Frequently Asked Questions
Your common questions answered...

WHERE ARE YOUR COURSES / WALKS BASED FROM?

We base our courses from lovely villages in the Yorkshire Dales and Lake District, and sometimes further afield in the North York Moors, Peak District, Scotland and Northumberland. Our courses and walks are designed to be sociable, enjoyable and informative, and there is nowhere better to relax after a great day on the hills or mountains than a village cafe or inn.

CAN ANYONE BOOK ONTO YOUR COURSES / WALKS?

Yes! We offer a range of courses and guided walks for people to book onto – whether you are an individual, couple or small group of friends.

WHAT SORT OF PEOPLE ATTEND YOUR COURSES / WALKS?

Like-minded people who love the outdoors and want to either learn new skills or be guided across the hills and mountains. We’ve taken all ages and abilities out from children to octogenarians; however, the ‘typical’ age range is between 30 and 60. Everyone is very welcome. The best part of the walk is getting to know everyone.

I AM SLIGHTLY NERVOUS ABOUT BOOKING ON MY OWN

There’s no need to be, as our courses and walks are very sociable and attract like-minded people – by the end of the day everyone feels like they’ve known each other for years! Our multi-day courses include an optional evening ‘meet-up’ at the village pub (usually for a meal, drink and route planning).

WHAT ABOUT CORPORATE EVENTS?

We also offer bespoke corporate team building and away days, walking in beautiful countryside and finishing at a great pub – what better way is there to help a team work better together? Just get in touch with your requirements.

DO YOU HAVE ANY AGE RESTRICTIONS?

Almost all of our walks are suitable for all ages. Under 18s (minimum age 14) may attend if accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. The child must be accompanied at all times during the walk by their parent/legal guardian. Some of our walking weekends are only suitable for over 18s.

CAN I BRING MY DOG?

  • You are welcome to bring a well behaved, good natured and socialised dog with you on some of our courses and walks (events).
  • You MUST have permission in writing from us before the event in order to bring your dog with you, as not all of our events are suitable for dogs due to ground-nesting birds, livestock, access land, mountainous terrain, weather conditions, strenuous nature of the walk etc.
  • Your dog MUST be insured, wormed and kept on a lead at all times, and is solely your responsibility and liability.
  • TeamWalking reserves the right not to accept dogs on any of our walks, even at the last minute.
  • Participants take priority over dogs. If a group member has dog allergies or phobias and requests a dog free walk, then no dogs will be allowed on that particular event. If you attend a multi-day walk and your dog is aggressive on the first day then you will not be permitted to attend on subsequent days with your dog. In both instances, you would need to find alternative arrangements for your dog. Our Transfer & Cancellation Policy only applies to participants, not their dogs. There are no transfers, cancellations or refunds available for participants if their dog is not able or permitted to attend a walk.
  • A separate Dog Policy agreement will be emailed to you prior to the event.
  • Mark Reid has a small cocker spaniel (Lola) who occasionally comes on his walks.
  • Registered assistance dogs are always welcome.

WHAT KIT DO I NEED?

Please provide your own walking boots and personal walking clothing (base layers, walking trousers etc); we can provide everything else including waterproof jackets, waterproof trousers, fleeces, hats, gloves and rucksacks. We also provide maps, compasses and head-torches, as well as most of your camping kit for our wild camping trips. We do have a small selection of walking boots if required.

WHAT ABOUT THE WEATHER?

Our walks go ahead whatever the weather, unless there is ‘extreme’ weather forecast or prevailing (please see ‘cancellations’ section below). We can provide waterproof clothing, to ensure you stay as comfortable and dry as possible. Sun protection is essential from spring to autumn, with clothing, hats and sun-screen. Adverse weather often adds to the experience!

HOW MUCH HILLWALKING EXPERIENCE DO I NEED?

The simple answer is none as full training and/or guidance will be given; it is our job to inspire you and give you the skills to head to the hills yourself. However, some of our more advanced navigation skills courses require you to have some previous experience, such as our Mountain Skills courses and the NNAS Silver/Gold awards.

WHAT LEVEL OF FITNESS DO I NEED?

Well, it depends on the walk, as walking the Yorkshire Three Peaks is going to require a much higher level of fitness than our 1-day Map Reading course. We have a wealth of experience dealing with all ages and abilities, and so our walks are always flexible and dynamic to match weather and ground conditions on the day, as well as the varying fitness levels and the overall needs of the group. As experienced Mountain Leaders, we manage the group in a professional yet subtle way. What we do say is that you need to have either a reasonable or good level of fitness (depending on the type of walk) as the natural environment can be demanding at times, and try to pick a walk that matches your level of fitness, ability and experience.

I HAVE A PRE-EXISTING MEDICAL CONDITION – CAN I STILL TAKE PART?

Of course you can – as long as your medical condition is well controlled and will not make it unsafe for you to take part, then it is fine. We regularly take people out with asthma, diabetes, epilepsy etc – just make sure you give us plenty of detail about your condition(s) on your booking form. For more complex conditions, we may ask you to seek medical advice. Remember to bring medicines, inhalers etc with you on the day.

WHO WILL RUN MY COURSE / GUIDE MY WALK?

All walks and courses are personally led by Mark Reid. Occasionally, with larger group sizes Mark will be assisted by other experienced and qualified Mountain Leaders.

CAN YOU RECOMMEND PLACES TO STAY?

We certainly can! Mark Reid knows the villages and pubs of the Yorkshire Dales and Lake District like the back of his hand! Our courses and walks are always based from great pubs, and when you book a course or walk with us then we also give you discount off accommodation at a dozen country pubs in the Dales, Lakes and Moors.

HOW DO I BOOK?

To secure your booking, we recommend that you book and pay for your chosen course or walk securely via our online shop.

WHAT IS YOUR REFUND, TRANSFER OR CANCELLATION POLICY?

Our full terms and conditions can be found HERE

WHAT HAPPENS IF TEAMWALKING CANCELS OUR WALK?

We very rarely cancel walks and will only do so if ‘extreme’ weather is forecast or prevails. Our definition of ‘extreme’ includes: widespread flooding, severe winter conditions, storm force winds (over 60mph) or very high temperatures, which would then make walking dangerous or impractical. We consider wind, rain and cold to be part of the outdoor experience! We will make the decision to cancel within 48 hours of the walk; the walk will either be rescheduled, your booking transferred to another advertised date or a credit note issued. Our liability is limited to the cost of your chosen activity only. The pre-planned route may be subject to change whilst on the walk due to adverse weather conditions etc. In extreme circumstances the walk may be terminated. Once the walk has commenced then any such changes to the pre-planned walk are deemed to be part of the event. The decision to cancel, change or terminate the walk lies solely with the Walk Leader. Please see our T&C’s

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