East Perthshire Walking Festival
2nd October - 4th October 2010
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East Perthshire Walking Festival
2nd October - 4th October 2010
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Schedule Alterations Age Limits Acknowledgments Walk Booking Walks Walk Grading Level Ground Equivalence Accommodation Registration Parking Meals Liability Vulnerable People Young People Smoking Dogs Payment Buses Cancellations/Refunds Equipment Medical Walk Leaders Maps Disclaimer Contact The Organisers Equipment List This event operates in the outdoors, and is therefore subject to the vagaries of the weather, environment, transport issues and land management activities. It may therefore be necessary to re-schedule or alter the published programme. This is not done lightly and may even be carried out en-route during a walk. Timings, including start and finish may be altered following reconnaissance or on advice so it is essential that just prior to visiting us you check with the website for the latest up-to-date information. This is the simplest and most reliable way of ensuring everyone is kept informed. In the event of any ambiguous information (which may be caused by differences between pages and human error) please check with the organisers directly.
The organisers are grateful for the volunteers who have helped put this event together, the organisations who have provided sponsorship or other support, the Mountain Leaders, the land owners, first aiders, and other guides and drivers, and not least you the participants.
This event is organised by Blairgowrie and District Next Steps in partnership with NSC Outdoor Adventures, and is hosted by the Royal Hotel, Blairgowrie.
Walk bookings can be made by using the online booking form, downloadable form (MS Word), or print either out and send to:
Your booking and allocation will be confirmed by return and payment by cheque (made payable to "East Perthshire Walking Festival") should be made as soon as possible, but no later than 31st August 2009. Bookings after this date must be accompanied by your payment. Bookings can continue to be made up to the start of any walk but to guarantee a place, payment should be sent with the booking request. Alternatively payment may be made by Credit Card, for which a PayPal email payment request will be returned with confirmation of your bookings, a PayPal account is not necessary. However, please note that users of free email services such as those provided by yahoo, aol, msn, etc may find that their service providers prevent receipt of these messages. Payment confirms your place as priority for places will be given to those who have paid. It is possible (subject to space being available) to change your bookings. Contact the organisers for up to date information. If you wish to speak to the organisers please call the above number and ask for Nick or Sue. If necessary (and we may be out in the hills) please leave a message on the answering machine. If you have a query you may email us using the contact form but please ensure that your contact details are correct. Refunds for cancelled bookings may be made at the organisers discretion depending on the planning commitments as on most events the bus seats, leaders and any equipment needed are pre-allocated (see below).
These are planned and recce'd in advance. For reasons outwith the organiser's control or other such as a slower or faster than expected group pace, severe weather, or delay due to injury it may be necessary to alter the route either in advance or during the day. Such changes are not made lightly but will be subject to the professional judgment of the leaders. Your safety is in their hands.
For reasons of safety and logistics there are limited places on most walks. It is essential, therefore, that you pre-book your walks to avoid disappointment! Please remember that on popular walks places not taken up may prevent someone else from participating and also impacts on bus and leader allocations. After August 31st spare or unpaid spaces will be offered to those on any reserve list. It should be noted that all strenuous routes will require a good pace to be averaged of around 4km/h and you will require a reasonable standard of fitness. The distances and difficulty are for guidance only, if you have any queries about the walks or indeed any other matter please contact the organisers. We have tried to grade the walks to give you a good guide to the conditions and hence level of effort required for each walk. They have been based on Naismith's rule. We have also varied the programme so that you can have interesting walks of varied levels of difficulty on successive days.
In all descriptions the ascent figure listed shows the amount of going up across the whole route which is not the same as the height above sea level that we might reach.
In order to reflect standard mapping, distances are measured in km and ascents in metres. Please remember that 1km is approx 0.6 of a mile, so 8km is 5 miles, 16km is 10 miles and so on. Similarly 400 metres is over 1,300 feet, and 900 metres is nearly 3000 feet!
