FAQs

These FAQs are designed to help you decide whether these walks are for you. When you submit a booking you will also be required to certify on behalf of yourself and anyone else for whom you are booking that you accept the release of liability and assumption of all risk.

questions

choosing the walk

am i fit enough?

Walks labelled “easy” should present you with no problems if you can walk 10 miles without difficulty. If you’ve got any doubts about the suitability of a walk, please ask me in advance and I’ll make every effort to ensure that you make the right choice. (Note that the release of liability and assumption of all risk requires you to certify that you take all responsibility for your physical condition, and allows me to stop you going on a walk if I think you won’t make it. Fortunately I’ve only had to do this once.) (top)

can i bring my pitbull?

I don’t take people with pets. (top)

can i bring my toddlers?

By age 14 or 15, most folks can cope with my easier walks. I’ve got a secret stash of routes suitable for younger people, so do ask. (top)

can we do the walk the other way round?

Yes, transport and other considerations permitting. I’ve just chosen the direction that I think’s best re views etc. (top)

can we take our clothes off?

This is the only listed route I’d recommend. We don’t meet many other people on most routes, but if I get it wrong once then bars won’t serve us next time and the local police may bother us. On customised trips to the Pyrenees, suitable routes can be devised. (See also will you marry me?) (top)

how many people in a group?

I’m sure you all know the old joke about the Kuwaiti minister of defence, who could count to 10 in the winter and to 20 in the summer. I don’t wear sandals, and I don’t travel with groups into double figures. There is no minimum. (top)

isn’t it too hot to go walking in spain in the summer?

See this blog post. (top)

what if i can’t find the walk i’m looking for?

Use either my route catalogue to find something suitable or just tell me what you’re looking for, when. (top)

what if i haven’t got my boots with me?

There are various walks that you can do with a decent pair of shoes. Here is one, here is another, and there are a few more. Why not fill in the form for one you like the look of, telling me about the limitation? (top)

what kind of people do you normally get?

Clients are generally well-educated, well-off and in reasonable health. The age range so far is 11-72, with the bulk being late 20s to early 50s. Most are English native speakers, but I’ve also had the odd Uzbek. (top)

have you got a walk i can do in a wheelchair/with a pushchair?

If you’re pretty strong and reasonably ambitious, you’ll find that this one works well. Tweaked to avoid bits that are overly rough or steep, you’ll find paths that are wide and in good condition; there are no stiles, steps or other obstructions, except getting in and out of bars, where I will be most happy to assist. If access to decent toilets is an issue then we’ll have to improvise: there are none en route. (top)

payment

can i pay you cash?

Yes, but be aware that I work on a first come, first served basis, and your reservation only exists once I have received payment in full. (top)

how do i know you’re not going to run off with my money?

I do not belong to the travel mafias. That means that

I offer you no financial guarantees. If I want to run off to Bognor with your money, I can. Unlike properly regulated entities like Enron and Equitable Life, I am, however, low risk. This is because I enjoy doing this and living here, I am financially secure, and I have no absurd ambitions. The amounts we are talking about here are not going to tempt me to do a runner.
I don’t have to charge you more money to pay for their cheesy PR, their misguided political lobbying, and their corporate splurges.

(top)

how does ordering work?

When you complete and send this form, I will receive mail telling me what you want to do.
If there are spaces left on the particular trip you want, you will receive email from me enabling you to pay securely with your credit card on PayPal.
Once you pay, you will receive confirmation of your place on the walk, together with full details.

(top)

why do we have to open an account with paypal to pay you?

You can also pay cash, but the online payment system I use is PayPal because it allows you to pay securely using your normal card while being much cheaper than other online systems. (top)

price/cancellations

are there group discounts?

Check this page. (top)

what if i cancel?

If, after booking, you decide you want to change to a different walk, please email me as soon as possible. Whilst I will endeavour to help you, I cannot make any guarantees. If I manage to swap you to another walk, I will ask you to pay 12.5% of the original price to cover my admin.

If you cancel a walk, I will refund your money to your PayPal account subject to the following deductions:

29+ days in advance of departure: 30%;
28-15 days: 50%;
14-8 days: 70%;
7 days or less: 90%;
on or after the departure date: 100%.

(top)

what if you cancel?

If I cancel a walk, I will refund you everything you have paid me. I regret that I cannot pay any expenses, costs or losses incurred by you as a result of any change or cancellation. (top)

will you change the price after i’ve booked?

