Blacknor Beach, Blacknor Far South, Battleship Edge, Battleship Back Cliff, Wallsend North, Wallsend South, Coastguard North, Coastguard South, White Hole, Lighthouse Area, Cave Hole, Beeston Cliff, Godnor, Neddyfields, Cheyne Cliff, Dungecroft Quarry, Lost Valley, The Cuttings, The Knobs Lulworth Swanage - Winspit, Hedbury, Dancing Ledge, Guillemot Ledge, Cormorant Ledge, Blackers Hole, Fisherman's Ledge, The Promenade, Cattle Troughs, Boulder Ruckle, Subluminal The Needles
The Corbetts (Scotland's 2500-2999ft mountains) are every bit as interesting as the Munros (3000ft and over), often clear when the Munros are in cloud, walkable on short winter days, free of the peak-bagging crowds of their taller neighbours. Walking the Corbetts is divided into two volumes. The guide covers the Corbetts to the north of the Great Glen, which runs from Fort William to Inverness and includes those in Knoydart, Applecross, Torridon and the isles of Skye, Mull, Rum and Harris. Choosing the best, rather than the quickest, routes up each summit the author covers 109 peaks in 90 routes, illustrated with custom 1:100,000 mapping. South of the Great Glen it is the Munros which attract most attention, but along the western seaboard and in the far north it is the Corbetts that dominate the landscape with isolated rocky peaks rising steeply above the sea and inland lochs, in a wilderness of heather and bog dotted with sparkling lochs and lochans. There are spectacular Corbetts all the way from Ardgour to Cape Wrath. The far north-west provides some of the most magnificent mountain scenery in the world and it is difficult to beat the magical islands of Mull, Rum, Skye and Harris.
A Survey of Megaliths and Mark Stones - Past and Present: This guide to old stones in the Cotswolds and Forest of Dean is designed for the curious, the megalith hunter, walker and antiquary alike. It shows the stones' locations, history, folklore and legend.
Stop Line Green (SLG) was a continuous linear defensive position some 100 mile long running in rough semi circle east of Bristol from Highbridge on the Bristol Channel in the south to Upper Framilode on the River Severn in the north. This book gives a guide to the walk of SLG
A guidebook to 32 walking routes on the beautiful Isle of Wight, including the 70 mile Coastal Path - a complete circuit of the island's spectacular coast. Ranging from 4 to 18 miles long, the walks explore clifftops, beaches, forest trails and downland, and visit picturesque villages and the towns of Yarmouth, Cowes and Ventnor. Graded easy to moderate, they are suitable for all abilities and are accessible all year round. The guide contains clear step-by-step route descriptions for each walk, accompanied by an extract from 1:50,000 OS mapping. There is information about refreshment and accommodation options along the route and plenty of details about the island's history and the interesting places encountered. Options for accessing the start and finish using the island excellent public transport are also given for each walk. With an incredible 326 miles of footpaths in a compact area, there is a huge choice of where to walk, which means that walkers can experience all the diversity the island has to offer - jaw-dropping views such as those from the magnificent coastline of West Wight, St Catherine's Point and the Needles, sweeping downland, as well as 2000 or so listed buildings.
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