Led walks
Our shops led 3,100 walks last year, free for Club members. Each starts at the shop door with a qualified leader and a first aider, and the listing says how far you walk and when you will be back.
Examples from five shops
Each shop plans its own walks, so the programme changes with the season. These are the kind you will find.
| Shop | When | Walk | Distance | Back by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dorchester | Saturday, 9.30am | A loop round Maiden Castle | 8 miles | 2pm |
| Hathersage | Thursday, 10am | First group walk, along the Derwent and back over the fields | About 3 miles | 12.30pm |
| Keswick | Tuesday, 6pm, in winter | Head torch walk by the lake shore to Friar's Crag | About 3 miles | 8pm |
| Brecon | Saturday, 10am | Map and compass session on Pen y Crug, above the town | About 4 miles | 2pm |
| Betws-y-Coed | Sunday, 9.30am | Up through the forest to Llyn Elsi | About 5 miles | 1pm |
The full list for your nearest shop is in the app, or ask at the till.
Kinds of walk
Short walks for beginners are for people who have never walked with a group. Priya Nair, assistant manager at our Hathersage shop, leads one every Thursday. "Some turn up in trainers," she says, "and a few now walk Stanage Edge alone."
Navigation sessions teach you to use a map and compass on ground near the shop, so you can plan your own routes afterwards. In winter, evening walks go out after dark with head torches. Longer day walks are for people who already walk regularly and want company or a new route.
In our survey after each walk, 38% of walkers said it was their first organised group walk.
Who can come
Led walks are for Club members and cost nothing. Joining the Club is free too. Book a place in the app or at the till, and cancel in the app if you cannot come, so someone else can have your place. Children under 16 are welcome with an adult who is also booked on. Dogs on short leads can come on most walks, and the listing says when they cannot.
What to bring
Wear boots or shoes with a good grip, and bring a waterproof, a warm layer, water and something to eat. For an evening walk you need a head torch with fresh batteries. If you do not have walking boots yet, come in for a fitting first. Try them on with the socks you walk in. See our walking boots.
Safety and weather
Every walk has a qualified leader and a first aider. 210 of our colleagues hold a mountain or lowland leader award. The leader may shorten a walk or change the route if the weather turns, and if a walk has to be cancelled we will tell you in the app.
Conditions on the hills change quickly, so check the forecast before you set off and dress for it.
More walks this year
We led 3,100 walks in the year to January 2026, up from 2,800 the year before, and plan more than 3,300 this year. If your nearest shop does not run the kind of walk you want, tell the team there.