Leading with HF in 2013
That's it for this year:- a week at Freshwater Bay on the Isle of Wight, at Derwent Bank near Keswick in the Lake District, at Alltshellach near Glencoe in the Scottish Highlands and at Dolserau Hall just outside Dolgellau in Snowdonia. It has been a fantastic experience.
People on the walks have asked me what I'm getting out of it, especially when the mist is down or when I'm obviously walking at a much slower pace than I would if I were alone. 'Isn't it a big responsibility considering you're a volunteer?'
The whole HF Holiday experience is about enjoying other people's company both on the walks as well as in the evenings. That's why we sit in large groups for meals and people are encouraged to mingle. That's why a short piece of evening entertainment is arranged where everyone can join in if they want to - possibly even some country dancing! And, of course, everyone gets to know each other on the walks. Walking along chatting to someone is so much more pleasurable than sitting down doing it, as you are sharing an experience, you can talk about the world as it goes by and you can easily move on and talk to someone else without it being a snub. Not to mention enjoying the countryside of course. If you haven't tried it, it sounds a bit naff doesn't it? All these elements haven't changed since I first started leading 36 years ago (OMG!) but trust me, the formula still works and its fun.
So the obvious answer to the 'what am I getting out of it' question is that I'm getting a free HF Holiday but there's definitely more to it than that. Taking a group of people out for a walk, whether that means pottering along by the River Yar in the sunshine or getting to the top of Bidean nam Bian in mist and rain, is a very satisfying experience if you can see that they have had an enjoyable day.
There's more though: navigating successfully in the mist, pointing out things around you, making sure you go at a comfortable pace whilst not missing the coach back at the end, not eating so much delicious food that you go home heavier than when you left, are just some of the challenges. I certainly haven't got it right every time but you wouldn't get any satisfaction if it was easy would you?
Dorothy and I went for a walk in the Moelwyns just south of Snowdon last weekend, before I drove over to Dolgellau. We camped at the very efficient Llyn Gwynant Campsite the night before and after. So I just thought I'd sign off this entry with this lovely picture of the begining of Autumn in the Welsh hills.
People on the walks have asked me what I'm getting out of it, especially when the mist is down or when I'm obviously walking at a much slower pace than I would if I were alone. 'Isn't it a big responsibility considering you're a volunteer?'
The whole HF Holiday experience is about enjoying other people's company both on the walks as well as in the evenings. That's why we sit in large groups for meals and people are encouraged to mingle. That's why a short piece of evening entertainment is arranged where everyone can join in if they want to - possibly even some country dancing! And, of course, everyone gets to know each other on the walks. Walking along chatting to someone is so much more pleasurable than sitting down doing it, as you are sharing an experience, you can talk about the world as it goes by and you can easily move on and talk to someone else without it being a snub. Not to mention enjoying the countryside of course. If you haven't tried it, it sounds a bit naff doesn't it? All these elements haven't changed since I first started leading 36 years ago (OMG!) but trust me, the formula still works and its fun.
So the obvious answer to the 'what am I getting out of it' question is that I'm getting a free HF Holiday but there's definitely more to it than that. Taking a group of people out for a walk, whether that means pottering along by the River Yar in the sunshine or getting to the top of Bidean nam Bian in mist and rain, is a very satisfying experience if you can see that they have had an enjoyable day.
There's more though: navigating successfully in the mist, pointing out things around you, making sure you go at a comfortable pace whilst not missing the coach back at the end, not eating so much delicious food that you go home heavier than when you left, are just some of the challenges. I certainly haven't got it right every time but you wouldn't get any satisfaction if it was easy would you?
Dorothy and I went for a walk in the Moelwyns just south of Snowdon last weekend, before I drove over to Dolgellau. We camped at the very efficient Llyn Gwynant Campsite the night before and after. So I just thought I'd sign off this entry with this lovely picture of the begining of Autumn in the Welsh hills.
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| LLyn below Cnicht |