Easy indicates a short distance and little ascending/descending on good ground for up to 2 or 3 hours, or distances up to 10km/6 miles on relatively level ground. Moderate indicates distances up to 13km/8miles ascending up to a total of approx 400m or 1300ft across good ground or tracks, with a duration of between 2 to 5 hours. There may be short stretches of varied ground. Strenuous indicates distances up to 16km/10miles, ascending approx 400m/1300ft across varied ground, with a duration of approx 5 to 6 hours. Very Strenuous indicates distances generally over 16km/10miles ascending to 900m above sea level and higher across rough ground, with a duration of 8 to 10 hours. Extremely Strenuous indicates distances over 20km/12miles ascending in excess of 1000m across rough ground, with a duration of over 8 hours, and will expect a pace of at least 4 km/h to be maintained for a long duration by the group and ascending at around 45 secs for every 10m.
Varied ground may include some heather, peat hags, bogs, boulder fields, scree and/or river crossing (though not necessarily all). Rough ground will include significant distances in these conditions.
The Naismith rule of 1 minute per 10 metres ascent is readily achieved, though does slow down with long climbs. If the effort involved in making each step is added to the horizontal distance (as measured on a map) then a good assessment of how demanding the walk is can be made. Walking at 4km/h means that 70 metres is covered in 1 minute approximately the same time as taken to climb 10m. Therefore a rule of thumb would be that multiplying the overall ascent by 7 and adding that to the horizontal distance gives a truer indication of the work and effort involved on any particular walk. For example Jock's Road, is measured horizontally as 21km, with 780 metres of ascent. Walking 21km on good level ground is easier than doing that with the climb involved. So to give a guide to the effort involved multiply the climb (in this case 780m) by 7 giving an added distance of 5,460m or 5.5 km. Therefore walking this route can involve similar effort to walking nearly 27km on the flat. As a further example an easy walk of around 10km can become Strenuous if there is any significant ascent involved.
This means that when deciding on your ability to undertake a walk the additional effort of a climb has to be counted. In many instances we see clients stating they have walked a certain distance but fail to consider the additional burden of the climb and rough walking that is involved. While as guides we are able to help almost everybody undertake a particular route this will be at the expense of the time it is originally planned to take and when part of a larger group it can create significant problems, particularly if we have to accompany someone off the hill to a road accessible location and then having to arrange transportation. If there is any doubt as to your level of fitness then please contact us to discuss what may or may not be suitable. To arrange your accommodation please either contact the Blairgowrie and East Perthshire Tourist Association website or the Tourist Information Centre: The event is being hosted by the Royal Hotel in Blairgowrie where on hand accommodation, breakfasts, packed lunches and evening meals are available.
In addition to pre-booking your walks, you (and each member of your group) will need to register before each one. This must be done prior to boarding the bus. Registration is vitally important so that we have a record of who is on which walk, and so that the Walk Leader has a checklist to make sure no one is left behind. Registration for the walk closes just before the bus leaves. Registration is again being hosted by the Royal Hotel, Allan Street, Blairgowrie. Parking facilities are available in the Wellmeadow car park adjacent to Somerfields' store. Alternative parking is available at various locations around the town particularly in the Welton Road area, but on street parking is limited. Packed lunches can be bought or made up from the numerous eating establishments and shops in Blairgowrie. There are no special arrangements for meals during the walks, but most end at a hotel or similar. On the longer walks two or even three meal stops may be made so please ensure you have sufficient with you. The sedentary daily guideline of 1800 calories for women and 2000 for men is not sufficient for physical activities! So if you are participating in several days of walking you need to ensure that you have sufficient to eat throughout your stay with us. Those taking part in
the East Perthshire Walking Festival do so at their own risk.
The organisers and sponsors of the event shall not be liable for any accident or
injury, however caused. You are advised to check your own personal accident
cover, before taking part.
Vulnerable Adults or Young People
The nature of hill-walking potentially involves leaders or other participants in providing close assistance to others. For everybody's protection those people classified as 'vulnerable adults' or young people under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an appropriate carer or responsible adult. If you have any specific concerns in this area please contact the organisers. No special arrangements are available to provide independent supervision of vulnerable people. None of the walks are age restricted. However the accompanying carer takes full responsibility for them. The carer or parent is best placed to judge the capability of their charges as experience and fitness vary considerably and the organisers are not able to provide reliable information relating to their competence for any specific walk.
