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February Newsletter
from Contours Walking Holidays
Welcome to the February edition of the Contours Walking Holidays Newsletter. We have a lot of exciting news to share with you this month, including the expansion of our team with yet another new recruit, our new and improved loyalty schemes to say thank you to our dedicated customers, and the official opening of this year's photo, writing and video competitions!
As well as all of this, we also have a number of insightful blog articles for you to read, all encompassing the important topic of 'being prepared for your walk'. Nicky Jacquiery describes how to handle emergency situations when out walking, while Damian Hall offers a comprehensive review of the best lightweight water-proof jackets on the market. We also have a guest blog from Walking Sticks Online to help you with picking out your perfect stick.
This edition really is a bumper assortment of exciting news; we hope you enjoy reading it!
What to do in an emergency when you’re walking
by Nicky Jacquiery
The start of a new year is a good time to remind ourselves of the basic procedures involved in dealing with an emergency when we’re out walking, even more so as it’s the middle of winter and we’re increasingly likely to experience adverse weather conditions. Bad weather in itself isn’t necessarily a problem, but heavy rain, cold temperatures or strong winds can very quickly turn a minor injury into something more serious and create a potentially dangerous situation.
It’s important that you know what to do to prevent an injury occurring in the first place, but if you need to treat an injury, or worse, you have an emergency on your hands, you need to feel competent to be able to deal with it. In this article I’m going to go through some of the basic precautions that you should take before embarking on a walk, and explain what to do should an emergency arise when you’re out on a walk.
Continue reading...
Have an idea, article or account of your walk for our newsletter? Send an email to newsletter@contours.co.uk if you'd like to contribute.
Our 2016 Competitions are Now Open!
We are delighted to announce the opening of the 2016 Contours Walking Holidays competitions, giving you many exciting opportunities to win up to £500 off your next Contours Walking Holiday! Read below for more information and get involved; we look forward to receiving your entries!
Photo Competition
We love seeing glimpses of your walking holidays through your photography, so if you return from your holiday with us and have some amazing snaps to share, send them through to us! If we love your photo then you'll receive a £25 Contours Walking Holiday gift voucher, and be in with a chance to win up to a further £150 off your next Contours Walking Holiday.
This year we are expanding the number of categories to enter your photos into, giving you more choice and more chances to win. Our 2016 photo competition categories are:
Landscape
Classic photographs of any and all features of an area of dry land, including mountains, valleys, forests, farmland and fields etc.
Waterscape
Images in which an expanse of water is the dominant feature; this could be anything from a pond or stream to a waterfall or even the sea.
Architecture
Pictures of interesting man-made structures, such as signposts, bridges, churches, historic buildings, statues or villages etc.
Humour
Snaps of a funny or light-hearted situation experienced on your walk; this could be a photograph of goofy walkers, animals behaving badly or even objects and occurrences that simply made you laugh.
Dogs on Holiday
Photographs of your canine companion enjoying their Contours Walking Holiday, which could include your dog running along an isolated beach, meeting new friends in the forest or simply relaxing in the shade etc.
Click here to read full details and how to enter.
Writing Competition
If your walk inspires you to put pen to paper, then we would love to read it! Tell us about your holiday in no more than 500 words or 20 lines of poetry; our favourite pieces will receive £25 in Contours Walking Holidays gift vouchers and the winning entry overall will receive a further £250 to use against future Contours Walking Holidays.
Click here to read full details and how to enter.
Video Competition
Have you captured some breath-taking footage while out on the trails? If so, why not make it into a video about your Contours Walking Holiday and you could win £500 in vouchers to use against future holidays! The aim of the video competition is to produce a short video no more than three minutes long, promoting the benefits of walking holidays and showcasing all that the countryside has to offer.
Click here to read full details and how to enter.
The Top Choices for Country Walking Sticks
Guest blog by Hannah and Emily at Walking Sticks Online.
Many walkers and hikers like to use walking sticks when they take to the trails, however any avid stick-user will tell you that they are not just mere mobility aids. If you enjoy walking through the countryside in Britain, a stick serves as a constant companion and is useful for a wide variety of purposes, including;
- Helping you to keep your balance, particularly on uneven terrain
- Providing excellent support when traversing steep hills
- Increasing your stride and hiking speed with the use of arm power
- Supporting you as a crutch if you get injured or tired
- And more!
