Harrow and Wembley Outdoor Group

Cost: Assume £30 per night for accommodation (5 nights) plus train from Welshpool to Prestatyn (3 hours, £14 to £36) (£10 event surcharge payable by casuals). Other costs will be food and drink plus travel to/from your home (car or public transport). Please let Steve know by Jan 31st latest if you want a place on this event. After this date places may be available but you may need to book accommodation direct yourself. Prompt payment of a deposit will be required, assume £100, if you're allocated a place. If you say you want a place and one is allocated to you then you are committing to paying for it - please only book if you accept this. Payment of your deposit will be online (you will be sent a link) and required within 7 days.

Activities: Walk part of the Offa's Dyke National Trail which runs (roughly) along the border of Wales and England. It is said that the Offa's Dyke is the most attractive and varied of all the National Trails. The route crosses high wild moorland, attractive, well cultivated wide river valleys and ancient woodland. It passes through historic towns and isolated hamlets. En route can be seen hill forts, castles, abbeys and surviving remains of the habitations of former occupants of the beautiful corridor of the path. The flora and fauna are as rich and as varied as the scenery.

Part 1 involves walking 70 miles of the 178 miles of the Offa's Dyke starting at Prestatyn in the north to Welshpool in the middle of Wales. The plan is to walk over 5 days (note locations and distances may change if accommodation needs to): Monday: Prestatyn to Bodfari, 12 miles, ascent 2,250 ft.; Tuesday: Bodfari to Llandegla, 17.5 miles, ascent 3,400 ft.; Wednesday: Llandegla to Froncysyllte, 12.5 miles, ascent 1,700 ft.; Thursday: Froncysyllte to Llanymynech, 16.8 miles, ascent 3,150 ft.; Friday: Llanymynech to Welshpool, 10.5 miles, ascent 50 ft. By finishing in Welshpool we have the option to continue on to Mike's South Snowdon weekend.

Steve plans to carry all his stuff in a 35 litre back pack. Courier service is possible if you want to travel lighter (search online for "Offa's Dyke sherpa" and book). If carrying all your stuff en route make sure your back pack is waterproof. Regardless, you will need to bring (a) sufficient clothing for all days or arrange a wash mid week, (b) some warm clothing (woolly hat, gloves) as can get chilly and (c) utensil for water. Also bring sun cream and sun hat. If you want to go to Mike's South Snowdon weekend then hopefully we could pack a small bag with more clothes and give in advance to someone going there to bring for us. That way we would have fresh clothes upon arrival and not need to carry on the Offa's Dyke. If you're interested but unsure of your fitness then please contact Steve soonest to discuss. Steve hopes to walk the remaining 108 miles of the Offa's Dyke during 2013.

Refreshments: Assuming we stay in B&B then breakfast should be included. Some B&B will provide packed lunches (assume £5) or we buy en route. For evening plan is to eat in village pub. Other refreshments we get ad hoc as we pass shops.

Travel: Sun 27 May: By car to Welshpool, Powys SY21 (walk end point) then train to Prestatyn, Denbighshire LL19 (walk start point). By public transport train direct to Prestatyn, Denbighshire LL19 on the Sunday.
Fri 1 Jun: Car or train home or if continuing on to Mike's South Snowdon weekend then (if no car) train from Welshpool to Fairborne (2 hours, prices from £11) goes to within 8 miles of Kings YHA Dolgellau. And as our Friday walk is an easy 10 miles then another 8 miles on foot should be easy! Or get a bus/taxi. Also option if car/driver/destination/times etc. work out to leave some cars at Welshpool and take others to Prestatyn - will see how logistics look nearer the time.

Accommodation: Expect to stay in B&B most nights. Venues to be decided and booked once core attendees confirmed. Regardless, we will start walking, heading south at 9am on Monday May 28th from Central Beach, Bastion Road, Prestatyn, Clwyd, LL19 7ET.

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