Six miles along a firm towpath can be an easy afternoon. Put the same distance on a moor, add a steep descent and a few muddy fields, and you have a rather different day ahead. Distance is useful, but it is only the first thing to check.
Think about the last walk you enjoyed. Perhaps you liked having time to talk, or stopping whenever something caught your eye. Perhaps the climb was the point. Choose a route that leaves room for that. A walk can be perfectly manageable and still be the wrong outing for you.
Read the map with the description
Look for the parts that will slow you down: a long climb, broken ground, lots of gates, or a section of road without a pavement. The height profile is worth a look, too. One big climb at the start feels different from repeated ups and downs all afternoon.
“Easy” needs a bit of interpretation. It might describe a flat route with six stiles, which is little help if you cannot use stiles. For access requirements, look for an actual account of the surface, gradients, barriers and resting places. If those details are missing, ask before travelling.
There is a similar trap with photographs. A lovely stretch beside a river may occupy ten minutes of a walk whose remaining two hours are on lanes. Follow the whole line on the map, including the return leg.
The time on the listing
Does it include stops? Some estimates are moving time, others allow for lunch, and a group needs time to get through gates and gather at junctions. It is hard to compare them without knowing what has been counted.
Your own recent walks are a better starting point. Use an outing on similar ground, rather than your pace on a pavement. If this is new territory, leave yourself a margin by choosing a shorter route. There is no need to find your limit on the first go.
Work backwards from any fixed deadline. For a walk ending at a railway station, that includes getting from the path to the platform. Check the actual service for the day you are going; a route saved months ago may still refer to the old timetable. With a circular walk, allow time to get back to the start in daylight.
A route can change without changing its name
A field path after several wet days may be much slower than the dry track in a summer description. Read recent access notices from the council, national park or land manager, and check the forecast.
For hills, use the Met Office mountain forecast. The nearest town's forecast will not tell the whole story up on exposed ground. AdventureSmart brings the preparation questions together: weather, equipment and the skills needed for the outing.
If the walk only looks comfortable provided nothing goes wrong, make the plan smaller. Check whether there is a permitted shorter loop you could use, and where you would have to make that decision.
Before you commit
Find the exact start. A pin in the middle of a village is not necessarily a meeting point or somewhere you can park. Check toilets, food stops and any dog restrictions while you are at it. Take food and drink for the walk even if you hope to call at a café.
On Walkmates, read both the route and the event details for an organised outing. If you are unsure about the pace, give the organiser something to work with: “I can manage four miles on level paths; how much climbing is there on this one?” Or ask directly about the bit that concerns you — the steep descent, stiles or rough section.
Then choose the walk you want to spend the day on. Mileage is a useful comparison once you have checked the ground and the arrangements.
For the next bit of planning: packing for a day walk and joining a group for the first time.