01694 723600 info@secrethillswalking.co.uk

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From£650

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This hidden gem in deepest Mid Wales is a walker’s paradise. Characterised by rivers, streams and lakes- with a lovely town as the base – this guided walking for solos holiday offers some of the best scenery in Wales.

Guided walking of the highest order in a green paradise. It may be hidden- indeed a secret – but explore with us. You won’t be disappointed.

Our speciality is offering guided walking holidays for solos and singles in magnificent locations across the UK and Europe. Unlike many other walking companies which offer solos holidays as an extra, we are unique in that we only deal in solos guided walking. We also design bespoke holidays for special groups.

Five Days
Refund guarantee
Expert Tour Guides
Four Nights
Location: Wales

What you get on a Secret Hills Break

Hotel bed and breakfast– en suite four nights.
Dinner- three course.
Lunch- except first day
Sole Occupancy
Personal service
Expert guiding- friendly, local guides that know the area superbly well
Transport to walks start and finish as needed
Flexibility
No single supplement
A social, relaxed approach
Full joining details prior to your holiday
Our administration support from the point of booking to you joining the holiday

Hotel and Meals

We stay at the Neuadd Arms Hotel, The Square, Llanwrtyd Wells, Powys, LD5 4RB

Guided walking for solos and singles in Llantrywd Wells

Accommodation is provided in a family run hotel which has stood in the centre of Llanwrtyd Wells for over 145 years. Its 19th century character, complete with open log fires, has been preserved in the lounge and public bars. Here each night you can meet the townsfolk and listen to the stories from the hills and valleys, some as broad as the fish that get away in the local River Irfon.

All of our 20 rooms have en-suite facilities with either bath, shower, or both. All rooms have tea and coffee making facilities, and most have a TV. Other hotel facilities include the traditional farmers’ Bell Bar featuring the original servants’ bells, and a comfortable Lounge Bar. Both bars serve a wide range of Real Ales, brewed on the premises. There is also a games room for pool, quoits and darts, and a Residents’ TV lounge which is equipped with various board games and numerous jigsaw puzzles.

The hotel has a reputation for good home cooking including vegetarian dishes and a wide range of curries (one of our specialities). The hotel will always try to accommodate any particular dietary requirements.

Great reasons to join us

There are other walking holiday companies that cover the countryside but we believe we offer the best value for many reasons….

We specialise in organising guided walking holidays for solos and singles.
We are a small friendly company
We have a loyal customer base who return again and again (so we must be doing something right) – read our testimonials page on the website
We offer a lot of flexibility – you can stay extra nights which we are happy to organise for you. We are also very flexible on the walks we provide, adapting to suit walkers and weather conditions
Our walk leading is second to none. Unlike some other large Walking Companies, we use LOCAL leaders who live in the area and who love their surroundings. They have expert knowledge of everything you need to know to make an area come alive.
You are safe in our hands – our guides are experts, fully qualified in first aid. Also, because of their local knowledge of the hills, they can respond to any situation that might for example demand cutting short a route. They don’t need to consult maps – they know the hills intimately.
Our leaders are all easy-going, genuinely sociable people who want to ensure that you have the best time you can with the rest of the group. They make the weekend fun by engaging with all members of a group, and ensuring that everyone feels part of the group experience.
We give great value for money. Because we recognise that lots of walkers holiday on their own, we have negotiated no single supplement deals with all our hotels to ensure the best possible deal.
We always use good hotels.
We have smaller groups than some of the larger walking companies because we believe the social experience is much better in a smaller group. People can talk to everyone, especially at dinner where you can all sit at one table in a small group. Our numbers vary from holiday to holiday but an average group size would be 8-12.

Directions

By car

Trust your satnav – on your joining details will be a full set of directions.Llanwrtyd Wells is situated on the main A483 road halfway between Builth Wells and Llandovery. The hotel is situated in the very centre of town, facing the town square and the bridge over the River Irfon.

