#LiveMoreYHA Issue #9 – Winter 2017
The Peak District Follow us on a glorious three-day hostel-to-hostel walk
In Cardiff
Walk & talk
All yours
How to make the most of the Welsh capital
Julia Bradbury on her love of the Lakes
9 cosy YHA hostels for Exclusive Hire
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Thank you! In the few months since our last edition, 75,143 young people have stayed with us. That’s fantastic. As a charity dedicated to improving access to travel and adventure for all young people, it’s a number we can be proud of. But here’s a better one:
6,660.
Thanks to all of our guests, members, donors and volunteers, since March, we’ve directly supported 6,660 children with challenging lives to take a much-needed break with us. Because of you, they had an amazing experience that they just would not have had without that assistance. For those children facing poverty, disability, long-term illness and other challenges, these breaks are rare and precious things.
Case study: In August 2017, twenty young carers from a deprived area of Dorset went on a respite trip to YHA Perranporth. The group had failed to secure funding for the trip due to cuts to youth provision in their area so we supported them to take this vital break from their caring responsibilities. “It has been an amazing, refreshing experience,” said Yousif (pictured), who has cared for his mum since the age of 5. “It’s allowed me to relax and be myself around people on the same wavelength”. Most of these children don’t have holidays with their families. After their trip to YHA Perranporth, they had taken more exercise, improved their communication skills and reported greater wellbeing. What’s more, they all had a great time.
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Contents
06 Stepping Out: News, views
Cover: Shutterstock.com
and inspiration
28 How to… Microadventures with Alastair Humphreys
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A Q&A with television presenter Julia Bradbury
30 Gear: the best new kit for
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Walking hostel-to-hostel in the Peak District
32 Hostel guide: plan your next
exploring the great outdoors
adventure
20 Nine cosy YHA hostels perfect
38 Your #LiveMoreYHA tweets,
24 Exploring Cardiff’s sights and
39 COMPETITION: Win a Columbia
for Exclusive Hire
sounds on a budget
and a Hydro Flask to win
Hooded Jacket worth £100
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Stepping Out: Film
Hinkes on high A new film looks at UK mountaineering icon See the figure marching up Striding Edge? That’s YHA Ambassador Alan Hinkes OBE in his natural environment – the mountains. The Yorkshireman was the first (and still the only) Brit to climb all 14 of the world’s 8,000-metre-plus mountains, an achievement which marked him out as legendary in mountaineering circles. So legendary, in fact, that he’s now had a film made in his honour. The biopic is the work of awardwinning filmmaker Terry Abraham, and premiered in October. terryabrahamlakedistrictvideo. wordpress.com
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Stepping Out: Books
A literary Christmas
We look at six outdoors books to put on your Christmas wish list
countries they pass through. It’s a travel book at heart, but one that also explores the science (and folklore) behind the forces of nature.
Ascent
Walking in London
Chris Bonington This is the big one – an autobiography from one of Britain’s most celebrated mountaineers. This book is a very candid look at his remarkable life, which has included 19 Himalayan expeditions (including Everest at the age of 50) as well as the overcoming of personal grief. An inspirational tale.
Peter Aylmer Not all nature walks need to be out of the city. One of Cicerone’s latest walking guidebooks looks at 25 routes covering parks, heaths, forests and waterside spaces in London, as well as the wildlife you can find there. It also includes the history along the way. Walks range from four to 14 miles.
The January Man
Britain’s Best Small Hills
Christopher Somerville This book, shortlisted for this year’s Wainwright Prize, follows a year of British walks, month by month, season by season, region by region. Christopher Somerville walks in areas such as Sherwood Forest, Yorkshire’s Nidderdale and the Severn floodlands, memorably describing the history, wildlife and people he encounters.
Phoebe Smith Subtitled ‘A guide to wild walks, short adventures, scrambles, great views, wild camping & more’, this book, published by Bradt, goes in search of the 60 best small hills in Britain for mini-adventures. Phoebe writes exquisitely about the stories they hold.
Where The Wild Winds Are
Simon Bray and Tom Musgrove Less a book than an art project, its printed pages give a photographic and artistic look at seven landscape locations. The book itself is an objet d’art with sketches, hand-drawn maps and personal accounts from Simon and Tom.
Nick Hunt It’s an intriguing concept for a book: to literally follow the winds from the fells of Cumbria, along the Rhône and into the Alps, examining how Europe’s winds have affected the 8
The Edges of These Isles
Stepping Out: Experience
Dawn in the saddle Daniel Neilson takes to the South Downs for an early morning ride in the hills It was a life-affirming start to the day, and the moon seemed to know it. I’d never seen a full moon quite so large; a glowing sphere hanging silent in the sky, as dawn began its kaleidoscopic change to daylight. By the time the moon disappeared, we’d climbed out of YHA South Downs and onto the ridge of the ‘whale-backed Downs’, as Rudyard Kipling memorably described them. From the top of Itford Hill, we could see Lewes to the northeast, the English Channel to the south, and the vast Weald to the north. Photographers call this ‘the golden hour’, with the light at its richest and most
fluid. We puffed up to Firle Beacon and along the South Downs Way bridleway. Not a cloud above us, and the temperature crisp enough to make gloves a necessity. Autumn and winter mornings always hold real joys for mountain biking, especially if the ground is frozen. Our first stop was Alfriston. A quainter Sussex village you’d be hard pushed to find. We dropped down in search of bacon sandwiches but instead made do with a flask of tea and an energy bar. Warmed, we headed back under the Downs along the Old Coach Road, a winding byway that snakes across the land. At Firle, we struggled again up to the top and slid back into YHA South Downs for a coffee and full English. A relaxed 16 miles – and we were back by 9. The perfect morning. 9
Stepping Out: Volunteering
Lending a hand Why not try a Working Holiday with YHA this winter? Tis the season to be jolly, the most wonderful time of the year – and perhaps also an occasion to explore somewhere new. There’s no better time to join other volunteers on a YHA Working Holiday. Our winter breaks not only allow you to try out volunteering without any long-term commitment, they also grant you a stay in some of the most spectacular parts of England and Wales. You choose where and when you go, and for how long. Simple. The options are varied. You might be building a drystone wall, sprucing up a coastal garden or giving a hostel interior a fresh coat of paint. You might be tidying, decorating or info-gathering. What we can guarantee is that you’ll be meeting new people, learning new skills and supporting the work we do as a charity. A YHA Working Holiday gives you valuable experience for your CV – and most crucially of all, helps us keep hostelling thriving for future generations. The holidays are open to people of all ages, so long as you're 16 or above (or 15, if you don’t need on-site accommodation). We’ll help with your travel expenses, provide you with discounted meals and, where available, offer you free accommodation. We’re also committed to helping you volunteer in a secure and enjoyable environment, ensuring all safety precautions are taken care of. And naturally, during your free time, you’ll be 10
able to explore the local area at your leisure. Some hostels even throw in a free BBQ, fish and chip supper or extra night’s stay for volunteers. It’s worth noting too that all YHA Working Holidays of four nights or more are also a great way to achieve your DofE Gold Award
Clockwise, from main image: Amey volunteers at YHA Wye Valley; Getting stuck into the soil at YHA Castleton; All smiles at YHA Stratford Upon Avon; YHA London St Paul's gets a brush up
Giving London a lick of paint
Residential section. Just let us know at the time of booking.
