Manchester to Hebden Bridge Canal Walk - 30 Miles
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I will be making this trek as part of my training for the Keswick to Barrow walk which I'll be doing on 6 May. As I'll be doing the walk anyway, I thought I'd offer others the opportunity to join.
The route takes us from Manchester City Centre and follows the route of the Rochdale Canal all the way across the Pennines to Hebden Bridge.
Although a canal walk may sound like a nice easy jaunt, this one is 30 miles long and as such should not be attempted unless you are used to walking long distances. I will also be trying to maintain a pace of around 3-3.5 mph so if you don't think you can keep up, please don't sign up.
Although the gradients are gentle, there is total ascent along the route of 550m.
We will aim to finish in Hebden Bridge for a pint (and food for those who want it) in one of the local pubs/eateries and then catch the train back to Manchester from Hebden Bridge Station.
What to bring
You need to wear clothing that won't cause you discomfort. The terrain shouldn't offer much in the way of challenges so if it isn't raining, comfortable trainers might be the best footwear. You'll have to make a judgment call. You should consider bringing a change of socks.
Otherwise, dress according to the weather (which I'll guide you on the nearer we get once the forecast is available). You should avoid wearing cotton as cotton soaks up sweat and holds it next to the skin, potentially resulting in a loss of body temperature and in severe cases, hypothermia. You should wear a "sports" or wicking material ideally in addition to walking trousers or shorts.
Waterproofs may prove to be wise if the weather turns.
Food & drink
We are likely to be walking for around 10 hours, so in addition to your lunch, you may want to bring a number of snacks (e.g. nuts, trail mix, bananas) and maybe even energy bars.
Your water requirements will very much depend on the weather, but it would be safest to bring at least 2 litres. We do pass through a number of towns along the route so shops will be available, but please don't rely on this, as it will inveitably slow our progress if we are having to find shops.