We are also on the Heart of Wales Railway line which runs from Shrewsbury to Swansea, with regular services throughout the year.

Itinerary

Guided walking for solos and singles in Llantrywd Wells Your walking break commences at 2.30pm on the first day. If you cannot make this time, then join us ready for dinner at 7pm that evening.

The first afternoon’s walk will introduce you to the area of Llanwrtyd Wells and its surrounding rivers and fields. We return for a cuppa and a cake at the hotel.

The next three days we have a guided walk starting at 09.30am and finishing usually at about 4pm with tea and cake at the hotel.

On your departure day – we offer a 5 miles walk that ends at the hotel at around 1.30pm for lunch.

Most walks are circular but we will take transport on one day to take advantage of a lovely linear walk

Meet New Friends

Its all about meeting new friends. Each holiday is designed to be a friendly, relaxed and stress free occasion. Talking is as important as walking on Secrethills Walking Holidays. We don’t go in for discos, we may use an event that is taking place in the area we are in to boost the weekends activities – but its good, old fashioned chat that makes our short breaks successful.

“Make new friends that turn into old friends” – that’s our motto.

You might be surprised by what fun you’ll have with people who are older or younger than you during a holiday with us, and that’s exactly the sort of atmosphere we encourage; people find it very rewarding. It doesn’t matter what your reasons for traveling with us are, we’ve had people who are single, divorced or widowed, people who have partners that are unable to travel, and people who can’t holiday with their friends anymore as they’ve all got married themselves. There are people who want to make friends, see sights, and experience something completely new. Whatever your reason, we’ll welcome you with open arms and our friendly hosts will help you to get the most out of your holiday.

Don’t worry if this is the first time you have ventured to join a group holiday – its always a bit daunting – but we will look after you and ensure that you get used to being amongst friends again. Trust us to to get you back into the swing of things.

Oh – by the way – its not a dating agency – over the years we have had people meet and fall in love – but that’s just chance. Our aim is that you make like minded friends – just relax and enjoy.

Just arrive and enjoy.

How to Book

To reserve a place on any of our holidays, please follow these simple instructions.

Reserve online – once you have chosen your holiday, click on Proceed Booking and complete the online form. If you have difficulty reserving online, please contact us (tel: 01694 723600, email: info@secrethillswalking.co.uk) and we will assist you to complete your booking.

Payment

Please note we cannot take credit/debit card details over the phone. You may pay by the following methods when you book online…

Paypal – if you have a Paypal account, simply click on the link to the Paypal website.
Credit / Debit card – we use Paypal to host our credit/debit cards facility because it is a very secure system. So if you want to pay with a card, simply click on this option which will take you to our page on the PayPal website. Check in there as a “Guest” to enable your card payment. You do not need to have a Paypal account for this transaction.
We will also accept a Bank Transfer – you will find our account details on the booking form.
Finally, we will also accept a cheque payable to Secret Hills Walking Holidays and sent to: Secret Hills Walking Holidays, 35 Sandford Avenue, Church Stretton, Shropshire, SY6 6BH

Please note than an initial deposit is required with each booking regardless of which payment method you choose. Your booking will be accepted when your payment (deposit or full balance) is received. Note – if you are reserving a holiday within a month of the start date then the full amount is due immediately and no deposit should be paid.

It is important that you read the terms and conditions before you sign the booking form.

Note – if you are reserving a holiday within a month of the start date then the full amount is due immediately and no deposit should be paid.

Grades and Difficulty

The walks shown are moderate with several ascents to around 300 metres. Underfoot conditions- mainly good paths and country tracks and roads are well walked. This area has many rivers and streams so some areas can be wet underfoot.

Whilst we do not ascend the high hills- we will ascend and descend on our walks – up to a total in a day of 750 metres. So, there will be some short, sharp ascents and descents.

The walks on this trip are rated as Moderate but each day involves a fair amount of ascent and descent. The trip requires a reasonable amount of fitness, ideally with previous hill walking experience.

