Malham - Doorstep of the Yorkshire Dales

This Grade 4 moderate holiday includes walks at a moderate pace over hilly terrain and may include an element of sightseeing as well on a day or two. Half day walking will probably include about 3 hours of walking, with full days having around 5 hours. Please note that one walk (Monks Road) is a long walk at 12.5 miles with all of the strenuous activity in the afternoon. 

Expect ascents and descents of up to about 600m. Some of the walking will be at top of grade, and while a little challenging, you will be rewarded with great views and a sense of achievement. See the 'Proposed Itinerary' section for more information.

All local transport costs in conjunction with the advertised activity programme are included in the holiday cost. There may be occasions where additional visits or excursions are added to enrich your experience, these will be paid for locally by you if you choose to participate. Local transport can be a mix of private hire coaches, taxis, local buses and ferries depending on the itinerary.

A range of local excursions and activities may be available to book at your destination through a local operator. We have no involvement in such activities or excursions which are not run, supervised or controlled in any way by us. Your contract will be with the local activity supplier and we accept no responsibility for their actions or omissions.

When budgeting for your holiday, you will need to consider drinks, non-included entrance fees, optional excursions you may choose to participate in locally and any souvenirs or additional services such as laundry. 

Although entirely at your own discretion, tipping is an important aspect of tourism and hospitality life and expectations are fairly high. In order to simplify tipping, we strongly recommend that you allow your leader to take care of making sure tips are given to hotel and restaurant staff and to local guides and drivers. This will be done using some funds provided by us together with, if you wish, a contribution from you, which he/she will collect during the holiday.

Your tour leader makes the world of difference to your holiday and ours are as passionate about discovering the world on foot as you are. They're resourceful, organised and widely travelled. They will handle all the local administration and other needs that might arise to ensure that you don't have to worry about planning your days and you can enjoy your holiday. Although leading group holidays, they won't forget that every group is made up of individuals. Each tour leader has their own individual style, talents and professional backgrounds and all are trained, qualified, experienced and dedicated to making your holiday as enjoyable, interesting and inspiring as possible.

Each evening, your tour leader will discuss with you the programme for the following day. This will be your opportunity to discuss the details and ensure the planned activities suit your walking ability. If you have concerns on clothing or equipment, this can be discussed then also. If you do not wish to join the organised group programme, please let the leader know.

Travelling by Train? The nearest railway station to FSC Malham Tarn is Settle station approximately 9 miles from the property. There is a limited taxi service from the rail station, which must be pre-booked. Please contact Bosh & Becks Private Hire on 07753226132

Travelling by Car? Please note that if you are driving to Malham Tarn to join our holiday, there are car parking facilities on site. If you are using a sat-nav for directions, please see the extra instructions below (taken from the FSC Malham Tarn website)

From Malham (Skipton, Leeds, M1, A1)

In Malham village, with the Buck Inn on your left, IGNORE the sign in the centre of the village indicating a right turn for Malham Tarn – this will not give you access to FSC - but bear left beyond the Buck Inn.
Drive up a long winding hill and along the flat for 3 miles to a crossroads. Go straight ahead here, past High Trenhouse (Centre for Management Creativity) and down to a junction. Turn right and drive with the wood to your right for ½ mile. Ignore the gated track and watch out for a sharp right hand turn down a slope at the end of the woodland.

NB: Do not take the road from Malham that goes past the Listers Arms Hotel as this becomes a gated track.

From Settle / Hawes (Kendal, Preston, M6)
Take the B6479 to Langcliffe (do not follow the signs to Malham from Settle town centre) and turn into Langcliffe at the sign ‘Malham 7 ½’. Follow the road for 3 miles up a steep winding hill, down to an isolated farm and up another long hill. Bear right at the top of the hill at the sign ‘Malham 4¼’. After just over a mile the road forks at a small copse. Bear left here at the sign ‘Arncliffe 5¾’. (Do not take the road back to Malham). Continue for another mile, past a sharp right turn and a gated track. At the far end of the woodland watch for a sharp right turn.

The final turn is marked with a small sign to the Field Centre. Follow the track for ¾ mile, through a narrow rock cutting to the large building at the far end.

The AA and RAC both offer free and detailed on-line route planning facilities on their websites which may help you find our hotels. Details can be found at: www.theaa.co.uk and www.rac.co.uk 

You may also wish to look at the following website for advice on the best way to travel to the FSC Centre: www.rome2rio.com

During the holiday, private coach transport to and from the trailheads, if necessary, is included. 

To ensure that we can accurately administer your holiday arrangements, please confirm that the personal details we hold for you are up to date and that you have provided the information we need to secure your holiday travel and accommodation arrangements. Please check your passport details, date of birth and any other important details necessary for us to properly manage your holiday booking. You can view and update information already provided, and add details not yet asked for, by using the Manage My Booking facility on our website www.ramblersholidays.co.uk, or by calling our Sales and Reservations team on +44 (0)1707 331133. When you receive your booking confirmation please check the details as soon as possible.

Any non UK or EU citizens may be subject to passport, identity card or visa requirements to enter the United Kingdom.

This holiday is on full board basis starting with dinner on your arrival day and finishing with breakfast on your departure day. Breakfasts and dinners will be taken at the centre and lunch will consist of a packed lunch provided by the centre. 

The centre will provide the lunch items in the morning for you to make up your lunch before you leave for your walk. Lunch items generally consist of a sandwich, fruit, water and a slice of cake. As kettles are available in the communal areas, you may wish to bring a flask to make up a coffee/tea flask to accompany your picnic lunch. 

Dinner will consist of a two course (main course and dessert) set menu with a choice of at least two options. Vegetarians are well catered for as the centre may have one or more 'meat free' days during your stay. Please note that the food provided is not fine dining and is basic, in fitting with the accommodation provided. 