The time and assistance we receive from our volunteers is vital, and comes in different forms. Our partnership with the Mace Foundation – the charitable arm of international consultancy and construction company Mace – is a superb example of the way in which big companies can provide invaluable help. Seventy Mace employees recently volunteered to redecorate YHA London St Paul’s, giving a total of around 500 hours of their time across five days, transforming the hostel’s bedrooms and communal areas. Mace also engaged with their suppliers Lucas Group and Rees Flooring to donate specialist equipment, paint and carpets. And the end result? A company helping to change young lives for the better – and a hostel that’s never looked so good.
For full info, and a rundown of all YHA Working Holidays over the next few months, visit the URL below. Note that new volunteer opportunities will be added through the season. volunteer.yha.org.uk/vk/volunteers/events.htm 11
Celebrity Q&A
Julia Bradbury There are few people in the country who have done as much to promote walking as Julia Bradbury. In between trips, she spoke to #LiveMoreYHA about her love for the Lake District and why we should disconnect more
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Stepping Out: Julia Bradbury The Lake District is your patch. What makes walking in the area so appealing for you? It’s not just me – the world has caught on to the fact that the Lakes are spectacular and unique, as the soon-to-be World Heritage status will cement. I love the variety of the landscapes. The Grand Canyon might be awesome, but the landscape itself is the same for miles and miles. But in the Lakes you’ll find woodlands, valleys, mountains, streams, rivers, hills, villages, small towns – and even some pubs. Every day can be a new adventure in the Lakes, in completely different surroundings.
in better shape. The Cotswolds are delightful, Rutland is scenic, and the Dorset scenery is pretty special too.
You've probably done more for the popularity of walking in the UK than anyone. Why do you think your TV programmes made such a difference? I think people like walking shows and picturerich series like Countryfile and Countrywise because we want an escape from our intensely busy and digital lives. Even though the majority of us live in towns and cities (83 per cent and rising in England), it’s nourishing and refreshing to see our beautiful landscapes through the eyes of the people on the ground. I like to think that walking is cool now as well. But using the word cool isn’t cool anymore, so let’s leave it with ‘walking is dope’.
When you started walking, what one piece of advice would have been the most helpful? Pay more attention to map-reading skills! YHA puts a lot of importance on getting younger people outdoors. Why do you think this is so important? Erm, it helps you live longer – or is that too boring for younger people? In this digital age, it’s vital to connect with the real world too. All those beautiful pictures on Instagram of amazing places and wildlife – they are real, and they need to be seen and experienced to be appreciated. Nature and the outdoors can help put your own problems in perspective, you can build friendships and have adventures together, plus walking can keep you fit and looking good for all those selfies. I work with the mental health research charity MQ, and three children in an average classroom live with a mental illness. Spending time outdoors and exercising isn’t the whole answer, but it can help enormously.
I’ve started quite a few walks from the famous YHA Black Sail in Ennerdale – no internet, no phone signal, no TV – it’s the perfect escape
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Where else in the UK do you enjoy walking? I got into it when my dad Michael took me walking when I was a little girl in the Peak District, so that will always be another favourite location for me. Dove Dale, Stanage Edge, the Monsal Trail and Jacobs Ladder all remind me of those days when my Dad’s knees were
Do you remember your first YHA experience? I’ve started quite a few walks from the famous YHA Black Sail in Ennerdale, which has been fairly well written about. It’s been described as ‘England’s loneliest youth hostel’ because the closest neighbours are four miles away. No internet, no phone signal, no TV – it’s the perfect escape and you’re right next to the magic of Great Gable and Pillar.
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Stepping Out: Hostellers’ Q&A We spoke to three outdoor enthusiasts to get their thoughts on dorms, dinners and day-walks
Alison Powell Writer, yoga teacher and trainee paraglider
Want to appear here in the next issue? Email your interest to livemoreyha@yha.org.uk
Countryside, city or coast?
I live near Bristol and I love this city. It’s vibrant, accepting and colourful. But for time out, it has to be the seaside for me. There’s nothing so refreshing as a cliff walk.
Favourite hostel?
It has to be YHA Port Eynon on the Gower Peninsula – it’s so close to the sea it’s like actually being out on the water at night!
Earliest YHA memory?
My first YHA experience was at the age of 16. I was part of an exchange with a school in Germany and we took our visitors to the Brecon Beacons.
Ideal overseas destination?
Perfect hostel dinner?
In the old days I would have said pasta, but I stayed at YHA Poppit Sands this summer and the kitchen was well equipped, so I made fancy couscous and roast veg.
An item to pack?
Always pack a notebook and pencil. You never know what gems of conversations you’ll overhear in a YHA – perfect material for writing.
A book for a rainy day?
Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist is bound to cheer up a wet and windy day. Alternatively, really sink into the gloom with Richard Yates’ Revolutionary Road.
Favourite day-walk?
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I love the wildness of California's west coast: the sweet smell of redwoods and the opportunity to see migrating whales spurting up out of the ocean.
I love the Dorset coast. Walking west from Lyme Regis, away from Durdle Door and the crowds, offers a challenging cliff hike that’ll blow the stink off anyone!
Stepping Out: Hostellers’ Q&A Sam, Ben & Patrick Rose Young explorers
Claire Daniels Staff member at YHA St Davids
It would have be the countryside, as we love walking in the outdoors, although the coast comes a close second – sea and sandcastles!
It has to be the coast, although I enjoy any opportunity to ramble in the Brecon Beacons or take in some nightlife in Cardiff and Bristol.
YHA London St Paul's – it was in the middle of the city and we got to play table tennis and over-sized Connect 4 in the square!
Of the ones I’ve visited, YHA St Briavels Castle had a big wow factor and YHA Bristol is really modern and well situated.
Our first was YHA London Thameside. After stepping through the gates there was a pool table in reception and the bunkbeds were great.
I worked at the now-closed YHA Marloes Sands in Pembrokeshire – it was a great introduction to YHA and to some of the many volunteers.
New Zealand, as Sam was born there and we all want to see kiwis and the Land of the Long White Cloud.
Anywhere hot and sunny. It rains a lot in Wales! Now my children have completed school I have plans to visit many places!
Breakfast has got to be the one – it beats dinner hands down.
I’ve indulged in one of YHA Broad Haven’s pizzas, which are delicious.
Books or comics, and sweets for the evening feast!
