Hikers walk to the moon – and back

HF Holidays has calculated that guests on the company’s British walking holidays have been to the moon and back this year! Between them, the 19,000 guests on guided walking holidays at the company’s country houses in the UK have walked 523,494 miles in spectacular countryside as diverse as the Scottish Highlands and the Cornish coast.

As the distance from the earth to the moon is just 238,857 miles, this means HF Holidays’ guests have clocked up more than enough miles to take them to the moon, walk around it and back to earth again!

And, with ascents like Shining Tor, Scafell and Snowdon all on offer the company also estimates that guests could have climbed up Everest almost 3,000 times this year.

“These statistics are amazing and certainly many of our guests love nothing better than a challenging walk of 12-15 miles with ascents of up to 3,500 feet,” says Sales Director Matthew Humphreys.

“But on average, most guests walk for seven or eight miles each day and for 2010 we are introducing more Easier Guided Walking Holidays ideal for people ‘learning’ to walk.”

In HF Holidays’ 2010 Walking & Outdoor Holidays programme, the range of Easier Guided Walking Holidays has been increased, with more Half-Day Walks offered in the UK.

For instance, a seven night Half Day Walks in Cornwall holiday at the company’s house in St Ives starting on 19 June costs £679 per person, twin share, including en-suite accommodation, all meals, a choice of guided walks, transport to and from walk locations and sociable evening events.

“Walking is Britain’s most popular form of exercise,” adds Humphreys, “and an increase of three percent in our 2009 UK walking holidays suggest that more people want to ‘step up’ from the Sunday afternoon stroll to a ‘real’ walking experience.

“HF Holidays is keen to make walking – for pleasure and fitness – accessible to everyone, which is why our 2010 programme offers our widest ever choice of walks.”

Also new for 2010 – and quite a few miles longer than the Half-Day Walks – are three new Trail Holidays including the St Oswald’s Way in Northumbria. The full route covers 97 miles during a seven-night guided holiday starting 15 May or 24 July. It costs £679 per person, based on two sharing an en-suite room and includes all meals, the services of an HF Holidays guide and transport on walks days.

The full range of Walking & Outdoor Holidays, including walking in Britain, Europe and Worldwide, can be found on the company’s website - hfholidays.co.uk.