The price will not change once you have paid. The transport costs noted on each walk’s details are approximate and, along with food and drink costs, are to be paid by you. There are no hidden extras. (top)

the walk

can we get drunk?

You’ll have a much better day out (and a much smaller chance of hurting yourself) if you turn up for the walk after a decent night’s sleep. If your party is interested in liquid refreshment en route, tell me in advance so we can select a walk that enables you to do so without getting sunstroke or falling off a cliff. (top)

what do i need to bring with me?

Walking boots, athough for walks graded easy you may get away with good walking shoes.
A waterproof.
A sunhat.
Sunscreen. You can burn here even on cloudy days in the winter.
Water. Any springs are included in walk descriptions, but bring your own if you want to be sure.
Food. Picnic lunch plus things like nuts and chocolate. Barcelona’s Pakistani shops (markup ca 30%) are open Sundays.
Any medication you need, including diarrhoea tablets if you are susceptible.

Don’t bring more than you can comfortably carry. There’s no Landrover to carry your stuff. (top)

what if i have an accident?

I carry a basic first aid kit with me, but I am not a physician. If you get into trouble, then the first thing I will do is to call an ambulance and/or the police. You should read my release of liability and assumption of all risk and your insurance policy details carefully. Getting a helicopter to the middle of a walk like this does not come cheap. (top)

what if i’m delayed?

It is your responsibility to get to the meeting point on time. We won’t wait for you, nor will I refund your money. For this reason I recommend that you don’t book a walk on the day you are arriving in (or are leaving) Barcelona. (top)

what’s that flower called?

I’ve got a fairly good command of all the stuff you’re likely to ask, but if you are particularly interested in a particular field please tell me in advance. (top)

where’s our meeting point?

Maps and photos here. (top)

why do you use public transport?

Although serving often sparsely populated areas, public transport here is generally much better and much cheaper than in the UK or the US. Views from the train are usually good and fellow passengers are often a fertile source of entertainment. (top)

will i get bitten by a dog?

Sheepdogs are fine, farm dogs are usually tied up, and most dogs (including hunting dogs, which can be funny) will run away if you pretend you’re going to stone them–that’s how they’re trained. (top)

will a farmer shout “get orf me f***ing land” at us?

Hasn’t happened to me yet, but most walks use public paths, farmland isn’t usually as well-demarcated as in, say, the UK, and concentrations of livestock also tend to be lower. Most farmers love getting a chance to talk to strangers, particularly blondes. (top)

will hunters shoot us?

Only if you look like a wild boar, and then only between October and February. (top)

will you marry (or whatever) me?

Really nice of you to ask, but I don’t do holiday romances. If you fancy someone else on a group trip, please ignore that sun-fuelled surge of emotion and wait till we get back to civilisation before you ask them for their phone number. Sweet little farmers we meet along the route are rarely single without reason. (top)

ze rest

can i work for you?

Don’t shave your head just yet: I’m not yet at the stage where it make sense to employ others, and I’m not sure it would be a terribly good idea anyway. If you’re interested in this kind of stuff, by all means get in touch and I’ll generously let you buy me coffee and a bun. (top)

can you tell me where’s good to stay/drink/eat?

For accommodation I always put people on to the Time Out guide, of which I have heard no bad reports. However, I avoid the bars and restaurants listed in guidebooks, basically because I prefer local babble to Erasmus English departure and arrival lounge conversation. In general you won’t go far wrong if you stay out of the old town and Gracia and go into places with reasonably sane-looking and well-fed clients already installed. Trendy establishments often make you wait a long time for small, poor quality portions, but I accept that not all of you find the smell of frying sausages as satisfying as that of joss sticks. (top)

do you do cycling tours?

I’m a keen and well-travelled cyclist, with and without sousaphone, and have been talking with fellow-enthusiasts about offering countryside bike tours. If this interests you, feel free to get in touch. (top)

where can i buy walking gear in barcelona?

Decathlon sells propietary and other cheap brands and is populated by here-today-gone-tomorrow staff. If you need to be able to rely on your purchases (I’m thinking particularly of footwear), the best shop I know for products and advice is Cerclesport. (top)

why don’t you do walks in spanish or catalan?

My objective is to offer a high-quality, all-round experience to clients. Although I’ve led a couple of walks for friends in Catalan, the only languages that I’m currently happy to offer are English and Dutch. (top)

Group discounts

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