I’m a very practical person and travel light, but I always make sure I have a good fitting warm hat with me on a walk and a packet of mints.
Asterix! Any of them will do – for all of us.
I really enjoy a book with a bit of romance and some good humour. PS I Love You has some proper laugh-out-loud moments.
The National Trust Estate at Croome. We have been walking there or being pushed around since we can remember, and we drag all the family there whenever we can.
Usually along the Pembrokeshire Coast Path which I’m so lucky to live and work on. A good day’s walk often ends at a pub with a view. I’d recommend Nolton Haven to Broad Haven.
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Ben Lerwill tries out a magnificent multi-day hostel-to-hostel hike in the southern Peak District, leading through dry dales and across open moorland
Into the Peak Every time I’ve visited the Peak District with my walking boots laced, I’ve left wanting more. Even the longer day-trails have seemed little more than appetisers. So the prospect of following a hiking route between three YHA hostels – a chance to wander for three days in the Peak without retracing my steps – held immediate appeal. Here’s how I got on. (Spoiler alert: it was flipping great.)
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Feature: Peak District
Clockwise, from main image: A signpost along the route; A 'plague cottage' in Eyam; Millers Dale
upstream, then all was quiet again. I stood on the bank among ivy-wrapped ash trees, and watched the river. When you’re covering less than 13 kilometres in a day, it allows for plenty of dawdling along the way. It was something I’d be grateful for over the rest of the walk. It was hours before I wound around Millers Dale, headed north through handsome Cressbrook Dale – its high sides shaggy with wildflowers and veined with drystone walls – and clambered up Peter’s Stone. It’s a spectacular limestone stack at the head of the dale, but once served as a spot for public gibbeting. Its gruesome history doesn’t affect the deep views from its top. I hiked on, as the countryside opened up. The past is everywhere in the Peak District. You walk and you reflect. Bronze Age settlers left more than 500 burial barrows behind them. The Romans came here for lead, and laid out a couple of still-existing roads while they were at it. Later centuries saw the emergence of wealthy country estates, again capitalising on the profits of lead-mining. And perhaps most famously of all, my end destination for the day – the village of Eyam – is still synonymous with the Great Plague period.
Day One: YHA Ravenstor to YHA Eyam (12.3km) It was just me, the river and the rainbow trout. I’d left the hilltop mansion of YHA Ravenstor barely an hour earlier, and I was already utterly alone. The River Wye was running wide, green and clear, stirred only by the slow underwater meanderings of its fish. A glossy mallard appeared from around a bend, flying hard
Eyam chose to isolate itself in the mid-1660s – no one in, no one out – after a local tailor unwittingly introduced plague-infected cloth into the village. Its noble stance was never forgotten. Today it’s a sweet, picturesque place, and many of its cottages still bear memorial plaques. After crossing undulating field footpaths to reach the village, I walked through it slowly, and climbed up to the wooded Victorian folly of YHA Eyam. continues overleaf 17
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From Win Hill, an array of the Peak District's big-name highlights shape a 360O panorama
Day Two: YHA Eyam to YHA Castleton Losehill Hall (17.9km) Eyam sits roughly on the border of the White and Dark Peaks, the boundary between the porous limestone of the south and the moodier, boggier gritstone of the north. I was heading north. I breakfasted well – a hostel full English doesn’t eat itself – all the better to take on the steep ascent up to Eyam Moor. Here, skylarks twittered overhead and the clouds allowed patches of sunshine to wash over the dips and tussocks of the moortop. There followed a mellow stretch of walking, with long views opening up across Hathersage and, further east, the mighty rampart of Stanage Edge. Soon my path converged with 18
the Derwent Valley Heritage Way, which I followed north until it met the riverside. A fly fisherman was trying his luck from the bank. Up above, a sparrowhawk traced circles in the sky. I kept on, until my path struck west through the forest, up the knee-punishing incline of Parkin Clough.
Feature: Peak District Clockwise, from main image: Walkers look out from Win Hill; Houses in Castleton; Peveril Castle above Cave Dale; Cressbrook Dale
Photos: www.visitpeakdistrict.com
The day’s high-point came 45 minutes later, in the form of the Win Hill summit. From here, an array of the Peak District’s big-name highlights – Ladybower Reservoir, Mam Tor, Kinder Scout – helped shape a windblown 360˚ panorama. I pulled on my wool beanie and devoured a packed lunch, eyes fixed on the view. My afternoon route snaked down towards Hope, through sheep fields, over footbridges, past farms. Castleton arrived two hours later, exactly when it needed to, which is to say when I really, really needed a cup of tea. YHA Castleton Losehill Hall is another of the region’s grand old manor houses, built in the Victorian gothic style and set in 27 acres. It served my purposes brilliantly. Brew. Book. Pizza. Beer. Bed.
Day Three: YHA Castleton Losehill Hall to YHA Ravenstor (15.1km) The day’s route started in glorious fashion, leading up between the high banks of Cave Dale, with the ruins of Peveril Castle just visible at its top. By now I’d reached that zen stage of a multi-day walk, where the mere act of placing one boot in front of the other and focusing on the surroundings brings a lightheaded pleasure. I walked past tumuli and grassed-over pits as the national park spilled out on all sides, then descended back down to the White Peak plateau. By now I was following another of the Peak District’s marked hiking trails, in this case the Limestone Way. It led me into the sheltered warmth of lovely Hay Dale, where within seconds a spotted woodpecker flashed above me and into the trees. I’d passed relatively few other walkers since setting off two days ago, but now they appeared every 10 minutes or so. In the similarly charming Peter Dale – all green curves and towering banks – I stopped to chat to an elderly couple hiking the other way. “It’s bloomin’ nice, this,” beamed the lady. “It’s what walking’s all about.” The day had a fine finale, taking me the full length of Monk’s Dale before bringing me back to the wooded shores of the Wye, a river so pleasant along this stretch that the water even sounds clear. I reached YHA Ravenstor heavy-legged, but in high spirits. I’d wanted a proper Peak District walk – something full of big vistas and close-at-hand enchantment – and I’d had one. Roll on the next visit. For a full route map and a day-by-day breakdown of this walk, please visit the following: livemore.yha.org.uk/ peakdistrictwalk 19
Feature: Cosy Hostels
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cosy Exclusive Hire hostels perfect for winter retreats
It’s close to bliss: a crisp, cobweb-clearing walk followed by a relaxing evening by the fire. And not only that, but the run of the place too. Of the more than 100 YHA hostels available for Exclusive Hire over the winter months, here are some of the very best to snuggle up in. And if your favourite’s already booked up this year, why not reserve ahead for 2018?