Continue reading...
Featured Posts
The Countryside Code
by Nicky Jaquiery. Being outdoors enjoying the countryside and the fresh air is where I prefer to be. Even on a cold winter’s day I’d rather be outside walking because of how good it makes me feel.
Read more...
Beautiful Cornwall in Winter
Cornwall is always gorgeous but, in the cooler months, far from the crowds of summer holidaymakers, the coastline gains a quieter kind of beauty.
Read more...
Previous Newsletter
Last month's newsletter introduced you to some running secrets from Sarah Rowell, find out why your GP may be recommending a dose of the great outdoors in 2016 and more! You can catch up with us here.
Read more...
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Our new loyalty scheme
Rewarding our loyal customers
We are delighted that so many of our customers choose to book their walking holidays with us again and again. As a way of saying thank you to our many loyal customers, we offer the following loyalty discounts:
Save 5% when booking your 5th to 14th walking holidays.
Save 7.5% when booking your 15th walking holiday and any subsequent trips thereafter.
Refer a friend
If you’ve enjoyed your Contours Walking Holiday, why not recommend us to your friends? If your friends are new to us and they go on to book a holiday with us, you’ll get a voucher for £25 off your next booking, and at the same time we’ll give your friend an introductory offer of £25 off their booking.
Terms and Conditions apply. Click here for full details.
Reviewed: lightweight waterproof jackets
When out in the hills, few things are worse than sensing that first droplet of water trickling victoriously down your spine. Getting wet can make even the most irritatingly chipper walker quiet and sullen. At the risk of being alarmist, getting wet can quickly lead to getting cold and, in unfriendly weather in the fells, a more serious situation.
So a quality waterproof jacket is one of the most important bits of kit the walker can own, right up there in importance with good shoes or boots.
Continue reading...
Did you know?
The Cotswold Way is a wonderful trail to walk at any time of the year, as every season brings its own special appeal.
The turn of Spring sees the birth of new lambs and wild daffodils, with fields of golden corn glowing in the long, warm evenings of Summer. As the weather turns cooler, an Autumn hike through the Cotswolds brings a quieter atmosphere and a colourful landscape of reds and golds, and as Winter rolls in, the limestone uplands are exposed to a dusting of snow and the low sun glistens off the frosted, honey-coloured stones of Stanton. Whenever you choose to explore the Cotswold Way, you are guaranteed a wealth of wonderful sights and memories to keep forever.
Winter's most popular trail
The most popular trail walked and booked with Contours Walking Holidays during the winter months is the South West Coast Path.
Summer lingers late and spring comes early in this far-end land during the winter months, meaning plenty of walkers choose to wrap up warm on blustery days and venture out on a walking holiday in order to enjoy a quiet and peaceful time along the dramatic coastline, away from the hubbub of everyday life. Not only this, but the majority of attractions and rest stops are open for business all year round, meaning you will still be spoilt for choice for things to do along the way.
The views along the South West Coast Path are always changing, and however many times you walk a section you’ll always find something new. Why not take a walk during the winter and see how the season alters the wonderful coastal scenery?
The weather in Cornwall can even offer some surprises all the way through the year. You could encounter bright, summery days in November or February, or even a spring day in December. The warm, moist southerly winds make the region a paradise for gardeners, holidaymakers and definitely for walkers.
Find out more here.
New staff member
Recruitment continues here at Contours and this month we welcomed Ben to our team as ‘Trail Running and Cycling Specialist’.
Ben grew up in Manchester and studied at the University of Cumbria, developing a love of wild places through cycling, walking and fell running. He spent the last year or so working at GoOutdoors as a Sales Assistant, and before that he was in the army reserves for a short while as a vehicle mechanic.
Since then he has developed an interest in the wonderful sport of ultrarunning, competing in various races across Britain and abroad, ranging from half day 40 mile sprints to multi-day 200 mile adventures.
Previous competition
Congratulations to John Crook for being the first person to correctly identify Malham Tarn as seen on the Pennine Way.
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Competition time
To win this month's competition, can you identify this reservoir?
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The first correct answer will receive a £10 Contours Walking Holidays gift voucher. Good luck!
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