Joining an East Cheshire Ramblers Walk – What to Expect on our walks
If you join our walks you’ll receive a warm welcome, follow a well-planned route, and walk in good company
All members of the Ramblers, whatever their local group, are welcome to join our walks; if you aren’t a member you can try up to three of our walks before committing yourself to joining. You can join the Ramblers by clicking on the link at the bottom of this page.
We organise several walks each week which are generally in our local area or the Peak District but are occasionally in North Wales, the Yorkshire Dales or the Lake District. All our walk information is published on the home page of our website. This includes the distance, degree of difficulty and ascent, parking information, post code and grid reference and any further information relevant to the walk.
We ask that you always read the walk description, check for cancellations, and ensure you always bring your 'In Case of Emergency' (ICE) information with you.
When do we walk?
ECR provide walks on the following days:
Monday: Medium walks everyother week
Tuesday: Short walks and Long walks on alternate weeks
Wednesday: Short walks and Long walks on alternate weeks
Wednesday: Stroller walks everyother week
Thursdays: Medium walks
Thursdays: Evening walks April to August
Saturdays: Short, Medium and Long Walks
Our walks are graded by length and degree of difficulty:
Walk Length:
Stroller: No longer than 4 miles (easy, mostly flat walks, usually no stiles but if present they should be easily climbed and should be mentioned, kissing gates are fine
Short: Up to 7 miles but rarely less than 5
Medium: Between 8 and 11 miles
Long: More than 11 miles but rarely more than 15
Degree of Difficulty - this is somewhat subjective and a guide only. Please make sure you read the walk description to make sure they are suitable for you.
Easy: These walks are intended for members who prefer a short, easy, flat walk with minimum stiles and ascents. Walkers who are recovering from an injury or health issues, and may want to take gentle walks to build up their stamina, will find these walks suitable. The walks are generally taken at a very slow pace.
Leisurely: These walks are for people who have experience of walking in the countryside and have a good level of fitness. The walks are rarely more than six miles and may include unsurfaced rural paths and some ascent. We recommend you wear walking boots, suitable clothing and poles. They are taken at a reasonable pace.
Moderate: This covers the majority of walks; there might well be a steep hill or two but it will generally be on good paths in undulating terrain
Strenuous: Expect a fair bit of uphill walking, maybe even some mild scrambling. We might leave paths for open country but not invariably
Technical: These walks are usually only suitable for experienced and very fit walkers with additional technical skills such as use of ice axes or crampons. However, we do sometimes offer ‘Scrambles’, which are classed as technical but may be suitable for walkers without special skills as long as they have a good level of fitness.
Here are a few points to consider before joining your first East Cheshire Ramblers walk.
- All our walks, even the short ones, are quite long by the standards of anybody who doesn’t do much walking. If you haven’t done much walking before we suggest you start with an easy short walk and work up to longer or more moderate ones.
- Please come properly equipped with walking boots and suitable outdoor clothing. Check the weather forecast before you head out and make sure you come prepared. And remember, wearing layers is key. It’s colder and the wind is a lot stronger up high, and the sun can be strong even in winter. Pay special attention to your footwear.
- An overall speed of two miles per hour is a good rule of thumb for our walks so a six-mile walk can be expected to take three hours and a twelve mile walk six hours. Those figures aren’t guaranteed, though. This should give you an approximate finish time and a guide about what refreshments to take.
- Please bring enough food and drinks with you for the length and difficulty of the walk. As a guide our walks usually include a break for a ‘coffee stop’ about 11am. The medium and long walkers stop for a packed lunch and there is usually a stop for a third break mid-afternoon on long walks. Some extra high-energy snacks are always recommended, and don’t forget extra water on the warmer days.
- Many of our walks are dog friendly but be sure to check with the walk leader before coming along as not all walks are suitable especially if there is live stock in the fields or ground nesting birds on moorland. Naturally, assistance dogs are welcome but again check with the leader first.
- Lifts to the start of walks are sometimes available; if they are the contact details will be available in the walk description. We also let you know if public transport is available.
- Please make sure to arrive in plenty of time so you can introduce yourself to the walk leader. Let the walk leader know if you have any health conditions that may impact your walk or be relevant in case of an emergency. We’ll respect your privacy.
- It’s recommended to have an emergency contact, so you can let the walk leader know who to contact in case of an emergency. You can ask the walk leader if they have a spare In Case of Emergency (ICE) card for you to fill in.