YHA Pwll Deri Welsh cliff-top retreat
What a location! This remote hostel, balancing high above the Pembrokeshire coast, has vast views over the sea. It’s a true rural retreat (the nearest shop is 4.5 miles away) and ideal for long days out along the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path – and hyggeligt evenings in. exclusive-hire.yha.org.uk/properties/ wales/yha-pwll-deri
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Feature: Cosy Hostels
YHA Tintagel Coastal views from Cornish hostel
YHA Beer Beautiful hostel in the heart of Devon
There’s nowhere quite like YHA Tintagel, being spectacularly located above some of North Cornwall’s most dramatic coastline in an area rich in Arthurian myth and legend. This former quarry manager’s cottage has 22 beds and a wood-burning stove. exclusive-hire.yha.org.uk/properties/ england/yha-tintagel
One of the loveliest hostels in the network, YHA Beer is based in a country house built in the Arts & Crafts style. It’s near the charming fishing village of Beer, making it a great base for coastal walks and pub lunches. It has 38 beds. exclusive-hire.yha.org.uk/properties/ england/yha-beer
YHA Eskdale A Lake District favourite
YHA Beverley Friary A historic hostel in Yorkshire
This peaceful hostel is located on 15 acres of land and surrounded by the high and handsome Lake District hills. It’s perfectly located for fell walking, or coastal wanderings around St Bees. The dining room has a warming log fire too. Choose between 29-bed or 45bed options. exclusive-hire.yha.org.uk/properties/ england/yha-eskdale
How often do you get the chance to stay in a restored Dominican friary mentioned in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales? Spend your evenings relaxing in the oak-beamed lounge after days of walking in the Yorkshire Wolds or exploring the ancient town of Beverley. There are 30 beds. exclusive-hire.yha.org.uk/properties/ england/yha-beverley-friary
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Feature: Cosy Hostels
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YHA Boscastle A harbour-edge Cornish hostel
YHA Coniston Coppermines Perfectly placed for Lake District fells
YHA Boscastle has an unbeatable location in a little fishing village along the rugged north Cornwall coast. Enjoy surfing, sailing and coastal footpaths during the day, then relax in the evening to watch the vast winter skies fade to black over the harbour in this well-equipped, 24-bed hostel. exclusive-hire.yha.org.uk/properties/ england/yha-boscastle
YHA Coniston Coppermines is tucked among the foothills of the Old Man of Coniston, a hulking 803-metre mountain. This 26-bed hostel, once the house of the copper mine manager, has a woodburner and a sofa-lined lounge and is also a short walk from Coniston Village and Coniston Water – famous for its Donald Campbell connections. exclusive-hire.yha.org.uk/properties/ england/yha-coniston-coppermines
YHA Youlgreave Charming Peak District hostel
YHA Tanners Hatch A rural hideaway near London
YHA Youlgreave is 42-bed former Victorian Co-op building is full of charm, as is the village of Youlgreave itself. There are evocative views over the Peak District countryside. Youlgreave is a 10-minute drive from Bakewell, and close to some of the country’s best walking routes. exclusive-hire.yha.org.uk/properties/ england/yha-youlgreave
This picturesque whitewashed cottage, with only 13 beds, is set among beautiful woodland and has wonderful views across the National Trust’s Polesden Lacey estate. In the lounge, a log fire offers that all-important pour-a-dramand-gaze-into-the-flames vibe. It’s only 25 miles from London. exclusive-hire.yha.org.uk/properties/ england/yha-tanners-hatch
Creative Academy ‘Everyone Fits’ is the new marketing campaign for YHA’s Exclusive Hire hostels. Like all effective campaigns, it has a crystal clear message: Exclusive Hire is for everyone. But we’re not patting ourselves on the back here. Instead we’re praising two 21-year-old students, Maria Makepeace and Hattie Hancocks, who created the campaign that we’re now using across our YHA Exclusive Hire website. Students from the Creative Advertising courses at Falmouth and Buckinghamshire Universities were invited to put forward ideas for a YHA Exclusive Hire marketing campaign. Hattie and Maria, who paired together as an art director and copywriter, beat off competition from more than 30 other undergraduates with their Everyone Fits campaign. It won them a paid internship at The Hub, YHA’s design partner, as part of its Creative Academy initiative. “It was a fantastic opportunity to work on a live brief with feedback from real clients,” recall the pair. “It’s something we both knew would impress potential employers, regardless of whether we won the competition.” “We were so delighted to win the place at The Hub's Creative Academy. It’s been everything we expected and more. We’ve had the opportunity to get involved with so many projects and were given responsibilities straight away, gaining real industry experience. It’s just been a fantastic way to start our careers.” Rachel Ramsay, head of marketing at YHA, explains: “We loved the fact that Hattie and
Maria’s concept reflected a photo album of memories from spending time with family and friends. We’ve all tried to take that photo with everyone in it. We thought this encapsulated perfectly what YHA Exclusive Hire is all about. There’s a YHA property to suit every group – no matter what size, we will have one where everyone fits!” Hattie and Maria’s concept was further developed with help from another aspiring artist, Hannah Lewin, a student at Loughborough University, who worked at creating the watercolour illustrations of characters within the pair’s designs. “As a leading youth charity, YHA is all about giving young people opportunities,” continues Rachel. “Our partnership with The Hub Creative Academy embodies that ethos perfectly and I’m delighted that, as a team, we have been able to bring this to life and can share the work of three very talented young people.” Hattie and Maria both graduated with 2:1 degrees in July from Falmouth University, and have since been offered and accepted permanent positions at The Hub. 23
Cost-friendly Cardiff The Welsh capital has culture, history and character in spades – and a trip here doesn’t need to hurt the wallet, as Helen James discovers It’s ten o’clock at night, and the sound of jangling guitars is shaking through Cardiff’s misleadingly named Big Top. Decked out in bright décor but covering an area little bigger than a living room, this is one of the city’s newest live music venues. I’ve joined the drinkers here for a night of Welsh indie music: three acts on the bill, all of them with zeal in their eyes and fire in their bellies. And the cost of this wall-vibrating extravaganza? A grand total of four pounds. 24
Feature: Cardiff
Clockwise, from left: Flags flying from Cardiff Castle; Welsh cakes for sale; Cardiff market; a sculpture on Cardiff Bay
centre in South Wales and a staple among the city’s outdoor-lovers. I head along on my first evening and join a ‘Give It A Go’ session, which couples 80 minutes of group tuition with a series of ever more testing climbs. By the end I’m scaling walls I would never have dreamt of taking on an hour and half earlier. The whole place (and it’s seriously sizable, with 120 different lines and 12-metre high walls) is heaving with climbers and boulderers. The session – tuition, shoe hire and all – costs a tenner. The next morning I make my way to the National Museum Cardiff, not only famous for its natural history exhibits (trust me when I say a full-sized basking shark is a sight to behold) but a world-class art gallery to boot. “You’ll be wanting to visit the Welsh Landscape section,” smiles the attendant, when I ask which parts of the collection he’d recommend.