The centre has a licensed bar stocked with local ales and spirits, wines, soft drinks and snacks. 

Lightweight waterproof walking boots with a good moulded sole (such as Vibram or similar) and a deep tread and which provide ankle support are strongly recommended and may be essential for some walks. 

Outdoor activities are always safer and more enjoyable if you are prepared.

If you have not travelled with us before the following list might be of use:

• Waterproof jacket (Goretex or similar) and trousers
• Lightweight quick-drying trousers
• Walking T-shirt/shirts
• Walking socks
• Fleece or jumper
• Sun hat, sunglasses, lip salve and sun block
• Warm hat and gloves (if appropriate)
• Swimwear (if appropriate)
• Day sack (this should be able to carry all you would need for the day's activity)
• Day sack liner
• Water bottle - at least 1 litre capacity (more than 1 bottle may be required)
• Basic first aid kit
• Lunchbox
• Walking poles (should you find them useful)
• Sit mat

This list is not exhaustive and every walker is different and may have their own preference.

Documents and Information to take with you:

• Holiday money
• Credit or debit cards (and separate details of who to call if lost)
• Car parking ticket and car park directions (if prebooked)
• Coach or rail travel tickets (if prebooked)
• Holiday booking confirmation document
• Travel insurance details (if applicable)
• Details of any medical condition or allergy your holiday leader should know about

An alternative to bottled water from single-use sealed water bottles is filtered water from a refillable bottle containing its own water filter such as a Water-to-go bottle available from www.watertogo.eu. Just fill up from any water source and save the environment from disposable plastic bottles.

We have negotiated an exclusive 15% discount with our partners Water-to-Go for you as a thank you for helping the environment. Please go to their website at www.watertogo.eu and enter the code RWH17 when ordering. In addition, Water-to-Go will match the discount with a donation to our charity, Heart & Sole, which will allow us to continue to make a difference in the countries you visit on our holidays.

Walks in Yorkshire www.daleswalks.co.uk and the National Trust website www.nationaltrust.org.uk offer good background reading ahead of your trip.

If you cannot find the maps or books locally we recommend:

The Map Shop
5 High Street
Upton upon Severn, Worcs
WR8 0HJ
England

Tel: 01684 593 146
Website: www.themapshop.co.uk
E-mail: themapshop@btinternet.com

If you key many of the local places mentioned in this holiday fact sheet into YouTube, you will find a vast array of spectacular footage of the area.

Visit the following websites for an idea of the climate in your destination:

• Weather2 - www.myweather2.com
• BBC Weather - www.bbc.co.uk/weather

Health requirements can change at any time. It is your own responsibility to ensure that you inform yourself from a professionally qualified source on, and comply with, such requirements at least 6 to 8 weeks before departure. Advice on vaccinations is available from your GP.

No compulsory immunisations are required for holidays in the UK although you should be up to date with the usual immunisations recommended for life in Britain. Tetanus immunisation is recommended.

For further advice please visit:

• The National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) travel health website at www.travelhealthpro.org.uk
• The NHS 'Fit for travel' website at www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk
• The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office website at www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice
• Or a local travel health clinic

You might wish to take a small bottle of antibacterial hand gel with you for times when you're unable to wash your hands.

Although not compulsory for British and EU citizens resident in the UK, we strongly recommend that you take out travel insurance to cover you in the event of eventualities such as unexpected cancellation, accident or illness before your holiday or the loss of personal possessions.

Visitors who are not British Citizens (or who are not EU citizens resident in the UK), must be adequately insured to join our holidays and will be unable to participate in our local walking and other activity programmes without being able to demonstrate that you have valid travel insurance.

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office provides up to date information on security and local laws for travellers, together with current passport and visa information, at www.gov.uk/travelaware. Please take a few minutes to look at the current advice on your planned destination.

Please be aware of what's going on around you, take sensible precautions with your credit cards and passport and avoid displays of wealth such as wearing expensive jewellery or watches. Do not carry more cash on you than you will need for each day, and we recommend that a money belt is used.

We're committed to ethical tourism in all our destinations. Our holidays are designed for you to discover the essence of the country you are visiting. Travelling in small groups not only gives you an up close and personal experience of your destination, but minimises your impact on the immediate environment. We feel that the most important starting point to protect the environment is to be out in it. For more details visit our website.

Unlike many tour operators we have our own trust through which RWH Travel’s profits are channelled back into a variety of outdoor, walking-related or environmental conservation projects in the UK. The focus of the Trust’s financial support is Britain’s leading walking charity, The Ramblers, and their role in promoting the benefits and importance of walking to the British public. In addition the Trust welcomes applications for small grants from local organisations in the UK who need support for walking-orientated activities. This includes the establishment of footpaths and bridleways, funding for rebuilding bridges and renovating huts, as well as bursary funding for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award for children who could not otherwise afford to do it. Please visit the ‘About Us’ section of our website and click on the Charitable Trust link for more details.

We appreciate that we are in a fortunate position to be able to use our profits to help make a difference to people's lives. Heart & Sole is a venture managed by our office staff, whose aim is to reach the heart of the communities in the countries we visit. Through Heart & Sole, we hope to make more of a long term, direct impact to these communities, particularly in less developed countries where even a small amount goes a long way. See our website for more information and details of some of the projects we support.

Please do provide us with a mobile phone contact number. We will only use this to contact you with important information relating to your holiday arrangements. 

Do keep your mobile phones switched on and readily available when travelling to the airport or if delayed in transit so that we can contact you with any last minute information relating to your travel arrangements.  

As a matter of courtesy, please switch off your mobile phone during walks, or endeavour to minimise its use. Please also try to minimise the use of mobile devices during group meals.