Hike For Charity

Hike facts
Approximately 17km / 11 miles.
Duration: actual walking time for the full hike, circa 4.5 hours.
Hike grade: moderate. We will maintain a steady pace over varied surfaces. There are some hills.
Weather: see here
Donation to GOSH: £5 cash on the day
What to take: a packed lunch and plenty of water.

We're not insured, so please have your own insurance for this type of event.

Walk description
From Cookham railway station we'll head for Cookham Dean common and beyond to some lovely woodland where bluebells like to hide.

We’ll continue to Quarry Wood, famous for supplying the distinctive stone that built Windsor Castle, and also the inspiration for ‘Wild Wood’ in Kenneth Grahame’s classic children’s novel, ‘The Wind in the Willows’.

Our next visual delight will be some great views of the River Thames from Winter Hill before heading downhill to Marlow bridge and crossing the river into the enchanting town of Marlow for our lunch break.

Refreshed we’ll set off along the Thames Path to Bourne End to seek a local pub for some welcome refreshments before catching the train home from Bourne End Station.

We're doing this hike with Variety is the Spice Meetup Group

Meeting at
Cookham railway station. We'll be outside the station exit holding a GOSH banner, please see the photo below.
We will meet at 10.45 and leave at 10.50.

TRAVEL
by train
Get a return ticket to Bourne End. A return ticket costs £19.70 but with Groupsave or a Network railcard, it's £13.10 (prices as of 23 Feb).

1. Getting there - Catch the 10.08 from Paddington, arrives Cookham 10.41 (remember to change at Maidenhead)
2. Coming back - Bourne End to Paddington – there’s one train an hour coming back from Bourne End.
Plan your route here: Trainline

by car
There are car parks at Bourne End railway station & Cookham railway station. The walking distance between stations is approximately 3km ( 50 minutes walk).

Carl can provide a lift from Reading to Cookham (return) for up to 6 people. Please message him to check departure time, availability etc.

KEY INFORMATION
YOU MUST READ THE THREE SECTIONS BELOW - if you join this trip, you're confirming that you have.

1. The perilous bit
2. Our FAQs, including an explanation of Groupsave tickets which will save you money.
3. See here for what to wear and take

AND FINALLY

• We're raising money for Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children

We’ll deduct Meetup fees but all the profits will go to GOSH. After each hike, we’ll let you know exactly how much we’ve all raised. And if you’d like to join us and raise money by leading some hikes, please get in touch – the more the merrier 😊

• We're volunteers hoping to establish a community of friends, so please go with the flow and help out where and if you can.
• If you need to get in touch on the day, you can call Colin on 07941 646 035 or Carl on 07503 237 375 or message on Meetup.

We're doing this trip with Variety is the Spice Meetup Group

When does this event start & finish
The full trip starts on 9th May and finishes on 18th May 2025.

What are we doing
This is primarily a walking holiday with city breaks.

Our itinerary (updated 14/02/25) includes the following:

• Travel by train from Reading to London to Glasgow. Overnight in Glasgow.
• Morning in Glasgow & travel to our accommodation in Balloch.
• Two full days walking from Balloch in the vicinity of Loch Lomond.
• Travel from Ballock to our accommodation in Helensborough. Option to walk on the John Muir Way.
• Two full days walking on the West Highland Way from Helensborough.
• Morning travel to Edinburgh, afternoon & overnight in Edinburgh.
• Full day & overnight in Edinburgh.
• Travel from Edinburgh to London to Reading by train.

We need to have some flexibility to cater for prevailing weather conditions and group ability.

Travel arrangements
You are welcome to travel with us, however you should purchase your own tickets.
You can make your own travel arrangements & meet us at our accommodation or at other locations by arrangement.

Accommodation
We will share details of our accommodation.
You should book your own accommodation to suit your requirements.
If you are traveling with us it will be more convenient for you to stay nearby to reduce your journey time to meet us in the mornings.

Our accommodation (updated 14/02/25) includes overnight stays as follows:

• Glasgow (1 night)
• Balloch (3 nights)
• Helensborough (3 nights)
• Edinburgh (2 nights)

Hop in and drop out
If you plan to hop in and drop out we will provide you with our itinerary for the days you will be joining us.

Costs
Train from London to Glasgow
Trains & public transport on a daily basis
Train from Edinburgh to London

We ask for a £5 donation for GOSH Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children.

You pay for your own accommodation direct.
Pay as you go for, food, drinks, personal expenses etc.

The organisers plan this holiday for the enjoyment of the participants and to raise money for charity, not for profit.

How do I secure a place on this trip?

• Just sign up to this Meetup.
• We will message you to confirm details.
• Book your accommodation & transport. Let Carl R have details.
• Pay £5 donation to GOSH.