Please
do not smoke when on any of the walks – out of consideration for others taking
part, and to avoid undue risk of fire. Much as we like them, obedient and friendly though they can be, we have to point out that dogs are not allowed on Festival walks out of consideration for others. This does not apply to guide dogs accompanying registered blind or deaf walkers, though please be aware that many of the walks involve negotiating gates, walls, fences or stiles and will often involve potential trip hazards. Payment Prices for the various entertainments vary and are listed on the booking form or the entertainment page. Please note: parking places are very limited at the starting point of most walks. Not only that but many do not start and end at the same place and may also be subject to unforeseen change! So to avoid congestion or other logistical problems on and just off quiet rural roads we have provided buses. We will not be able to arrange to meet walkers en-route if using their own transport. We recognise that under normal circumstances we may provide a refund for cancellations. Unfortunately after August 1st this will not be possible as the various venues, transport bookings, leader allocations, and other planning matters will have been made. We apologise for any inconvenience or distress this may cause. Participants may request a transfer to another walk or ticketed event subject to space, and may also exchange a booking with someone else, as all of our bookings are transferable. But please contact the organisers in advance and we will do our best to provide you with an alternative. Please note that for High Level or Very/Extremely Strenuous walks full hill walking gear is mandatory, click here for a suggested kit-list. All walks will require appropriate clothing for the anticipated weather conditions and a minimum of 3-season boots are strongly recommended. No personal use equipment is available from the organisers unless otherwise stated. For the night walks a lightweight head torch is mandatory (thus leaving the hands free). Bring along a spare set of batteries! Please also avoid shining your torch at the heads of your colleagues as this affects their night vision. If pre-warned we may have some head torches for loan though you will need to arrange fresh and spare batteries. It is recommended that equipment to the Very Strenuous level is carried on all our walks. Having inadequate equipment may compromise your own safety and also the others on the walk with you. Any medical conditions should be advised to the organisers and leaders before each walk as many will be going into remote areas where assistance is not necessarily immediately forthcoming. Any information provided will be kept in strictest confidence. All walks will have qualified first aiders in support but they are not a substitute for paramedic or A&E practitioners. If you are in any doubt about your standard of fitness please consult your GP. Medical services in East Perthshire are sparse. There is a small cottage hospital in Blairgowrie, but the nearest A&E services are in Dundee and Perth. Kirsty Knott of Riverside Foot Clinic is on hand each morning for consultations and appointments. Contact Kirsty at: The Riverside Foot Clinic, 36 Lower Mill Street, Blairgowrie, PH10 6AQ, 01250 876057. Following on from the advised equipment list and the Equipment and Medical paragraphs above it may be necessary for a leader or the organisers to bar someone from a walk if in their opinion and based on their experience they are inadequately equipped or have a medical condition that may be exacerbated on that walk or event. While this is regrettable the organisers and leaders are responsible for the safety of all participants. While at the early planning stage specific leaders are assigned to each walk, they may be reallocated at short notice. For this reason we will not advise participants of who has been allotted to each walk in advance. The following Ordnance Survey maps cover walks in the Festival programme:
Walking in Scottish Hills can be hazardous, particularly if ill-equipped or physically ill-prepared. While there are no particular hazards involved in any of the Festival routes, due to changeable weather and the risk of injury or exacerbation of any existing medical conditions it is a condition of booking that the following terms are accepted.
By submitting an application there is an assumption that as a prospective participant you are willing to abide by the terms.
Participants must abide by and comply with all reasonable instructions and decisions of the leaders and organisers.
It is a condition of booking that the participants acknowledge that decisions made by the organisers and walk leaders are final, as they are responsible for your safety during the walks. If a leader considers that any participant is inadequately equipped for a particular walk in the conditions pertaining at the time then the participant may be excluded from that walk. Failure to abide by the walk leaders reasonable decisions may result in exclusion from any further participation and forfeiture of any payments made.
It is also a condition of booking that any relevant health conditions are brought to the attention of the organisers and leaders, and such information will be treated in strict professional confidence. Some of the walks may be more strenuous than expected and an existing medical condition could be exacerbated.
During the event circumstances outwith the organisers control may necessitate the alteration or even cancellation of a planned walk. Reallocation to an alternative walk will be made if possible.
In the event of any interpretation or 'appeal' of the above the organisers' decision is final.
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