A midweek hiking afternoon around Raisdale
3 people attending
12 places left
Join Steven and the OutdoorLads for a midweek walk on the North York Moors in the far north of the national park.
This walk will start in the early afternoon and finish in the evening as the sun falls low in the sky. The route starts and finishes at a popular spot with a café and outside seating an ideal place to grab some food before returning home.
The first part of the walk uses tracks and little used footpaths to weave through the Raisdale valley before heading up the moorland slope to arrive at Brian's Pond and continuing over Bilsdale West Moor high above Chop Gate.
A steep descent with fine views south leads to the pretty village of Chop Gate where the group will stop for a rest before heading upwards to reach the moorland broad ridge of Cold Moor.
Reaching the northern escarpment of the plateaux a short steep descent then meets an old trail known as the Jet Miners Track that eventually will bring us to the country park and the finish point where a much deserved food and drink stop can be enjoyed in the evening sun.
What to bring
Water: bring at least two litres
Medicines: if you have hay fever, diabetes, minor ailments etc.
Day rucksack: typically 20-30 litres, they are comfortable to wear and allow you to use your arms freely
Boots: waterproof and breathable and designed for hiking, trainers are OK if the ground is dry and there’s little chance of rain
Gaiters: recommended for wet weather or boggy conditions
Socks: proper walking socks will keep your feet dry and help prevent blisters
Layered clothing: lets you quickly adapt to changes in the weather and body temperature. Go for a base layer (vest or t-shirt) and a mid layer (a micro fleece or shirt) and in cooler weather add an outer layer (a windproof jacket or thick fleece)
Trousers: ideally no jeans as they become heavy and cold in the rain, breathable fabrics are more comfortable and dry and on warm days shorts are OK
Waterproof jacket: essential when hiking in all but the calmest of weather, breathable fabrics are more comfortable and dry
Gloves: Windproof, or better still, waterproof gloves are the best choice, bring a spare pair if expecting rain
Hat or cap: stay warm in winter and shaded in summer
Sunglasses: for any sunny day, even in winter
Sun cream: can be useful even on cloudy and winter days
Snacks: bring biscuits, energy bars, gels, bananas, chocolate or dried fruit for example and put them somewhere easy to get hold of
Lunch: bring a packed lunch unless otherwise stated
Food & drink
Bring at least 2 litres of water or fruit squash, plenty of snacks and a good sized packed (late) lunch.