P
PhilipPowell
Guest
Archive-Name: uk/walking/intro
URL: http://www.blencathra.org.uk/ukrw/index.html
Posting Frequency: Monthly
Welcome to the uk.rec.walking newsgroup
=======================================
Last modified on 28th February 2003.
Also available online at:
<http://www.blencathra.org.uk/ukrw/index.html>
This is a monthly introductory posting intended to aid newcomers to
the
_unmoderated_ newsgroup uk.rec.walking - a Usenet forum for the
discussion of topics related primarily to walking in the UK and
Ireland. The newsgroup was originally created in the summer of
1995 and this monthly "Welcome" has been posted since 01-01-98
following discussion among the regulars at that time.
WHILST THIS IS GENERALLY AGREED BY THE POSTERS TO
uk.rec.walking IT IS STRICTLY UNOFFICIAL AND SHOULD BE
USED FOR GUIDANCE ONLY. If you have any queries regarding
this then I am quite prepared to give my personal view by email
- but my view is worth no more than anyone else posting here.
The original charter for uk.rec.walking can be found at:
<http://www.usenet.org.uk/uk.rec.walking.html>
======================================================
Proposed changes to this or any other uk.* newsgroup are published in
news:uk.net.news.announce, a moderated, low traffic newsgroup, which
you are recommended to subscribe to. Details of elections to the UK
Usenet Committee, which normally start in September of each year, are
also found there. Discussion on new groups and changes takes place in
uk.net.news.config. Further information can be found at:
<http://www.usenet.org.uk>
======================================================
It is probably a good idea to lurk [read the postings] for a couple of
weeks so that you get a feel for the ambience of the newsgroup before
posting yourself. For general netiquette queries it is worth
subscribing to [and reading!] news.announce.newusers.
We have a small number of generally accepted guidelines:
1 Strictly speaking,
ALL ADVERTS ARE FORBIDDEN BY THE CHARTER
However, by custom we are tolerant of occasional Personal For
Sale adverts. Any such postings should be preceded with FS so
those who wish to filter them may do so.
THE REPETITION OF ADVERTS IS NOT WELCOME
2 Please keep your line length to 70 characters [plain text] to
assist readers whose terminals cut longer lines so that a
post becomes almost meaningless.
3 No binaries or MIME encoded messages.
4 Please post in Plain Text not with HTML. MS Outlook [Express]
defaults to HTML. You can change this by using the Menu
choice Tools/Options/Send and selecting 'Plain Text for News
and E-mail'.
5 A double dash and space separator is the standard signature
separator - this can cause problems when replying if a double
dash is used for anything but a signature in the original.
It is appreciated if you snip unnecessary quotation when you
reply to a posting.
6 Remember that some postings are cross-posted to/from other
newsgroups so your response may be read elsewhere.
Some subjects may cause heated debate but they are usually resolved
amicably which is why this is such a successful group.
The kind of topics covered here include:
Problems with blisters/boots etc.
Queries and debate regarding the interpretation of footpath
law.
Requests for advice on a Long Distance Path.
Details of an enjoyable walk and trip reports [TR].
Information about walking related web sites.
Recommendations for accommodation/equipment/maps etc.
Compasses and navigation.
Maps - see <http://www.old-maps.co.uk> for 19th century maps
of most of the UK.
PLEASE NOTE:
Requests by new subscribers for information regarding the
National Three Peaks - Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon -
are likely to receive a somewhat unexpected response.
Before posting any such request, please see:
<http://www.blencathra.org.uk/ukrw/n3pc.html>
If your query is better answered in the online FAQ or elsewhere,
someone will almost certainly point you in the right direction.
If you are also interested in climbing you might like to try:
uk.rec.climbing
Other newsgroups of probable interest include:
uk.rec.natural-history
uk.rec.birdwatching
rec.backcountry
uk.rec.caving
uk.rec.camping
The expanded version of this posting is available on:
<http://www.blencathra.org.uk/ukrw/index.html>
This also contains a link to past postings available on Google
[formerly Deja]
For posting photographs and other items of interest, Carol Haynes has
provided a group site for uk.rec.walking:
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ukrw/>
Paul Saunders has compiled a photo gallery of the posters to
uk.rec.walking which can be found at:
<http://www.wilderness-wales.co.uk/urw/index.html>
Adrian Marsh Tupper provides a monthly stats roundup of the newsgroup
postings at:
<http://www.highscotland.co.uk>
The URL takes the form:
<http://www.highscotland.co.uk/urwnov01.htm>
using the first three letters of the month and last two digits of the
year.
He also has Munro Bagging on the Web at:
<http://www.highscotland.co.uk/mindex.htm>
A series of answers to FAQs [Frequently Asked Questions] is being
compiled on:
<http://www.blencathra.org.uk/ukrw/faq.html>
At present it contains links to help you with queries regarding:
Lists of walking related web sites
LDPs
Gear
A Friendly Welcome - food and drink
British Isles flora and fauna
Walking/climbing screensavers
The Boots FAQ has been revised by Chris Gilbert and Graham Drabble.
It is posted every 21 days and is available at:
<http://users.ox.ac.uk/~sjoh1646/urw-boot.txt>
Of course, how this can be developed depends on the subscribers.
