You can find details of forthcoming weekends here, but
make sure that you read the information below before booking.
Would you like to organise a weekend? Contact us! See
the Weekend Leaders
Checklist for more information.
New Year Weekend, Much Wenlock – Shropshire
Tuesday 30th December – Saturday 3rd January
Fancy spending NYE with 45 fellow MAD’s in beautiful Shropshire, with great walking, accommodation, the odd drink and of course the legendary MAD’s fancy dress party!?!
Located within walking distance off Much Wenlock we have the sole use of Stokes Barn - with the countryside right on our door step and within two hours of Manchester.
Various walks will be available each day or if you prefer there is ample of exploring to be done including historic Shrewsbury and Ironbridge both close by.
The fancy dress theme for our NYE party is ‘Historical’ so plenty of scope for creative, imaginative or if the past is anything to go by down right bizarre costumes!!
Costs: Cost is £80 per person including meals.
Number of places: 45
Organiser: Andrew Armstrong - if anyone would like to volunteer to help with walks, cooking, decorations, anything really, please email: 
This is now fully booked - email
to be added to the waiting list.
Dufton - North Pennines Weekend
Fri 27 February - Sun 1 March 2009
Nestled beneath the highest peaks of the Pennines and near the spectacular
High Cup Nick, Dufton in East Cumbria is a fantastic gateway to some great
walking. We will be staying at Dufton YH for two nights at the end of
February, giving us two days to get to know this area.
The hostel overlooks the village green, as does The Stag Inn public house,
where food, real ale and a good range of malt whiskies are available. The
village also has a small shop. Further amenities, including pubs,
restaurants and take-aways can be found three miles away in
Appleby-in-Westmorland.
Naturally, there is plenty of scope for walking and, subject to walk leaders
volunteering, there will be hard and easy walks on offer. I am planning a
walk which will explore High Cup Nick (a dramatic U-shaped valley) and the
surrounding area. Details are yet to be worked out, but I'll be aiming for
around 3 Boots and 10 to 12 miles. Dufton also offers easy access to Cross
Fell (893 m), which is the Pennines' highest peak, and this may well form
part of a second walk I lead, again, with a similar boot rating and mileage.
The price of the weekend is £37, which will include two nights'
accommodation, breakfast and lunch. For breakfast, I will supply cereal,
milk, toast and jam, and tea and coffee. You will be able to compile your
own packed lunch from bread, butter and a range of vegetarian and
non-vegetarian sandwich fillings, including lettuce and tomatoes. Crisps and
chocolate biscuits will also be available. If you would like fruit, please
bring your own. Evening meals will not be provided, but will be available at
the nearby pub or further a field in Appleby. Alternatively, you may cater
for yourself at the hostel.
32 places will be available. Email booking will open on Monday 1 December
for the first 15 places only. Please email duftonweekend@madwalkers.org.uk to book and for details of
how to pay (bank transfer only). The remaining places will be available at
the Knott Bar meet on Wednesday 3 December 2008. Any unallocated places
will be available by any means thereafter.
Costs: £37, including breakfast and lunch
Number of places available: 32
Organiser: Richard Washington
Booking: Opens on Monday 1 and Wednesday 3 December (see above)
Information
MAD Walkers' weekends are very popular. They are
a great way of really getting to know people, having a laugh and making
the most of your weekend by exploring the great British countryside with
your new friends. Their popularity means that we have to limit entry to
members of the MAD Walkers (Group MR8). For safety and insurance reasons,
all attendees have to book officially through the weekend leader. If you're
not a MAD Walkers' member - join or transfer
today!
Accommodation ranges from bothies, barns, YHA hostels,
independent hostels and tents and anywhere else that will take us! We
typically book for about 20-25 people and travel out on the Friday night
sharing transport with two or three other people, wherever possible. It's
a poor state of affairs if we don't make it to the pub for last orders!
Meals are usually self-catering, but for more remote places where there
are no shops or pubs serving food, meals are sometimes provided. It is
all down to the decision of the weekend organiser.
If you have stayed at a hostel, bunkhouse or campsite that
has really impressed you please let the weekend coordinator know by emailing
so that we can consider them when organising future trips.
Walking
The difficulty of the walking really depends on several
things, mainly the terrain. We do aim to offer a variety of walks on the
weekend, which depends on the surrounding terrain and potential walk leaders coming forward. The final day's walk is generally
shorter so that they finish earlier to allow people to get back home
in reasonable time.
How to go on a weekend
First, make sure that you're a member of the MAD Walkers
(Group MR8); if you aren't, join or transfer. Then check the weekends above to
see if any of them appeal to you, and at what time they open for booking.
This will be usually be at a specific social, which will be advised on
the website and bulletin board. Please bring your membership card and
a cheque or cash to pay. Included in the cost of the weekend is an administration
charge, which covers the weekend leader's expenses with any surplus going
to group funds.
Before booking, please ensure that you can cope with the
walking difficulty. For example, much of the walking in the Lake District
and Scotland is not suitable for people with questions about their fitness,
or equally if the weekend leader has questions about their fitness. Please
consult the weekend leader for reassurance.
After the weekend has opened for booking, any remaining
spaces will be advertised on this page. Places are not reserved until
full remittance or the specified deposit is received. The weekend leader
decides on a maximum number of people on the weekend based on comfort
in the accommodation and to make for easy management of the group whilst
out on the walks. All those attending weekends away must do so
through official group channels.
Hopefully, you won't be too late, so good luck!
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