Hadrian's Wall
Step back in time and re-trace the ancient Roman paths of Hadrian’s Wall on this three day hiking event.
Hadrian's Wall Trek
About
8–10 June 2012
3–5 August 2012
7–9 September 2012
Step back in time and re-trace the ancient Roman paths of Hadrian’s Wall on this three-day hiking event.
Hadrian’s Wall originally ran from coast to coast and spanned 72 miles. Today, only sections of this famous trail remain, cutting through the beautiful Northumberland National Park.
Starting at Lanercost Priory, we trek for 25 miles (41 kilometres) alongside the only remaining sections of the wall, admiring ancient monuments, beautiful scenery and the skill of the Roman engineers who built this famous landmark, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Hadrian’s Wall is the perfect challenge to sign up to with the family. It is a fantastic fundraising and training project to get the whole family working towards. This is a long, challenging weekend which gives us a great sense of achievement.
The minimum age of participation is 14 and the August departure dates co-insides perfectly with the summer holidays.
Join our team
Fundraising option
Non-refundable registration fee £59 per person. Minimum fundraising target £550.
Payment option
Non-refundable registration fee £59 per person. Tour cost is £220 per person.
The tour cost includes all accommodation, meals and camping equipment except sleeping bags and sleeping mat.
Fundraisers taking part in this challenge will be joined by walkers raising money for other charities.
How we will support you as part of Team Breast Cancer Care:
- a support pack full of fundraising and training advice
- a Breast Cancer Care T-shirt to wear on your challenge
- support and advice from a dedicated member of the Breast Cancer Care challenges team
- regular newsletters and emails to keep you updated
- fundraising materials to help you including balloons, banners and collection tins
- a get together to meet your fellow challengers ahead of departure
- 20 per cent off your first purchase from Sweaty Betty – specialists in performance wear for women
- 15 per cent off at Cotswold Outdoor.
We hope to welcome you to Team Breast Cancer Care very soon!
Itinerary
Day 1: meet at campsite
We meet at our campsite just outside Haltwhistle in the late afternoon for dinner and an evening briefing. After a good meal and a glass of wine we quickly get to know the rest of the group.
There will be transport arranged to pick you up from Haltwhistle railway station if required.
Day 2: Lanercost Priory – Nr Haltwhistle
After a good breakfast, we transfer by coach to Lanercost Priory and the start of our hiking challenge. We set off along a small road which passes through several villages. Our route then takes us up onto a ridge which runs alongside the wall. This provides a great warm-up! We arrive at the impressive Birdoswald Roman Fort, set on a high point above the small village of Gilsland. Here we join a path which runs alongside Hadrian’s Wall and eventually takes us into Northumberland National Park. From our lunch-stop at the Roman Army Museum, we walk beside the most visible sections of the wall, which run along spectacular cliff tops and through stunning countryside towards Cawfields Quarry and Haltwhistle. Shortly afterwards we head to our campsite for a well-deserved feast.
Day 3: Nr Haltwhistle – Brocolitia
Trek approx 15 miles / 24 kilometres
After breakfast we climb back up to the ridge, where we are reunited with the wall and continue walking east. To the north we have great views towards Wark Forest and the barren landscapes of North Northumberland. Our path takes us along crags and past several lakes to Housesteads Roman Fort, where we break for lunch. From here we continue for a couple of hours towards our finish at Brocolitia. After posing for our group photographs at the finish point, we load into waiting buses and return to our campsite to pack, and return home after a very rewarding weekend!
Fundraising
Reaching your fundraising target can be a challenge, but do not worry as we have created useful tips to help you plan and co-ordinate your fundraising.
Keep checking this page as we will be continually updating it with seasonal ideas to ensure that your fundraising is fresh and on trend!
Social networks
Remember, it’s your network of friends, family, colleagues and contacts who will support you with your training and fundraising. Keep them updated every step of the way with your Facebook profile, blog or Twitter account.
Tell them how your training is going (with pictures for added impact) and let them know how you’re getting on with your fundraising target. You can even upload pictures on the day to show everyone your progress along the route! If you follow Breast Cancer Care on Facebook and Twitter, we’ll keep you up to date with the goings-on here, and keep you on track with support and tips.
Fundraising planner
Download your very own fundraising planner to follow to ensure that your fundraising activities run as smoothly as possible.
Online fundraising
Now you can raise sponsorship without all the hassle. No more dealing with cash and cheques, no more chasing friends after the event. Simply create a free, online fundraising page, personalise it with a photo and message, and email it to your friends, family and work colleagues. They can donate quickly and securely online with a credit or debit card. Online donations from UK taxpayers are worth almost a third more to us with Gift Aid, which can be claimed on online donations. Follow the instructions to set up your unique JustGiving page.
Once you’ve created your page, email the link to friends, family, colleagues and classmates. You can even add the JustGiving application to your Facebook page to make it even easier for your friends to donate.
For more information or help setting up your page, visit www.justgiving.com or call the Justgiving helpdesk on 0845 021 2110.
Please note: JustGiving money will only be attributed to the person who set up the Justgiving page. So please do not set up joint pages as we are unable to share the money between several people.
How do I pay in my sponsorship?
There are few ways in which your sponsorship money will reach us:
JustGiving
If you have decided to create a Justgiving fundraising page, then you do not need to do anything as all your sponsorship money will automatically be sent directly to our bank account. Please note that it can take up to four weeks to show up on your fundraising record at Breast Cancer Care.
