21st March

Sally: Everyone arrived to ample supplies of coffee, tea and biscuits and the cheery welcome of High Trenhouse staff. After a tour of the facilities and a splendid dinner followed by some extra sustenance from the bar it was an early night for most. This holiday offered both Gentle and Intermediate walks, and women were free to swap grades from day to day if they wished. Some women had travelled all the way from Finland and Ireland to join us for the Easter weekend. The weather forecast was not good and walking plans were not finalised until we knew what the morning had in store for us. However Marian took advantage of the poor forecast to sell a record 9 WW buffs. Didn't she do well? Probably the hilarious demonstrations by several WW helped.

22nd March

Sally: It had snowed overnight and it was extremely windy with squally snow showers. So both groups started out together today until we knew the situation underfoot - even thought the weather was fining up. We were headed in the directon of Settle. We walked across field paths to view Jubilee and Victoria caves. On the way we had vonderful views of Pen-y-Ghent. Though still windy, the weather had improved and after Victoria Cave we split into our 2 groups. From Victoria Cave, I continued with the Intermediate walk benearth Attermire Scar. The snow had steadily melted in the sun. We then climbed the valley past Rye Loaf Hill and Kirkby Fell up on to the Grizedales where we had wonderful views of Malham Tarn and the routes planned for the next 2 days. A squally shower hit us at lunch time so we hunkered down in the emergency shelter and were soon toasty warm. Marian: Meanwhile, after lunch behind a wall, the rest of us had continued our Gentle walk down towards Settle. In Settle some women shopped while the rest of us headed for the Naked Man tea room. At the café, we enjoyed mochachinos, and cappuccinos while flurries of snow continued to fall. We had a taxi ride back to High Trenhouse - 2 trips back so that some could stay later to visit the Museum which is set in a 16C gothic folly. Amongst other exhibits we saw the original stocks from Settle market place. On our return to High Trenhouse we had scones and hot drinks and tried out the sauna and jacuzzi - a rare treat before dinner. At the centre there is an in-house honesty bar and adjacent lounge to socialise in after dinner, and we have the whole place for ourselves to relax and enjoy.

23rd March

Sally & Marian: We may have missed snow at Christmas, but we had about 6 inches at Easter! We woke to proper banks of drifted powder snow. Easter Sunday started with hot cross buns, Easter eggs and full English breakfast! We tried it all regardless of the excess - planning to walk it off! The wind had calmed, but with the relatively thick snow, we started as one group again for safety. Two women decided on a rest day to use the sauna and Jacuzzi and walk around the tarn. We all set off around the tarn, detouring onto the boardwalk through Malham Tarn Moss - a nature reserve. It was which was like stepping into a winter wonderland as a lot of snow had settled on the branches. It was absolutely magic! We stopped to look in the bird hide and then visited Malham Cove by way of Troutgate. On Malham Lings the snow has blown into drifts behind the walls. It is beautiful, and fun tromping through the snow. We detoured to view the massive limestone cliff of Malham Cove. A lot of people had walked from Malham to the Cove and this had made the paths very muddy and slippery, so we had to go slowly. As we descended towards Gordale Bridge we could see the tea van below. People were sledging and building snow sculptures! We lunched in a field near to Gordale Scar, then said Happy Easter to Janet the Queen of the fairies at Janets Foss. Our path then followed the beck towards Malham Village through magical woodland already smelling of Ransoms wild garlic. We reached Malham at 3.00 and decided to all return to High Trenhouse by taxi due to the lateness of the hour. On reaching Malham we had time to explore before our taxi took us back to High Trenhouse - we all took that option due to the lateness of the hour. Another Fab day.