I’ve been to Cardiff countless times over the past decade, but on almost every occasion it’s been to watch a match at the rugby stadium – the experience always involves jam-packed pubs, baritone-heavy sing-songs and a city centre merrily gridlocked with redshirted revellers. It’s magnificent. But this time I’ve come to see Cardiff in its everyday guise. It’s stating the obvious to say that there’s plenty to keep the casual visitor entertained – and at a tidy price too. A friend has recommended the drop-in classes at Boulders, the biggest climbing
He proceeds to lead me to a curved gallery lined with paintings from across the country, including several atmospheric Snowdonia works by the peerless Sir Kyffin Williams. Elsewhere in the building are Rembrandts and Monets, Renoirs and Turners, but I’m happy to while away my time here among these canvasses of deep Welsh valleys and cold Celtic bays. The National Museum Cardiff, incidentally, is free to enter. I pick up lunch from Cardiff Market, an old Victorian covered market selling – among rows of cheesemongers, butchers and grocers – home-made daal with naan bread (£2.50 from Clancy’s) and Welsh Cakes (six for £1.70 from The Bread Stall). Then it’s on continues overleaf 25
Feature: Cardiff for an excellent sea bass, washed down with a crisp Baa Pilsner from Chepstow) and an afternoon at Cardiff Castle (£12.50, or free if you live or work in the city).
YHA Cardiff Central, inside and out
to Spillers Records, the oldest record shop on the planet. It’s no longer in its original 1894 location but it’s still a fine place to flick through the racks. An outlay of £6.99 gets me a double album of old-school ska. YHA Cardiff Central, as well as being one of the swishest hostels I’ve ever stayed in and a fine purveyor of evening pizza, is excellently located. The city centre is 15 minutes’ walk away, while Cardiff Bay – the capital’s other main hub – is an easy 20-minute stroll. I spend my last day taking in both areas. In the morning I take a walk around the Bay, crossing the barrage and looking out across the Bristol Channel. There’s a stirring history around here – it was just over a century ago that Cardiff Docks was shipping some 11 million tonnes of coal around the world each year. Lots has changed: I warm up with an Americano from the imposing modernist surrounds of the Wales Millennium Centre. From here, a £4 fare with Cardiff Boat Tours transfers me back to the city centre along the River Taff – wild enough to draw coots and grebes – before a slap-up lunch at localproduce restaurant Pitch Bar & Eatery (£14.50 26
The castle grounds incorporate a Roman fort, a Norman motte and bailey, wartime air-raid shelters and a lavish house that once belonged to the 2nd Marquess of Bute, the richest man in the world. This is a city with prestige and personality – and thankfully you don’t need an aristocrat’s budget to enjoy it.
St Fagans Step into the past Cardiff’s Doctor Who Experience closed its doors permanently in September (not, we hope, in a macho fit of pique over the gender of the new Doctor), but visitors who like the idea of time travel have another option. The frankly brilliant St Fagans National Museum of History has painstakingly recreated dozens of Welsh buildings from different periods and regions, dismantling them, transporting them to the site, then rebuilding them brick by brick, detail by detail. Step into a church from the banks of the River Loughor, a tannery from mid-Wales, a bakehouse from Aberystwyth, even a fully stocked 1920s general store – and much, much more besides. It’s around five miles west of Cardiff. Who needs a Tardis?
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How to...
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Skills for outdoor living
… have a microadventure Adventurer, author and speaker Alastair Humphreys is a pioneer of the microadventure: a short, achievable outdoor trip. Whether that involves a tent in the back garden or a quick night away, he promotes the fact that microadventures are for everyone – there’s no age barrier. We caught up with the man himself to get his advice on how you can have your own What is a microadventure? A microadventure is an adventure that is short, simple, local and cheap – yet still fun, exciting, challenging, refreshing and rewarding. As the world’s population becomes increasingly urbanised, busy and stuck in front of screens, microadventures offer a realistic escape to wilderness, simplicity and the great outdoors, without the need to ski to the South Pole or go live in a cabin in Patagonia. The appeal of microadventures is that they make adventure accessible to people who may have very little outdoor experience. Microadventures are a refresh button for busy lives. How do I find a location for a microadventure? All that’s required is a map, a train timetable and some open-minded thinking. It also helps 28
to get into the habit of continually evaluating places as potential campsites. If you know roughly where you want to go, buy an Ordnance Survey map. How do I have a midweek adventure? You work from 9 to 5, but what about the 5 to 9? There are 16 hours of freedom. Make a cup of tea, look at a map and find somewhere rural you’ve never been. Pack a bag and go for it! Climb a hill with a friend or two, sleep on the top, and be back at your desk by 9am the next morning, crumpled but happy.
A few microadventure ideas…
Where are some of your favourite wild places? Symond’s Yat Rock. An idyllic, peaceful lookout over the River Wye, woodland, fields, and the best of rural England. King Henry’s Mound, Richmond Park, London. Northerners in particular may howl indignantly at the daftness of including London in this list. But this hidden, quiet spot is a gem. The perfect, uninterrupted view through a gap in the trees all the way across to St Paul’s Cathedral is protected by law. I love the fact that even in London people realise that the visual landscape is important. New Forest. I love the tranquility of forests, the changing light, and the way they look so different across the seasons. Britain has a dearth of woodland, but there are pockets of the New Forest that are beautiful.
• Sleep in your garden • Swim wild – in a river, lake or sea •T ick off some themes: river, hill, mountain, beach, wood… • Take a child for their first microadventure • Go solo • Go with a friend • Go with a family member • Do one on a work night •M ake a cup of tea on a stove you’ve made yourself • Sleep by the sea (nobody in the UK lives more than 70 miles from the sea) • Sleep under a full moon • Try to spot a shooting star • Sleep out below 0 degrees Celsius • Put your own spin on the 12×12 challenge: 12 beaches, 12 Munros, 12 rude place names, 12 counties, 12 different friends… • Get there by bike • Get there on foot •P addle a river – by canoe or tractor inner tube • Learn to identify a new bird or new tree each month •F orage for your food, or at least pick some blackberries • Do one on Mothers’ Day / Fathers’ Day • Go on your birthday • Go with some random people you meet online via #microadventure. • Take a novice friend on their birthday • Sleep out on a snowy night • Sleep somewhere local but new to you • Do something that is challenging to you but achievable today (e.g. a ride or walk to a bivvy spot which is hard - but do-able right now)
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Gear: Cool stuff
Tried and tested
Four outdoor items put through their paces by the #LiveMoreYHA team
Lowe Alpine Aeon 27 This brand new backpack from Lowe Alpine, one of the world’s most experienced rucksack makers, is designed as a versatile option, suited to different activities. Having used it for hiking, mountain biking and general travel so far, I can vouch for its adaptability. I loved the three large mesh stash pockets and the hip belt pockets. Mostly, however, the comfort is fantastic. The back-system contours around the back, whether you’re walking or mountain biking, and it’s easy to adjust the length too. There’s also an option for a top lip opening. lowealpine.com Daniel Neilson The verdict The main zip can get lost behind side compression flaps, but this is a very versatile pack and supremely comfortable, even with heavy loads. 30
Patagonia Fair Trade Better Sweater Jacket Patagonia are now the largest apparel manufacturer making products in Fair Trade Certified sewing factories, and this autumn they’ve expanded their Fair Trade range to over 300 styles – or more than a quarter of their entire product line. This classy zipped fleece is among them. My concern was that it might somehow lack the cut and finesse of other Patagonia products, but the fit is well contoured, the quality is very high and the warmth it provides is more than adequate. It has three zipped pockets and comes in men’s and women’s styles. patagonia.com Ben Lerwill The verdict A good-looking full-zip fleece that feels durable and well made – and with a Fair Trade label to boot.
