YHA’s popular Festival of Walking returns for the third year this September (13 September – 13 October).
Organised annually by the youth hostelling charity YHA (England & Wales), the festival aims to get more people walking, particularly those new or facing barriers to the outdoors.
As part of the national festival, which is funded by Sport England, Pilgrim Trust and Cotswold Outdoor, there are a series of free guided social walks led by walking experts at youth hostels throughout England and Wales.
Fifty-two YHA hostels are hosting a series of themed walks during the month-long festival. The themed walks focus on health and wellbeing, learning new walking skills, and connecting with nature and heritage.
There are also more than 150 free-to-download circular walking routes, including accessible routes suitable for motorised wheelchairs.
Seasoned walker Andrew McCloy, YHA’s Walks Programme Manager who is leading the Festival of Walking, explained: “YHA has long been recognised as the walker’s friend, but we’re keen to get even more people walking, and to benefit from the mental and physical health benefits of this no-cost activity. We know that there are a number of barriers to participation, and we’re using this festival to overcome those blocks to get more people walking.”
A 2024 study by an outdoor brand* revealed that almost 3 in 10 Brits haven’t participated in any outdoor activities, including hiking, in the past year. Of those people, 45% didn’t know where to go, 33% weren’t sure what equipment they might need, and 53% stated that they have faced financial barriers to participation.
Andrew added: “A number of the festival’s free guided social walks, as well as the easy circular walking routes, we’ve devised, require no specialist equipment, just a pair of comfortable shoes, a bottle of water and a possibly a jacket with a hood for the British weather. We just want to get more people walking and active.”
YHA has devised a walking route to suit everyone, from beginners to the most seasoned walkers, individuals, families or friendship groups. A number of the guided social walks are targeted at novices and designed to help them feel more confident about their abilities, including hill skills walks aimed at boosting their walking know-how.
The social walks
The social walks are being delivered by a range of partners, including BMC, the Ramblers, Canal and River Trust, British Nordic Walking, National Trust and Access the Dales which is leading an accessible social walk from YHA Malham on 10 October, which is suitable for wheelchair users.
Whether it’s discovering your local area, trying walking for the first time or learning new skills, including Nordic walking and map reading and navigation, there are more than 40 free social walks to participate in during the festival.
“As with previous years, we anticipate high demand for the guided social walks particularly those offering the opportunity to learn new skills, so I advise people to sign up early,” added Andrew.
As an added incentive, there’s a complimentary cuppa and a piece of cake waiting for everyone back at the hostel when each social walk finishes. All youth hostels also offer free-to-use Refill stations where anyone is welcome to pop in year-round and fill their water bottles, have a loo break or use the café facilities.
Walkers who want to enjoy a walking mini break during the festival can also take advantage of a 20% discount on overnight stays at more than 50 participating youth hostels throughout England and Wales.
To find out more about the YHA Festival of Walking, download walking routes, register for a social walk, book discounted accommodation or to get involved, visit ww.yha.org.uk/festival-of-walking.