Cheque
Please send all cheques to the address below:
Breast Cancer Care Events
Admail 4161
London
SE1 0ZB
Don’t forget to write your name, Breast Cancer Care number and event name on the back of your cheques.
Online
You can also pay money in directly on the Breast Cancer Care website. If you use our online paying in function then please remember to send us your sponsorship forms so that we can claim Gift Aid.
Enclosed in your event handbook pack, which you will receive when you register for your event, you will receive your pay-in forms. You can send them to us along with your sponsorship money and sponsorship forms. Please do not send cash in the post.
Over the phone
If you want to pay in sponsorship money over the phone, you call 0845 092 0817 Monday to Friday 9am–5pm. You will need to quote your Breast Cancer Care ID number, which will be sent to you in your registration pack.
Once you join Team Breast Cancer Care we will provide you with further fundraising tips and ideas!
Training tips
Training is essential to your challenge preparation. The more you put in, the more enjoyable your experience will be! We have designed a training plan to help you on your way.
Before you start remember that your body may need time to adjust to your new fitness regime. We recommend that you ideally start your training plan no less than six months before you start your challenge. Within your training programme, rest is as important as time spent on your feet. We strongly recommend that you rest on at least one day out of seven. When training, make sure your stick within the limits of speed and distance that are comfortable for you.
If you live near hills, use them for your training as much as possible to prepare your muscles for doing lots of upward walking. If you don’t have any hills near you, use the incline setting on a treadmill or visit hilly places for your weekend walks to practice.
Top tips for training
To ensure that you are comfortable when walking long distances, you must pay attention to your posture and gait. Walk correctly, and at the end of the day's walk you will have sturdy, albeit tired legs, ready for the following day.
- Stand tall and keep your head up.
- Take a natural stride length walk with poles.
- Keep your back straight when coming downhill.
- Shorten your stride when walking uphill.
- Keep your elbows close to your body.
- Integrate aerobic exercise – try spinning, swimming and jogging.
- Wear your walking boots and socks as much as possible, to ensure you are comfortable on the trek.
If you have not exercised for a long time we recommend your see your doctor before you start your new training plan. Don’t overdo it and make sure you keep your plan varied and fun!
The training plan includes information on diet and keeping hydrated both during your training and while on your challenge.
FAQs
Questions
How do I register for this event?
Where do we stay?
What will the weather be like?
How fit do I have to be?
What will the trekking be like?
What will we eat?
How much sponsorship money do I need to raise?
What is included in the cost of the tour?
What clothing and equipment will I need?
Do I need any vaccinations?
Answers
How do I register for this event?
You can register online.
Two nights camping in two person tents at a campsite near Haltwhistle.
What will the weather be like?
The average temperatures for Northumbria between May and September are 8–20 degrees, but to be prepared for all weather conditions as the British summer is famous for its changeability!
Our challenges attract people of all levels of experience and fitness, all ages and backgrounds. We expect all participants to train hard in advance to achieve this challenge, but we respect everyone’s limits. We design our challenges so that everyone can go at their own pace: this is not a race. For logistical and safety reasons we sometimes need to re-group, so the front-runners will find themselves waiting for the slower ones. Please relax, and remember that this is a team effort that enables people to achieve their personal goals and earn sponsorship.
What will the trekking be like?
We trek mainly on grassy paths but there are some stony tracks and small tarmac roads; some sections may be muddy. There are steep inclines both up and down.
The environment we walk through needs the respect of all its users to be preserved. Please walk on the path surface rather than on the vegetation growing beside it, don’t remove stones from the paths and don’t take short-cuts. Please follow the Countryside Code.
You will trek approximately 25 miles on this trip overall. Because of the varied terrain, it’s impossible to give more accurate daily distances. It’s also more useful when training to think about the hours you need to walk for, and the type of terrain you will be trekking over! We are always happy to talk through the trip in more detail with you.
All meals are included from Friday evening to Sunday lunchtime, as well as tea before departure on Sunday (day 3). The food is very good, will give you lots of energy, and there is plenty of it!
Being vegetarian or having other dietary requirements is not usually a problem provided you let us know well in advance. If you know there are plenty of foods you cannot eat you may wish to bring extra snacks from home so you can top up your energy supply. Please feel free to ask us for advice.
How much sponsorship money do I need to raise?
For more information on the amount of sponsorship money you need to raise, see the about section.
What is included in the cost of the tour?
The tour cost includes all accommodation, meals and camping equipment except sleeping bag and sleeping mat. It also includes full trip support of experienced Discover Adventure leaders, drivers and cooks. Optional pick-ups or drop-offs from Haltwhistle Railway Station are also included. The tour cost does not include personal travel insurance (optional), extra food, drinks, souvenirs or personal items, or entry to any optional tourist sites you may wish to visit. We strongly recommend you carry a credit card in case of personal emergency.
What clothing and equipment will I need?
We are trekking through varied terrain and could be exposed to bad weather at any time. The information above gives you an idea of the climate, but be prepared for all weathers and temperatures. Weather conditions can change quickly in the UK! We provide you with a detailed packing kit-list on registration, as well as details on useful discounts you are entitled to as a Discover Adventure customer. We are always available if you need advice.
We insist that you have had a tetanus injection in the last 10 years.
Organised by Discover Adventure, ATOL 5636 