Danner Mountain 600
Tern Link C8 Folding Bike
Danner is an American company that has been making boots since 1932 – it started off handcrafting boots for loggers but has long since made hiking boots too. This experience shows. The first thing you note taking the Mountain 600 out of the box is the weight. These are exceptionally light for a full leather walking boot, in large part achieved by a fusing of modern technologies. The midsole is very cushioned and offers a comfortable roll. This is combined with a ‘Megagrip’ Vibram outsole that I’ve noticed performs almost as well on wet, muddy ground as on hard, dry rock – impressive. There are several choices of upper on the Mountain 600, including suede, but I went for the durable full-grain leather option. There is a waterproof lining on the boot, but it’s very breathable. Very comfortable and very light. danner.com Daniel Neilson
It’s little wonder that folding bikes are so popular in today’s world. The idea of two-wheeled transport that can be popped into a boot or tucked under a desk is a mighty appealing one. The priciest models, however, are safely in the four-figure sum category. The Tern Link C8 goes for around half that but has been built with quality in mind, so I was intrigued. First up: the fold. It took a bit of practice, but I soon had the procedure down to 20 seconds or so. The folded bike is still relatively bulky, weighing 12.8 kg, but it’s been very cleverly designed and is compact enough to be practical on a train or in-hostel. The ride, meanwhile, is extremely impressive – smooth, comfortable and easy to handle, with eight (!) gears and 20” wheels. It even deals well with hills. ternbicycles.com Ben Lerwill
The verdict These are incredibly lightweight boots and very durable. They should last a long time. They’re on the upper end cost-wise, but worth it in my opinion.
The verdict A great option at an entry-level price, offering a fast fold, nifty technology and a versatile ride. What’s more, it looks good too. 31
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All Stretton Bunkhouse YHA Alnwick YHA Alston YHA Ambleside YHA Arnside YHA Bath YHA Beer YHA Bellingham YHA Berwick YHA Betws y Coed YHA Beverley Friary YHA Black Sail YHA Blaxhall YHA Boggle Hole YHA Borrowdale YHA Borth YHA Boscastle Harbour YHA Boswinger YHA Brecon Beacons YHA Brecon Beacons Danywenallt YHA Bridges YHA Brighton YHA Bristol YHA Broad Haven YHA Buttermere YHA Caldbeck YHA Cambridge YHA Canterbury YHA Cardiff Central Carlisle YHA Castleton Losehill Hall YHA Cheddar Cholderton YHA Clun Mill YHA Cockermouth YHA Coniston Coppermines YHA Coniston Holly How YHA Conwy YHA Cotswolds YHA Coverack YHA Dalby Forest YHA Dartmoor YHA Dimmingsdale YHA Dufton Durham YHA Durrell Wildlife Hostel YHA Eastbourne YHA Edale YHA Eden Project YHA Edmundbyers YHA Elmscott YHA Ennerdale YHA Eskdale YHA Exford YHA Eyam
Meadow Green, Batch Valley, All Stretton, Shropshire, SY6 6JW 34 to 38 Green Batt, Alnwick, Northumberland, NE66 1TU The Firs, Alston, Cumbria, CA9 3RW Waterhead, Ambleside, Cumbria, Lakes, LA22 0EU Redhills Road, Arnside, Cumbria, LA5 0AT Bathwick Hill, Bath, BA2 6JZ Bovey Combe, Beer, Seaton, Devon, EX12 3LL Demesne Farm, Bellingham, Hexham, Northumberland, NE48 2BS Dewars Lane, Berwick Upon Tweed, Northumberland, TD15 1HJ Swallow Falls Hotel, Nr Betws-y-Coed, Conwy, , LL24 0DW Friar’s Lane, Beverley, East Yorkshire, HU17 0DF Black Sail Hut, Ennerdale, Cleator, Cumbria, CA23 3AX The Old School House, Blaxhall, Woodbridge, Suffolk, IP12 2EA Mill Beck, Fylingthorpe, Whitby, North Yorkshire, YO22 4UQ Longthwaite, Borrowdale, Keswick, Cumbria, Lakes, CA12 5XE Morlais, Borth, Ceredigion, SY24 5JS Palace Stables, Boscastle, Cornwall, PL35 0HD Boswinger, Gorran, St Austell, Cornwall, PL26 6LL Libanus, Brecon, Powys, LD3 8NH National Park Study Centre, Talybont-on-Usk, Brecon, LD3 7YS Ratlinghope, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY5 0SP Old Steine, Brighton, BN1 1NH 14 Narrow Quay, Bristol, BS1 4QA Broad Haven, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, SA62 3JH Buttermere, Cockermouth, Cumbria, CA13 9XA Fellside Centre, Fellside, Wigton, Cumbria, CA7 8HA 97 Tenison Road, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB1 2DN 54 New Dover Road, Canterbury, CT1 3DT East Tyndall Street, Cardiff, CF10 4BB Old Brewery Residences, Bridge Lane, Caldewgate, CA2 5SR Castleton, Hope Valley, Derbyshire, S33 8WB Hillfield, Cheddar, Somerset, BS27 3HN Beacon House, Amesbury Road, Cholderton, Wiltshire, SP4 0EW The Mill, Clun, Craven Arms, Shropshire, SY7 8NY Double Mills, Cockermouth, Cumbria, Lakes, CA13 0DS Coppermines, Coppermines House, Coniston, Cumbria, LA21 8HP Holly How, Far End, Coniston, Cumbria, LA21 8DD Larkhill, Sychnant Pass Road, Conwy, LL32 8AJ New Brewery Arts, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 1JH Parc Behan, School Hill, Coverack, Helston, Cornwall, TR12 6SA Old School, Lockton, Pickering, North Yorkshire, YO18 7PY Bellever, Postbridge, Devon, PL20 6TU Oakamoor, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, ST10 3AS Dufton, Appleby, Cumbria, CA16 6DB St Chad’s College, 18 North Bailey, Durham, DH1 3RH Le Noyers Residence, La Profonde Rue, Trinity, Jersey, JE3 5BP 1 East Dean Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN20 8ES Rowland Cote, Nether Booth, Edale, Hope Valley, Derbys, S33 7ZH Eden Project, Bodelva, Cornwall, PL24 2SG Low House, Edmundbyers, Consett, Co Durham, DH8 9NL Elmscott, Hartland, Bideford, Devon, EX39 6ES Cat Crag, Ennerdale, Cleator, Cumbria, Lakes, CA23 3AX Boot, Holmrook, Cumbria, CA19 1TH Exe Mead, Exford, Minehead, Somerset, TA24 7PU Hawkhill Road, Eyam, Hope Valley, Derbyshire, S32 5QP 33
