Why?

Weekend trips give people the opportunity to get to hills that the Sunday trips can’t easily reach or to do longer and/or more technically demanding routes than are usually possible on Sunday walks. If you are a total beginner to hillwalking we suggest that you try our programme of Sunday walk trips until you gain more experience and feel confident that you can navigate un-aided before trying out weekend trips.

Pre pandemic these walks were a regular feature of the club. It is only in February 2023 that we are beginning the process of running trips again. If this proves popular and successful it can hopefully become a regular feature of the PHC.

When and where...

They usually involve leaving on a Friday for 2 nights (maybe 3 or more on holiday weekends). The accommodation is usually low cost, good value and based on a mixture of hostels and club huts with group and dormitory bedrooms. Usually hostels or club huts have showers and cooking areas and are well appointed although sometimes we have trips to huts in remote areas that have more primitive facilities. Cooking facilities are usually available for individual or communal meals. The evenings are usually great social occasions where the days’ events can be retold over a fine meal and a drink or two.

What do I have to do?

Transport to the venue is usually by car, driving up on Fri afternoon/evening and returning Sun (or Mon on holiday weekends). The weekend organiser will try to arrange lifts for those that want them. Some hostels and club huts can be accessed by public transport but services are often infrequent and should be checked beforehand.

Cooking space can be at a premium in some accommodations especially if the whole building has not been booked by the club. To reduce the competition for cooker space communal meals can be agreed by members who have a similar taste in food. Costs are usually divided up equally by arrangement within each group of diners. If you have special dietary requirements (vegetarian, vegan, etc) or especially allergies please inform the organiser and cook. When Some people in the group volunteer to do the cooking the rest of the group does the tidying/washing up. All members are expected to treat the accommodation with respect and leave it clean and tidy.

Generally speaking, club huts require sleeping bags but hostels usually supply bed linen (best to check with the weekend organiser to be sure). Apart from your hill walking kit and personal items you need to bring your own food for breakfast and lunches on the hill and any alcoholic drinks. Fri night food is also your own affair although if you are in a car with others, it is best to check with them. Usually for shorter journeys people eat before they leave. On longer journeys they may stop somewhere on route to eat or if leaving earlier on Fri afternoon sometimes people cook a meal when they arrive at the accommodation.

The map and grid reference of the accommodation and an indication of the walk areas that can be easily accessed from the hut might be indicated by the weekend organiser but the choice of hills is yours. If you are new to the hills or the area please arrange to walk in a group with similar plans and capabilities as others weekenders (baggers) might have targets in mind that are unsuitable for you.

Making Bookings

Because of the limited no. of places club members are given priority. Non-members are only allowed if a trip is not full. Contact John Wilkie 07527 404904 or using hutbookings@paisleyhillwalkingclub.org.uk