Who are Wandering Aengus Treks?

We are a small independent company owned and operated by Pete and Karen Royall, based in the English Lake District. We organise self-guided tours in the Lake District and on the National Trails of Northern England. Each year we also run a selected number of guided walking holidays using our own unique itineraries. We prefer to call these holidays treks as they are so much more than an ordinary walking holiday.

What is Trekking?

Really another way of saying 'walking' or 'hiking', except that a trek implies perhaps a broader travel experience than simply day-hiking. This broader experience or sense of a journey is what we provide with our trips within a small group setting.

Who will I be trekking with?

Mostly like-minded people who share a love of the outdoors. Typically, a Wandering Aengus' tour will be a group of 8 people aged from early thirties to late fifties (though we have no age limits). We get approximately equal amounts of bookings from men and women, and about half of our clients join trips as couples. Along with our British clients, you are likely to be trekking with a mix of nationalities. Our trips are popular with Americans, Canadians, and English speakers from a variety of European and Scandavian countries.

How difficult is the hiking?

We have various levels of difficulty ranging from easy, low level walks, to challenging mountain scrambles. We carefully grade all our trips and it is important that you read how we define these grades. Please click on the 'Grades' link above for further information.

Who will be the guide?

We operate only a select few trips each year. 99% of our trips are led by the company directors (Pete and Karen). Click on the 'Your Guides' link above for profiles on Pete and Karen.

What happens if the weather is bad?

The British weather is notoriously fickle. A summers' day in the hills of Scotland, England or Wales can deliver anything from hot sun and clear blue skies to snow! With an experienced guide you can enjoy the mountains in most conditions - for example when it rains hard, the waterfalls are spectacular places to visit. Provided you have the proper equipment this is all part of the fun and we can adjust our routes and itineraries to get the best out of any weather.

Where will I be staying?

We use quality hotels, local inns and small country guest-houses on all our trips. The places are personally selected by us for their character, charm and comfort. On all our trips we stay in the heart of the areas in which we are hiking - something generally only possible with small groups. Wherever possible we always use twin or double rooms with private bathroom.

Why are Wandering Aengus trips less expensive than most other hiking tours I see?

We have been asked this one a number of times. Unlike the 'mass transit' companies, we don't spend a considerable portion of your holiday money on advertising or producing a glossy brochure. Because of our small group policy and also our local links and knowledge, we can provide really pleasant, characterful accommodation at a standard which could otherwise only be acheived by using large four star hotels. But the main reason our trips are such good value is probably because with us there are no middle men. We set the trip up, we make all the arrangements for your accommodation, and we guide the tour ourselves. This way we can provide a high quality trip at less cost than a bigger holiday company, even with our typically smaller groups.

How do I get more information?

That's easy. There is a resume of each trip on its own page of this website. This includes a brief description, the trip grade, the price and departure dates. On each page there is a link to the detailed trip dossier which provides detailed information.

How do I make a reservation?

Once you know which trip and date you want, go to our 'Availability' page using the link on the top menu bar of every page, and from there, you can book on-line. You will need to pay a deposit of 150 GB pounds at the time of booking and you can do this in any currency using a credit or debit card. Please note that since we have to book hotels well in advance, the trip deposit is non-refundable.

When do I have to pay

We will send you an invoice for the balance of the trip cost approximately 6 weeks prior to your departure date. The balance should be paid in full by 30 days before your trip starts.

How can I be sure my money is safe?

Wandering Aengus Treks is fully compliant with the UK 'Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992'. All monies paid to us by our clients both as deposits and as final balance for our tours, are paid into an account administered by a completely independent legal body who pays us only on the completion of your trip. Contact details of the independent trustees to this account form part of your confirmation of booking.