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YHA Gower YHA Grasmere Butharlyp Howe YHA Grinton Lodge YHA Hartington Hall YHA Hathersage YHA Hawes YHA Hawkshead YHA Haworth YHA Hawse End YHA Helmsley YHA Helvellyn YHA Holmbury YHA Honister Hause YHA Hunstanton YHA Idwal Cottage YHA Ilam Hall YHA Ingleton YHA Ironbridge Coalbrookdale YHA Ironbridge Coalport Isle of Wight Brighstone YHA YHA Jordans Jo YHA Keswick YHA Kettlewell YHA Kings YHA Kington YHA Lands End YHA Langdale YHA Langdon Beck YHA Leominster YHA Littlehampton YHA Litton Cheney YHA Liverpool YHA Lizard YHA Llanddeusant YHA Llangattock YHA London Central YHA London Earls Court YHA London Lee Valley YHA London Oxford Street YHA London St Pancras YHA London St Pauls YHA London Thameside YHA Lulworth Cove YHA Malham YHA Manchester YHA Mankinholes YHA Manorbier YHA Medway YHA Milton Keynes YHA Minehead MOR Lodge YHA National Forest YHA New Forest YHA Newport Pembrokeshire 34
Port Eynon, Swansea, SA3 1NN Easedale Road, Grasmere, Cumbria, LA22 9QG Grinton, Richmond, North Yorkshire, DL11 6HS Hall Bank, Hartington, Buxton, Derbyshire, SK17 0AT Castleton Road, Hathersage, Hope Valley, Derbyshire, S32 1EH Lancaster Terrace, Hawes, North Yorkshire, DL8 3LQ Hawkshead, Ambleside, Cumbria, LA22 0QD Longlands Drive, Haworth, Keighley, West Yorkshire, BD22 8RT Hawse End Cottage, Portinscale, Keswick, Cumbria, CA12 5UE Carlton Lane, Helmsley, North Yorkshire, YO62 5HB Greenside, Glenridding, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 0QR Radnor Lane, Dorking, Surrey, RH5 6NW Seatoller, Keswick, Cumbria, CA12 5XN 15 Avenue Road, Hunstanton, Norfolk, PE36 5BW Nant Ffrancon, Bethesda, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 3LZ Ilam Hall, Ilam, Ashbourne, Derbyshire, DE6 2AZ Greta Tower, Sammy Lane, Ingleton, North Yorkshire, LA6 3EG 1 Paradise, Coalbrookdale, Telford, Shropshire, TF8 7NR John Rose Building, High Street, Coalport, Shropshire, TF8 7HT North Street, Brighstone, Newport, PO30 4AX Welders Lane, Jordans, Beaconsfield, Bucks, HP9 2SN Station Road, Keswick, Cumbria, CA12 5LH Kettlewell, Skipton, North Yorkshire, BD23 5QU Kings, Penmaenpool, Dolgellau Gwynedd, Wales, LL40 1TB Victoria Road, Kington, Herefordshire, HR5 3BX Letcha Vean, St Just-in-Penwith, Penzance, Cornwall, TR19 7NT High Close, Loughrigg, Ambleside, Cumbria, LA22 9HJ Forest-in-Teesdale, Barnard Castle, Co Durham, DL12 0XN The Old Priory, Leominster, Herefordshire, HR6 8EQ 63 Surrey Street, Littlehampton, West Sussex, BN17 5AW Litton Cheney, Dorchester, Dorset, DT2 9AT 25 Tabley Street, off Wapping, Liverpool, Mersyside, L1 8EE The Polbrean, Lizard Point, Cornwall, TR12 7NT The Old Red Lion, Llanddeusant, Camarthenshire, SA19 9UL Wern Watkin, Hillside, Llangattock, Crickhowell, NP8 1LG 104 Bolsover Street, London, W1W 5NU 38 Bolton Gardens, Earl’s Court, London, SW5 0AQ Windmill Lane, Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, EN8 9AJ 14 Noel Street, London, W1F 8GJ 79-81 Euston Road, London, NW1 2QE 36 Carter Lane, London, EC4V 5AB 20 Salter Road, Rotherhithe, London, SE16 5PR School Lane, West Lulworth, Wareham, Dorset, BH20 5SA Malham, Skipton, North Yorkshire, BD23 4DB Potato Wharf, Castlefield, Manchester, M3 4NB Mankinholes, Todmorden, Lancashire, OL14 6HR Manorbier, nr Tenby, Pembrokeshire, SA70 7TT 351 Capstone Road, Gillingham, Kent, ME7 3JE Vicarage Road, Bradwell Village, Milton Keynes, MK13 9AG Alcombe Combe, Minehead, Somerset, TA24 6EW Mor Lodge, 83 - 87 Mount Wise, Newquay, Cornwall, TR7 2BP 48 Bath Lane, Moira, Swadlincote, Derbyshire, DE12 6BD Cott Lane, Burley Ringwood, Hampshire, BH24 4BB Lower St Mary Street, Newport, Pembrokeshire, SA42 0TS
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YHA Ninebanks YHA Okehampton YHA Okehampton Bracken Tor YHA Osmotherley YHA Oxford YHA Patterdale YHA Penzance YHA O YHA Perranporth YHA Poppit Sands YHA Port Eynon YHA Portland YHA Portreath YHA Pwll Deri YHA Ravenstor YHA Rhossili YHA Rowen YHA Scarborough YHA Sheen Bunkhouse YHA Sheringham YHA Sherwood Forest YHA Skiddaw House YHA Slaidburn Slimbridge YHA Snowdon Bryn Gwynant YHA Snowdon Llanberis YHA Snowdon Pen-y-Pass YHA Snowdon Ranger YHA South Downs YHA St Briavels Castle YHA St Davids YHA Stour Valley YHA Stratford YHA Streatley YHA Street YHA Swanage YHA Swansea YHA The Sill at Hadrian's Wall YHA Tanners Hatch YHA Thurlby YHA Tintagel YHA Totland Bay YHA Treyarnon Bay YHA Truleigh Hill YHA Wasdale Hall YHA Wells Next The Sea YHA Whitby YHA Wilderhope Manor YHA Windermere YHA Tanners H YHA Woody’s Top at YHA Wooler YHA Wye Valley YHA York YHA Youlgreave treet