Important information

• You must wear suitable footwear and hiking clothes for the planned walks. If you are well prepared it should be a very rewarding experience.
• If you are not sure about suitable footwear or clothes or your ability to do the walks please discuss with Carl R in advance so that you can make a considered decision.
• Participants must take full responsibility for their own welfare and safety.
• You sign up for and attend our activities at your own risk.
• This Meetup group does not have insurances to cover your activity.
• Please do not attend if you do not feel confident to walk on all types of surfaces with steep inclines.

Finally
Please message Carl R if you need additional information.
If you sign up for this trip you will be added to a WhatsApp group.

• Fuel & parking costs are shared equally between those that reserve a seat in our seven seater vehicle.
• Public transport between Eastbourne & Seaford paid by you direct.
• You pay for your own accommodation & separate travel arrangements.
• Pay as you go for, food, drinks, personal expenses etc.
• We ask for a £5 donation for GOSH Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children.

The organisers plan this event for the enjoyment of the participants and to raise money for charity, not for profit.

How do I secure a place on this trip?

• Just sign up to this event on Meetup.
• We will message you to confirm details.
• Book a seat in our vehicle or make your own travel arrangements.
• Book your accommodation.
• Pay £5 donation to GOSH.

Important information (this event)

• You must wear suitable footwear and hiking clothes for the planned walks. If you are well prepared it should be a very rewarding experience.
• If you are not sure about suitable footwear or clothes or your ability to do the walks please discuss with Carl R in advance so that you can make a considered decision.
• Participants must take full responsibility for their own welfare and safety.
• You sign up for and attend our activities at your own risk.
• This Meetup group does not have insurances to cover your activity.
• Please do not attend if you do not feel confident to walk on all types of surfaces with steep inclines.

Need more information about this event?
Please message Carl R if you need additional information.
If you sign up for this event you will be added to a WhatsApp group.

KEY INFORMATION (All events)
YOU MUST READ THE THREE SECTIONS BELOW - if you join this trip, you're confirming that you have.

1. The perilous bit.
2. Our FAQs, including an explanation of Groupsave tickets which will save you money.
3. See here for what to wear and take

AND FINALLY

• We're raising money for Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children

We’ll deduct Meetup fees but all the profits will go to GOSH. After each hike, we’ll let you know exactly how much we’ve all raised. And if you’d like to join us and raise money by leading some hikes, please get in touch – the more the merrier 😊

• We're volunteers hoping to establish a community of friends, so please go with the flow and help out where and if you can.
• If you need to get in touch on the day, you can call Colin on 07941 646 035 or Carl on 07503 237 375 or message on Meetup.

Hike facts
Approximately 22km / 14 miles.
Duration: actual walking time for the full hike, circa 7 hours.
Hike grade: strenuous, with a total ascent exceeding 600m.
Weather: see Eastbourne - BBC Weather
Donation to GOSH: £5 cash on the day
What to take: a packed lunch and plenty of water.

We're not insured, so please have your own insurance for this type of event.

Walk description

From Seaford railway station we'll walk along the seafront and The South Downs Way to traverse a series of dramatic chalk cliffs, called the Seven Sisters. We’ll enjoy fabulous views on one of the best coastal walks in the United Kingdom.

After multiple ups and downs over grassy clifftops we'll take a well earned break at Birling Gap. There are public toilets here.

Rested, we'll set our sights on the famous headland Beachy Head and look forward to another short break to take in the view.

A little later, we'll enjoy our descent to Eastbourne and a gentle finale along Eastbourne's promenade to seek a local pub for a beer or two before we head home 😊.

We're doing this hike with Variety is the Spice Meetup Group

Meeting at
Seaford railway station. We'll be outside the station exit holding a GOSH banner, please see the photo below. Meeting time: 10.20 am, we'll leave at 10.30 am.

TRAVEL
by train
Get a return to Seaford. It costs £37.30 but with a Network Railcard or Groupsave it's £24.40. We'll also need to buy a single from Eastbourne to Lewes. That costs £10.40 but we can get Groupsave at £6.90.

1. Getting there - London Victoria to Seaford. Get the 8.54 am arriving 10.19 am.
2. Coming back - Eastbourne to London Victoria: there are two trains an hour.

Plan your route here: Trainline

by car
There are car parks at Seaford & Eastbourne.
The 12x Coaster Bus travels between Seaford & Eastbourne Journey planner - Brighton & Hove Buses.

KEY INFORMATION
YOU MUST READ THE THREE SECTIONS BELOW - if you join this trip, you're confirming that you have.

1. The perilous bit.
2. Our FAQs, including an explanation of Groupsave tickets which will save you money.
3. See here for what to wear and take

AND FINALLY

• We're raising money for Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children

We’ll deduct Meetup fees but all the profits will go to GOSH. After each hike, we’ll let you know exactly how much we’ve all raised. And if you’d like to join us and raise money by leading some hikes, please get in touch – the more the merrier 😊

• We're volunteers hoping to establish a community of friends, so please go with the flow and help out where and if you can.
• If you need to get in touch on the day, you can call Colin on 07941 646 035 or Carl on 07503 237 375 or message on Meetup.