Cycling The Pennine Bridleway

This guidebook covers the northern stages of the Pennine Bridleway, through Lancashire, Yorkshire and Cumbria, a dedicated and waymarked mountain biking and horse-riding trail that opened in 2011. Using part of the Mary Towneley Loop, the route is described for mountain bikers from Summit, just outside Rochdale all the way to Ravenstonedale in Cumbria, in about 176km. 11 circular day mountain bike routes are included for those who do not wish to ride the whole route as a linear trail. It splits the main bridleway into rides of 8 - 16 miles in length. A grand total of 384km of trail are covered, mapped using OS map extracts and illustrated with profiles, photographed and described in enough detail to suit all levels of navigational ability. Appendices also offer information on local facilities, accommodation, bike shops and other useful contacts for planning your days out or longer trip along the Bridleway, and information provided before each route description includes distance, ascent, grading, estimated time and percentage of route off-road, as well as maps needed and pubs and cafes en route.

The Pennine Bridlewaynbsp;runs for about 350 miles, andnbsp;is Britain's first purpose-built, long-distance bridleway. This book covers the southernmost section of the Bridleway, the first to be opened, starting near Buxton, in the heart of the Peak District National Park, and running north to the moors of the southern Pennines to the east of Hebden Bridge, where it splits into two to form the 47-mile Mary Towneley Loop. This book, published in association with the Countryside Agency, is the complete guide to this section of the Bridleway. It contains a detailed description of the entire route, Ordnance Survey maps, color photographs and features on local history, landscape, wildlife, geology, and land use, details of facilities for horse-riders and cyclists,nbsp;and information on accommodations and facilities.

'I am already planning the next adventure. The wanderlust that infected me has no cure.' It all started in Fishguard in the mid-1970s when, aged fifteen, Martyn Howe and a friend set off on the Pembrokeshire Coast Path armed with big rucksacks, borrowed boots, a Primus stove and a pint of paraffin, and a thirst for adventure. After repeating the route almost thirty years later, Martyn was inspired to walk every National Trail in England and Wales, plus the four Long-Distance Routes (now among the Great Trails) in Scotland. His 3,000-mile journey included treks along the South West Coast Path, the Pennine Way, the Cotswold Way and the West Highland Way. He finally achieved his ambition in 2016 when he arrived in Cromer in Norfolk, only to set a new goal of walking the England and Wales Coast Paths and the Scottish National Trail. In Tales from the Big Trails, Martyn vividly describes the diverse landscapes, wildlife, culture and heritage he encounters around the British Isles, and the physical and mental health benefits he derives from walking. He also celebrates the people who enrich his travels, including fellow long-distance hikers, tourists discovering Britain's charm, farmers working the land, and the friendly and eccentric owners of hostels, campsites and B&Bs. And when he is asked 'Why do you do it?', the answer is as simple as placing one foot in front of the other: 'It makes me happy.'

An illustrated pocket guide to off-the-beaten-track cycling challenges Really Wild Cycling follows in the tracks of Chris's bestselling Wild Cycling. Most, if not all, the rides are off-road, but each one presents a challenge to inspire readers to train for it and have a go. Most take only a few hours, but some are longer, and a few much longer, taking even the fittest several days. An introduction explains safety techniques and underlines the skills, knowledge, equipment and fitness levels required. The rides are graded in ascending difficulty within each region. Each ride suggests regular escape points to get riders to a safe place should the weather close in and draws attention to places where extra care should be taken. Some rides are on marked routes, like the Trans-Pennine Trail, some are races or organised challenges, while others are routes the author himself has mapped out. Each ride is illustrated with photos, an annotated map and a profile of the terrain. The text includes a detailed route guide and historical, geological and natural points of interest.

Italy's Alta Via 1, a 180km trail through the Italian Alps following the northern flank of the Aosta Valley, boasts magnificent views of the Alpine giants: Mont Blanc, the Matterhorn, the Grand Combin and Monte Rosa. Indeed, it is sometimes known as the Giants' Trail and can be combined with a sister-route, the Alta Via 2 (covered in a separate Cicerone guide), which runs along the southern flank of the valley, to form the Tor des Géants. Stretching from Donnas to Courmayeur, the Alta Via 1 offers fantastic alpine walking, with welcoming refuges and small hotels providing overnight accommodation (and great food) along the way. The guide presents the route in two sections, for the advantage of those who can't spare the full fortnight-plus needed to walk the entire AV1. The trail is described in 16 stages, with alternative stages covering some popular variants, including an optional detour to visit the famed monastery at the Great St Bernard Pass. Each stage includes clear route description and mapping, plus notes on local points of interest and accommodation options. An alternative itinerary, list of useful contacts, kitlist and glossary can be found in the appendices. The AV1 crosses cols of nearly 3000m as it traverses the side-valleys of the main Aosta Valley. Suited to those with some of experience of alpine trekking, the walking is demanding but without technical difficulty. And the rewards are many: quieter huts, breathtaking vistas and a chance to immerse yourself in fabulous mountain landscapes overlooked by soaring, snow-clad giants.