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January Newsletter
Happy New Year and welcome to the first 2019 issue of the Contours Holidays newsletter! We hope you have all enjoyed a restful festive season and are looking forward to your next big adventure in the wonderful British countryside!
We have lots of exciting news to share in this month’s issue, including a fantastic selection of brand new walking and trail running holiday options for you to enjoy. For those thinking about trying a walking holiday for the first time, we share our picks of the best trails for first-time holiday walkers, while contributors Beth Pipe and Catherine Sempill offer their expertise on where to walk in Cumbria, and how to prevent walking injuries respectively. There’s a lot of good stuff in this edition, so we hope you enjoy it! Thanks for reading and happy walking!
Introducing our brand new
walking trails for 2019!
This year we have added four fantastic new walking routes to our unrivalled range of holiday trails. Our specially-devised Snowdon Round walk explores the majestic beauty of the Snowdonia National Park in Wales, and the Somerset Coast Path takes in the exquisite coastline that connects to the start of the iconic South West Coast Path. We also now offer the South Northumberland Coast Path, which stretches from Sunderland to Cresswell along the new England Coast Path, and the epic Southern Upland Way in Scotland is ready and waiting for hardy walkers to conquer!
Click here to find out more and to book your next Contours Holiday!
Top Ten Trails for your
First Walking Holiday
By Melody Evans
Trying something new is always a little daunting; you may want to try a self-guided walking holiday, but once you’ve done enough training and gathered all of the right equipment, your next concern will likely be selecting the right trail to embark on.
There are a lot of things to consider when choosing a walking trail: will you be able to manage the terrain, including the ascents and descents? Is it well-signposted with plenty of landmarks to help you navigate? Are there enough towns and villages on the way with ample facilities? Is it easy to get to and from the start and finish points? Is it popular enough that other walkers will be around to help you if necessary? And of course, will you enjoy the sights and scenery along the way?
Continue reading ...
Five Fabulous Cumbria Walks East of the M6
By Beth Pipe
The Lake District National Park is probably the thing Cumbria is best known for, yet it only accounts for around one third of the county. The area to the east of the M6 also accounts for around a third of the county but is a lot less visited, which is a shame because there are some absolutely stunning walks there. It also has a number of wonderful small towns and villages and it’s a lot less hilly, making it perfect for family outings.
Continue reading ...
Featured Posts
It is a question that most, if not all, of us have asked ourselves when contemplating a new challenge, whether at work, with family or for leisure. It is a question that anyone who exercises with seriousness will be familiar with: “Can I do a walk that rough/long/many days/hilly/exposed?”
Read more...
Our day began in a chilly car park at the top of Birchover, where we met Harriet, who was to be our guide for the day. Harriet is part of the Peak District National Park Authority, who work with a range of volunteers and partners to ensure a sustainable future for the National Park.
Read more...
In last month’s edition, we announced the winners of our annual photo competition, while regular contributor Beth Pipe shared her picks of the best walks in Cumbria with easy public transport links. Keith Foskett returned with his story of getting lost on the South Downs Way, while Sally Phillips offered some insightful suggestions for beach walking this winter. Along with all of this, we had our usual selection of special features for you to enjoy; thanks for reading and as always, happy walking!
Read more...
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New trail running
short breaks are
now available
In response to customer feedback, we are proud to announce a selection of new short break itineraries for our most popular running trails, perfect who those in need of a quick getaway, or if you’re just beginning to build your confidence in long-distance trail running. We now offer tours consisting of 2-3 running days for such trails as Hadrian’s Wall Path, Norfolk Coast Path and Wainwright’s Coast to Coast trail, among many others.
Click here to see our full range of trail running holidays.
Our annual Photo Competition is now open
The Contours Photo Competition is back for another year, and we can’t wait to see your snaps! If you take some amazing photos during your walking holiday this year, send them in to us to be in with a chance of winning up to £150 off your next Contours Holiday!
Click here to learn more
How to Help Prevent Injuries when Walking
By Catherine Sempill
I was two and a half days in to a 5-day walk and something wasn’t right. Each step I took sent spikes of pain up to my ankles, and landing on my feet at any angle other than perpendicular to my leg, was agony. Trudging up a short, gentle hill took an age, and was so painful that a simple lunch stop turned into the hour of reckoning. It was quit now or risk doing some serious damage.
Continue reading ...
Our Feedback Form prize draw winner
is announced
Thank you to everyone who submitted their feedback forms to us following their Contours Holidays last year. Everyone who gave their feedback was entered into a grand prize draw to win £250 in Cotswold Outdoor or Contours gift vouchers, and we’re delighted to announce that this year’s winner is Mr Peter Fish!
Make sure to send us your feedback form after completing your Contours Holiday this year to be in with a chance to win in next year’s draw!
Last Month's Competition: Guess Where?
Congratulations to Jenny Smyth for being the first person to correctly identify Lake Vyrnwy reservoir in Powys, Wales, built in the 1880s for Liverpool Corporation Waterworks to supply Liverpool with fresh water.
 (click image to zoom)
To be in with a chance of winning a £20 Contours Holidays voucher, why not try this month's competition below?
Competition Time:
Guess Where?
To be in with a chance of winning this month's competition, can you identify this town beside the sea?
 (click image to zoom)
The first person to answer correctly will receive a £20 Contours Holidays gift voucher. Good luck!
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