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Orchard House, Mohope, Ninebanks, Hexham, NE47 8DQ Klondyke Road, Okehampton, Devon, EX20 1EW Bracken Tor, Saxongate, Okehampton, Devon, EX20 1QW Cote Ghyll, Osmotherley, Notherallerton, N Yorkshire, DL6 3AH 2a Botley Road, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX2 0AB Patterdale, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 0NW Castle Horneck, Penzance, Cornwall, TR20 8TF Droskyn Point, Perranporth, Cornwall, TR6 0GS Sea View, Poppit, Cardigan, Pembroke, SA43 3LP Old Lifeboat House, Port Eynon, Swansea, SA3 1NN Hardy House, Castle Road, Castle Town, Portland, DT5 1AU Nance Farm, Illogen, Redruth, Cornwall, TR16 4QX Castell Mawr, Trefasser, Goodwick, Pembrokeshire, SA64 0LR Millers Dale, Buxton, Derbyshire, SK17 8SS Rhossili Middleton, Rhossili , Swansea, SA3 1PJ Rhiw Farm, Rowen, Conwy, LL32 8YW Burniston Rd, Scarborough, , North Yorkshire, YO13 0DA Peakstones, Sheen, Derbyshire, , SK17 0ES 1 Cremer’s Drift, Sheringham, Norfolk, NR26 8HX Forest Corner, Edwinstowe, Notts, NG21 9RN Bassenthwaite, Keswick, Cumbria, , CA12 4QX King’s House, Slaidburn, Clitheroe, Lancashire, BB7 3ER The Wild Goose Lodge, Shepherds Patch, Slimbridge, GL2 7BP Nantgwynant, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, LL55 4NP Llwyn Celyn, Llanberis, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, LL55 4SR Pen-y-Pass, Nantgwynant, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, LL55 4NY Rhyd Ddu, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, LL54 7YS Itford Farm, Beddingham, Lewes, East Sussex, BN8 6JS St Briavels, Lydney, Gloucestershire, GL15 6RG Llaethdy, Whitesands, St David’s, Pembrokeshire, SA62 6PR Brantham Hall, Nr Manningtree, Suffolk, CO11 1PT Hemmingford House, Alveston, Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 7RG Reading Road, Streatley, Berkshire, RG8 9JJ The Chalet, Ivythorn Hill, Street, Somerset, BA16 0TZ Cluny, Cluny Crescent, Swanage, Dorset, BH19 2BS Huntington Close, West Cross, Swansea, SA3 5AL Military Road, Bardon Mill, Northumberland, NE47 7AN Off Ranmore Common Road, Dorking, Surrey, RH5 6BE 16 High Street, Thurlby, Bourne, Lincolnshire, PE10 0EE Dunderhole Point, Tintagel, Cornwall, PL34 0DW Hurst Hill, Totland Bay, Isle Of Wight, , PO39 0HD Tregonnan, Treyarnon, Padstow, Cornwall, PL28 8JR Tottington Barn, Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, BN43 5FB Wasdale Hall, Wasdale, Seascale, Cumbria, CA20 1ET Church Plain, Wells, Norfolk, NR23 1EQ Abbey House, East Cliff, Whitby, North Yorkshire, YO22 4JT Manor, Longville in the Dale, Shropshire, TF13 6EG Bridge Lane, Troutbeck, Windermere, Cumbria, LA23 1LA Ruckland, Louth, Lincolnshire, LN11 8RQ 30 Cheviot Street, Wooler, Northumberland, NE71 6LW Near Goodrich, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, HR9 6JJ Water End, Clifton, York, North Yorkshire, YO30 6LP Fountain Square, Youlgreave, nr Bakewell, Derbys, DE45 1UR Visit yha.org.uk to book your next hostel stay 35
Drying Room: Tweets & more Each issue we print a reader's pic that's really grabbed our attention. Want to see your photo here? Share it on Twitter #LiveMoreYHA or email us on: livemoreyha@yhaorg.uk This issue: the view from YHA Perranporth, by Richard Young
@chompmancobra The Sill @YHAOfficial is gorgeous. Fits into the landscape really well and the view from the cafe is magic
@JuInDevon Whoop! Pre-Christmas booked @ YHATreyarnon for some stormy seas and wild skies (we hope!). #getoutside
@SWellsschool Year Five had amazing time immersed in history at St Briavels Castle. Thank you @YHAOfficial
@rhiannonbatten Another weekend, another great @ YHAOfficial experience... this time at #Exford in @ExmoorNP - cosy, welcoming & super clean
@EddieJ94 Cheap rooms, friendly staff, great food and fantastic location. What's not to love @ YHASwanage? @YHAOfficial
Reader tweets: Share your adventure #livemoreYHA
WIN!
A Hydro Flask Food Flask We have two Hydro Flask Food Flasks to give away to a pair of lucky winners. These 532ml flasks, worth £29 each, are designed to keep food hot or cold when you’re on the go. From hot soups to frozen smoothies, it keeps your food at the perfect temperature all day. It’s made from professional-grade stainless steel, which means it won’t retain or transfer flavours. To enter, just answer the following question. Which Yorkshire-based YHA occupies what was once a Dominican Friary? (clue: see pages 20–23)
Answers to: livemoreyha@yha. org.uk by January 5, 2018. Winners will be picked at random.
#LiveMoreYHA is published by Don’t Look Down Media Ltd in Eastbourne, United Kingdom ISSN 2514-0159
38
Name the mountaineers Drying Room: Celebrity Q&A
TO WIN A Columbia insulated jacket worth £100 A new Terry Abrahams film has come out dedicated to YHA Ambassador Alan Hinkes OBE. To celebrate, we’ve jumbled up the names of four other legendary mountaineers. Worked out who they are? Send your answers to livemoreyha@yha.org.uk by 5 January 2018 to be in with a chance of winning.
D U D M E N R A L LY H I SIRCH NITNOBONG E G G RO E YA M RO L L
Photo: www.shutterstock..com
ZINGNET RANGYO
To enter simply send us an email with your four answers. The lucky winner will be drawn at random. Answers to: livemoreyha@yha.org.uk by 5 January 2018. Please feel free to share your thoughts (positive or otherwise!) on this magazine at the same time. Is there anything you particularly enjoy about it, or would like to see changed?
About the prize We have two Columbia Powder Lite Hooded Jackets to give away – one women’s jacket and one men’s jacket. Great for late fall or early winter, the warm and water-resistant Powder Lite Hooded Jacket is crafted of a lightweight, breathable outer shell, lined with Omni-Heat thermal reflective warmth, and packed with synthetic insulation. Features include an attached adjustable hood, interior pocket, zippered hand pockets, and elastic cuffs. blacks.co.uk Last issue: congratulations to Samuel Butler, who won a Páramo fleece and windproof combo, and Colin Hart, who won a Lowe Alpine daypack. 39
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