Walking in this area requires strong boots or walking shoes. You may find that walking poles will aid your enjoyment of this land.

Exclusions

Although our leaders are well trained and experienced in dealing with different capabilities of our walking clients, if they have any concerns about any clients ability or suitability to undertake safely any walking activity we plan or they feel that participation of an individual may affect the groups safety and cohesion, then they have full permission to exclude that client from an activity.

They will try at all times to provide an alternative suggested activity, though this may involve the client in additional local cost.

We rarely have to enforce this above recommendation, but it is a sensible and necessary protection for the individual client, the group and the leaders.

Sample Walks

We have many walks in this area – we show some of them here.

Doethie Valley circular walk – lovely valley and moor walk, some forestry and a lonely chapel on the hill. 9 miles

Saturnalia Trail

St Davids Walk – along the Irthon River, through the Irthon forest past the Stinking Wells and signs of the Romans 8.5 miles

Lynne Brianne circular – not all the way round but a walk with the lake in constant view.-either 8 or 11 miles

Volcanoes’ and Valleys walk – remnants of old volcanoes and across and along several small river valleys 9 miles

Victoria Wells walk -Passing the Victoria wells and following old tracks to Spion Kop. This walk takes in the lower country around Llantrywd and some of the extensive forestry synonymous with this area

Round the Garn – a local hill – 5 miles – likely the walk for the last day.

These walks descriptions are not exhaustive, and we can add further routes as desired.

Location

The east Cambrian Mountains are a joy- with rivers and streams generally flowing east to west and Lake Brianne and the south Elan Valley lakes a feature of the landscape. There are hills everywhere- not many flat areas to walk. It is also an agricultural area with farming at its heart. Sheep dominate on these wild hills. It is unspoilt countryside – a low population too which means anywhere you walk, eat or drink will be quiet.

Llanwrtyd Wells, (home of Bog Snorkelling and much more!) is within easy reach of the Brecon Beacons and the Cambrian Mountains and is definitely the place to stay. Be amazed by its warmth and hospitality. Be surprised by the remarkable scenery around the town. Come and participate in the towns famous events or take a break and return home with outstanding memories of your time spent with us in the ‘Wellness’ Heart of Wales.

Guided walking for solos and singles in Llantrywd Wells

Llanwrtyd Wells is the smallest town in Britain. It is also one of the friendliest, having a long history of catering for the many visitors who, today, come to enjoy the unspoilt landscapes of the surrounding Cambrian Mountains.

Llanwrtyd is one of three historic ‘spa’ towns in the area and is a great base to stay and explore. It is in many ways, a fantastic advertisement for Wales all on its own. It is a mecca for walkers, cyclists, mountain bikers and pony trekkers keen to experience the charm of the town and the spectacular mountain scenery. Many of the walking and cycling routes in the area follow old Drovers’ roads, used for over 500 years by farmers selling their livestock in the profitable markets over the border.

The spring that made Llanwrtyd Wells famous has been opened up in the last few years. Dolycoed Spring is a sulphur spring, and still running – you can smell it before you see it! There’s even a gazebo over it if we get some Welsh rain, which we do. There are some lovely spa buildings in the park too, which are now private cottages, an old boating house and a pump room.

The town has some unusual “sporting” events…

Guided walking for solos and singles in Llantrywd Wells

Bog Snorkelling

The world famous Bog Snorkelling championships are held each year in a bog on the outskirts of Llanwrtyd Wells. A 60-yard trench has been cut through the bog, which fills with water. Competitors have to swim two lengths under water using flippers and a snorkel, with trophies for the fastest. The event attracts competitors from around the world, with international TV coverage.

Whole Earth- Man versus Horse Marathon

A unique marathon of around 22 miles through spectacular countryside where runners and horses compete against each other. A runner has beaten the first horse home on two occasions in the 39 year history of the event, and there is an escalating jackpot increasing by £500 per year for the next Runner who finishes ahead of the first Horse & Rider.