Easy
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You like to walk to get exercise and enjoy strolls in the countryside.
You don’t need to be an athlete to enjoy these trips.
Walks generally from 2 - 4 hours on easy terrain, with some climbing up to perched villages. |
Moderate |
You enjoy regular exercise (whether walking, cycling, aerobics, etc.).
You are keen to set off on all-day walks and can handle walking uphill (slowly) for up to two hours at a time.
Walks are generally under 5 hours, on various types of terrain -- though nothing technically difficult -- with up to 600m/2000ft of climbing per day. |
Challenging |
You are in good shape, and you practise regular and sustained exercise, lasting up to several hours at a time.
You have hiking experience and can negotiate rocky, technical terrain, and you don’t mind a little scrambling along the way.
Walks from 4 - 7 hours, and up to 1000m/3300ft of elevation gain per day. |
A few thoughts about fitness levels from our guide, Stuart:
It’s especially difficult to gauge your level of fitness is you’ve never done a walking holiday before. If you’re used to power-walking for 20 minutes on the treadmill with dumbbells, you’re not necessarily used to climbing slowly up a trail in the mountains for two hours. When in the hills the effort is slow and methodical, much easier on the heart than on the treadmill, but the effort can last the better part of the day, and it’s perhaps a challenge for balance if you’ve never been on a rocky/earthen trail before.
Let’s face it: grading a holiday isn’t easy, and always subject to… well…subjectivity : “easy”, “moderate”, and “challenging” mean something different to each of us based on our experience, our level of fitness level, and, believe it or not, also based on country of origin… (in some countries, like France , it’s part of the culture to go on family walks on the weekends, and children, even at a young age, get used to walking all day in the hills).
The most important thing to remember is that these are all walking holidays – whether easy or challenging – and even on the “easy” walks you can expect to be active most of the day (though long picnic breaks are in order!) and work up a sweat. However, none of the holidays – even the most challenging ones – are treated as a competition (I’m a slow walker myself!). Walking is the means to admire the landscapes on timeless paths: there’s plenty of time to stop – and I mean LOTS of time to stop: to take pictures, to eat superbly gastronomic Provençal picnics, and even to have your Provençal sieste …
As long as you are physically active, even if you have never done a walking holiday before, a level 2 walk is within easy reach as long as the pace is slow, as long as you don’t mind a little sweat and effort, and as long as your feet don’t disapprove of being off the paved surface. Remember that the effort is never painstaking when each new corner reveals wonderful landscapes and panoramas…
In any case, don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions: we’ve been on the trails, and can help you better understand what to look forward to.
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