The University of York Outdoor Society

Outdoor Society

Week 9: Sunday Walk in High Force

High Force is one of the most majestic waterfalls in the United Kingdom, situated on the River Tees in Teesdale. The waterfall is the highest uninterrupted drop of water in England at around 70 feet. The river itself forms the historic boundary between Yorkshire and County Durham. The area lies within the breathtaking North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with a stunning landscape of open heather moors, attractive dales, hay meadows and wonderful woodland. The North Pennines is also a European and Global Geopark, highlighting its globally important Earth heritage.

We'll take a coach to High Force, and from there split into two groups, one group takes a medium-length walk whilst the second group take on a larger route. Both walks are preplanned and lead by our trained walk leaders.

Medium walks are generally between 6 and 8 miles (10-13 km) long, and tend to be at a reasonably gentle pace and always include a stop for a pub lunch. Long walks are slightly more challenging and are between 10 and 12 miles (16-19 km) long and don't include a pub lunch but instead stop for a packed lunch along the way. At 4.00pm all the groups meet back at the coach and return back to the University, arriving no later than 6.00pm.

A view around High Force

What to Bring

We run both medium and long walks - if you choose the medium walk, please bring cash for a pub lunch, as not all places take card payments, and if you choose to do the long walk, please bring a packed lunch, as there is no guarantee that you'll be able to buy food when we get there.

Please wear appropriate clothing for a walk in the Yorkshire countryside! Walking boots are best, but if you don't have any, sturdy trainers should be fine. Also please avoid wearing jeans, because they get very unpleasant to wear when it rains. As this is Yorkshire, you should always be prepared for rain. No matter HOW sunny it looks, you should bring waterproofs or other appropriate wet weather gear.

Costs

These walks are open to everyone, the prices are as follows: Members pay £12.00, and non-members pay £14.00. To book a place on the trip, ticket can be purchased from the YUSU website.

Tickets for the long and medium walks go on sale from Monday of the given timetable week. Everyone purchases the same ticket, and if you're not a member, we'll ask for an extra £2 on the day before getting on the coach.

When and Where to Meet Us

We meet near the benches outside the Roger Kirk Centre in James College at 8.45am.

Arrival time back to campus varies depending on where we are walking but we're normally back between 5pm and 6pm.