24th March

Sally: Today the weather was improving and we set off as 2 groups. I walked with the Intermediate group again - past the tarn then up onto Great Close Hill. Beyond Great Close, our footpath took us to Middle House Farm and we had a sheltered elevenses behind a wall there. From here we climbed across 'Out Pasture' - being careful where we trod because of the giant sized rabbit burrows in the ground which were obscured by snow drifts. One minute the weather was beautiful blue skies and sun, then 10 mins later sleet, snow and grey skies! We crossed Cowside Beck and reached the road at Darnbrook House. Lunch was beside Thoragill Beck where Jane realised she'd forgotten a fork to eating her rice salad and used my compass instead! From here we walked back to High Trenhouse along the Pennine Way. Marian: I had meanwhile taken the Gentle walk past to Great Close Hill to Middle House farm. Here we joined the old Roman road and ancient track called Mastiles Lane as flurries of snow came and went in between patches of sun and blue sky. There was a herd of hardy Belted Galloway cattle out on the moor. Soon we passed the head of the gully that eventually becomes Gordale Scar, and we walked through the site of a Roman marching camp. I tell the group that the original Roman Road ran from Ilkley to Kendal. Just as we headed back toward the Tarn, we saw a herd of Highland cattle. The young ones were play fighting and quite at home in this wild spot. We arrived back at High Trenhouse and all settled into an evening together, enjoying each others company. A lovely group of women to spend time with!

25th March

Today several of the group had to leave in the morning to return home. Some women wanted to see limestone pavement before they left the Dales. So we decided to share cars to Winskill where there is an excellent patch of limestone pavement, with it's distinctive clints and grikes. We find fossil corals, seashells, and crinoids. Marian is asked about the geological history, and manages to condense the Carboniferous era into 30 seconds before we leave this spot! Further down the track, we find an erratic, a boulder transported by glacial ice 11 thousand years ago. A km on we reached Catrigg force, a double drop waterfall, and one of the best in Yorkshire. From here we headed down into Stainforth, and crossed the old stone bridge to reach the riverside path to Langcliffe. We stop for elevenses by the waterfalls below the bridge. As we follow the river there are new lambs in these lower fields. From Langcliffe the track takes us back up to Lower Winskill and the Winskill stones, with lovely views back down the valley. After a quick lunch on the hillside, we returned to the cars, and drove back to High Trenhouse for a quick cuppa and hot shower before saying our goodbyes. It had been a great holiday in lovely accommodation - the snow was an added bonus!

Women's Feedback

"Absolutely fabulous. No problems. My first venture on my own and it has been wonderful. Women from all over UK, from different backgrounds coming together - we all gelled and shared our enjoyment of walking and being together. I haven't laughed so much in years and am very very very sorry to be going home! This will be my first WW holiday of many to come! Staying at High Trenhouse was wonderful. Good room, lovely nosh and staff - friendly and caring. Lots of extra touches - cakes and biscuits on our return every day etc. Breakfasts and evening meal superb. Best vegetarian meals I've had! Both Sally and Marian were great - friendly welcoming and competent!" Kay

"I loved it. A great group and excellent leaders. Snow and sunshine - unexpected and the two leaders managed the implications of the weather excellently. Thanks very much for a really great, relaxing weekend. Yes - very special accommodation. Great attention to detail, very personal feel, excellent food and lovely to be so high and to be able to walk from the door. Excellent leaders combining the two groups when the weather was very snowy was a good, sensible and successful decision". Maureen

"It was good. Exceeded my expectations. Sun and snow were a perfect combination. First class accommodation, very high standard. Choice of walks was slightly limited by weather on a couple of days, e.g. too late to walk back from Malham." Kath

"I enjoyed the holiday. Cold and snowy so there was careful planning of walks for safety. Great group of women who were good company. Beautiful location, superb service. Room clean and comfortable, food excellent. No problems! Guides wer helpful and took great care of us as a group. I wasn't able to take part in all the walks because of a swollen leg but managed what I could with their help." Elisabeth

"The holiday and accommodation was great and food lovely! Heavy snow on 2nd day especially meant that we couldn't do the full route on the Sunday which was frustrating, especially as on the Saturday and Sunday (partly because of the weather) we did over ½ the walk with the gentle group so the group was too big and too slow!! I'm sure if weather conditions hadn't been so bad this would have been different. It was fab accommodation - you should put more in the brochure about how lovely it is."

