Lower Wharfedale Group

of

the Ramblers

The Ramblers is a registered charity (number 1093577) and a company limited by guarantee (number 4458492).

Walking with Lower Wharfedale

The Lower Wharfedale Group organises led walks throughout the year.

Dates and Times of these Longer Walks will be shown on the More Walks page when known.
Three Crags Walk. 16 miles. Moderate/Strenuous. Linear walk to Ilkley from Weeton.
Three Moors Circular. 30 miles. Very strenuous.
Three Rivers Walk. Shipley - Otley via Ilkley linear walk. 25 miles. Very strenuous.
Additional walks and other events are arranged by Lower Wharfedale at various times.

You need to decide whether you are able to walk over the distances. Walking in the Dales with some quite tough uphill stretches can be very tiring. The Ramblers’ Association has a grading system. The following is the part relevant to the types of walks we do:

Note that the walks programmes give a distance for each walk. Think about your own health history and walking experience and decide whether the distance is right for you. Some walks tell you how much climbing there will be. If you have had any health problems, check with your doctor whether you are fit to walk distances and to climb hills.

If you have not been a regular walker:

People who join any of our walks must be wearing walking boots or equivalent footwear. All walks go over rough ground. The ground is often wet and slippery. Most walks go over rocks at some time.

Walkers need to wear suitable clothing. The weather can vary greatly over a single day. It may be warm in the valley requiring T-shirt and cotton trousers or shorts. As you climb, the temperature might drop, so that you require a fleece or some other warm top. If it rains you will need a waterproof/windproof jacket and perhaps waterproof trousers. Jeans are not suitable for walking as they hold the wet. In strong sunshine it is not safe to leave shoulders uncovered.

For most walks you will need to carry food and drink. On our all day walks we will stop for an half hour break for rest, food and drink at about 1.00 pm. You will be using quite a lot of energy so it is good to have a reasonable packed lunch.

It would also be sensible to carry some snack foods in case your energy drops. Fruit and nuts and/or cereal bars are popular for this purpose.

A flask of hot drink is good in the winter and cold drinks in the summer. The hotter the day and the more you are likely to perspire, the more drink you will need to carry. You will need a minimum of a litre on a summer’s day. Think also about the food content of your drink. Fruit juice will give extra sugar for energy. If you do not think you need this, water might be best for you.

For your spare clothing, food and drink you will need a rucksack. There are lots of styles to choose from. Think about how much you will want to carry before you buy one.

Nothing else is essential. However, it is a good idea to have spare laces for your boots. Some basic first aid items, like plasters might be useful. Many walkers like to know about the route and the area over which they have walked. You might like to have the appropriate Ordnance Survey Explorer Maps 1:25,000 are most suitable for Dales walking.

Walks