"This was my first apprehensive venture into solo holidays. It will not be my last. WalkingWomen have hooked me with their welcome from the very first phone call to the meeting and greeting at the venue to the fond farewells at the end of a delightful and joyful time. Thank you. Absolutely superb accommodation. Wonderful venue, wonderful food - catered for my gluten free diet. Felt very spoilt. Guides had to be flexible considering unexpected amounts of frequent snow! Safety was obviously paramount but so too was satisfaction/enjoyment. I absolutely loved every minute. Thank you." Jane

"I enjoyed the holiday a lot. Wonderful combination of outdoor life and luxurious accommodation. ...Nothing too much trouble for the staff. Jacuzzi and sauna made all the different to stiff joints after walking. Good choice of walks. Very proper concern for women's safety but combining groups on days 1 and 2 slowed the pace. However I am delighted with the holiday and feel privileged to have been in such a stunning location in such gorgeous memorable snowy weather." Miriam

"Very enjoyable. Knowledgeable and flexible leaders who rose to the challenge of snow, blizzards and strong winds to create walks that were challenging and worthwhile. Lovely countryside and a great bunch of women. Accommodation was excellent. Low key but very nurturing. Great food (and plenty of it). On tap hot drinks very much appreciated. A peaceful, warm and welcoming place to stay. Weather restricted the choice of walks but in the circumstances walks were excellent and varied. I would recommend WalkingWomen to friends and shall be returning myself. Thanks Marian and Sally who were a large part of such a lovely holiday." Mary

"Great holiday - and did enjoy it a lot. Very comfortable accommodation, good food (and lots of it).. Sauna and Jacuzzi a great asset, particularly in this weather! The guides were excellent at managing exceptionally adverse weather conditions and 2 different group levels." Loredana

"It exceeded my expectations. Outstanding accommodation, perfect walks, considerate knowledgeable and friendly guides. Far too much delicious food. Magical landscapes. The guides were excellent. It was a diverse group but they considered everyone's needs and planned lovely walks in difficult weather. Very sociable too. Thanks for the perfect amount of snow! It is the best group activity holiday I have been on - incredibly well organised - thank you." Christine

"It was more or less like I expected. The weather caused some problems because there was so much snow and people are not used to walking in the snow. Its wonderful how well WW holidays are organised and I really appreciate the opportunity to get to know nature and enjoy the good WW atmosphere. Very good accommodation. Food excellent. Friendly staff. Clean rooms. Sauna and Jacuzzi were lovely after the walks. The guides took good care of the group and did not take any unnecessary risks. The difference between gentle and intermediate good have been greater (in miles). I'm afraid I will keep on coming over for walking holidays although people both here and back home in Finland don't always understand why I do so. On the other hand some even admire me!" Soili

"I enjoyed the break and the holiday immensely. My expectations were about walking in beautiful country which were well met and I was glad to find that I could keep up! No problems at all - a really lovely few days. The accommodation was superb warm and comfortable. The food was lovely. They took immense care to make sure that my dietary needs were met. I was very impressed by the way the guides fitted the walks to the weather. Also Marian arranged taxis promptly at the ends of the walks so that we didn't have to wait around in the cold. I enjoyed the knowledge of the countryside which both guides imparted and particularly the geology from Marian. Both made sure I could hear any announcements (I am deaf)." Margaret

"Just a quick note to say that the Easter trip to Malham was great - a wonderful snowy adventure. It was great to be walking with Sally and Marian - I don't think I would have been quite brave enough to take myself out on my own in the kind of weather we had on Sunday! I loved the Dales and I'll be going back to High Trenhouse in the future - possibly when we're not knee-deep in snow!" Annie

"The holiday was very enjoyable with no problems. It was relaxed, friendly and inclusive. The accommodation was extremely comfortable with all needs catered for. The location was superb. Marian and Sally were both knowledgeable, reliable and skillful guides. They made themselves aware of the groups needs and abilities and did a fantastic job in choosing walks which took into account the problems of the snow and cold winds. They made it possible for us to enjoy magnificent views without worrying about the conditions. Thank you for a well run, comfortable and enjoyable holiday." Sue

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