If you want to see general advice from walking-related organisations
see:
The British Mountaineering Council
<http://www.thebmc.co.uk>
The Mountaineering Council of Scotland
<http://www.mountaineering-scotland.org.uk>
The Scottish Rights of Way and Access Society
<http://www.scotways.com>
<mailto:[email protected]>
The Ramblers Association
<http://www.ramblers.org.uk>
And finally - one response in a thread entitled "Why do you walk?":
"The views of distant summits,
the smell of wilderness heather,
the grasp of rock and branch in the hand,
the blowing of the wind,
the shining of the sun,
the solitude, the emptiness,
the peace, the quiet,
the shine of sunlight on speckled ice,
the crisp feel of fresh snow under boot,
the freshness of the mountain burn,
the tenderness of the foot,
the dampness of the whole spinal area,
the scratching of the midge bite,
the inaccuracy of the weather forecast,
the thick cloud from two thousand feet,
the rain, the cold,
the distant beep of GPS,
the rattling click of walking poles,
the smell of insect repellent,
the mud that's deeper than it looks,
the leaking water bottle,
the sting of untethered drawcord,
the tension of annoying walking partner,
the coach party on top of Ben Lomond,
the getting back down,
the comfortable car seat,
the removal of the boots,
the sigh,
the relaxation,
the pint of cold beer,
the "I was up there" feeling.
I guess it's just good fun."
Copyright Colin MacDonald, ukrw, 02/11/99
--
Philip Powell
Looking north across the Derwent Valley and Northumberland
to The Cheviot
URL: http://www.blencathra.org.uk/ukrw/index.html
Posting Frequency: Monthly
Welcome to the uk.rec.walking newsgroup
=======================================
Last modified on 28th February 2003.
Also available online at:
<http://www.blencathra.org.uk/ukrw/index.html>
This is a monthly introductory posting intended to aid newcomers to
the
_unmoderated_ newsgroup uk.rec.walking - a Usenet forum for the
discussion of topics related primarily to walking in the UK and
Ireland. The newsgroup was originally created in the summer of
1995 and this monthly "Welcome" has been posted since 01-01-98
following discussion among the regulars at that time.
WHILST THIS IS GENERALLY AGREED BY THE POSTERS TO
uk.rec.walking IT IS STRICTLY UNOFFICIAL AND SHOULD BE
USED FOR GUIDANCE ONLY. If you have any queries regarding
this then I am quite prepared to give my personal view by email
- but my view is worth no more than anyone else posting here.
The original charter for uk.rec.walking can be found at:
<http://www.usenet.org.uk/uk.rec.walking.html>
======================================================
Proposed changes to this or any other uk.* newsgroup are published in
news:uk.net.news.announce, a moderated, low traffic newsgroup, which
you are recommended to subscribe to. Details of elections to the UK
Usenet Committee, which normally start in September of each year, are
also found there. Discussion on new groups and changes takes place in
uk.net.news.config. Further information can be found at:
<http://www.usenet.org.uk>
======================================================
It is probably a good idea to lurk [read the postings] for a couple of
weeks so that you get a feel for the ambience of the newsgroup before
posting yourself. For general netiquette queries it is worth
subscribing to [and reading!] news.announce.newusers.
We have a small number of generally accepted guidelines:
1 Strictly speaking,
ALL ADVERTS ARE FORBIDDEN BY THE CHARTER
However, by custom we are tolerant of occasional Personal For
Sale adverts. Any such postings should be preceded with FS so
those who wish to filter them may do so.
THE REPETITION OF ADVERTS IS NOT WELCOME
2 Please keep your line length to 70 characters [plain text] to
assist readers whose terminals cut longer lines so that a
post becomes almost meaningless.
3 No binaries or MIME encoded messages.
4 Please post in Plain Text not with HTML. MS Outlook [Express]
defaults to HTML. You can change this by using the Menu
choice Tools/Options/Send and selecting 'Plain Text for News
and E-mail'.
5 A double dash and space separator is the standard signature
separator - this can cause problems when replying if a double
dash is used for anything but a signature in the original.
It is appreciated if you snip unnecessary quotation when you
reply to a posting.
6 Remember that some postings are cross-posted to/from other
newsgroups so your response may be read elsewhere.
Some subjects may cause heated debate but they are usually resolved
amicably which is why this is such a successful group.
The kind of topics covered here include:
Problems with blisters/boots etc.
Queries and debate regarding the interpretation of footpath
law.
Requests for advice on a Long Distance Path.
Details of an enjoyable walk and trip reports [TR].
Information about walking related web sites.
Recommendations for accommodation/equipment/maps etc.
Compasses and navigation.
Maps - see <http://www.old-maps.co.uk> for 19th century maps
of most of the UK.
PLEASE NOTE:
Requests by new subscribers for information regarding the
National Three Peaks - Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon -
are likely to receive a somewhat unexpected response.
Before posting any such request, please see:
<http://www.blencathra.org.uk/ukrw/n3pc.html>
If your query is better answered in the online FAQ or elsewhere,
someone will almost certainly point you in the right direction.
If you are also interested in climbing you might like to try:
uk.rec.climbing
Other newsgroups of probable interest include:
uk.rec.natural-history
uk.rec.birdwatching
rec.backcountry
uk.rec.caving
uk.rec.camping
The expanded version of this posting is available on:
<http://www.blencathra.org.uk/ukrw/index.html>
This also contains a link to past postings available on Google
[formerly Deja]
For posting photographs and other items of interest, Carol Haynes has
provided a group site for uk.rec.walking:
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ukrw/>
Paul Saunders has compiled a photo gallery of the posters to
uk.rec.walking which can be found at:
<http://www.wilderness-wales.co.uk/urw/index.html>
Adrian Marsh Tupper provides a monthly stats roundup of the newsgroup
postings at:
<http://www.highscotland.co.uk>
The URL takes the form:
<http://www.highscotland.co.uk/urwnov01.htm>
using the first three letters of the month and last two digits of the
year.
He also has Munro Bagging on the Web at:
<http://www.highscotland.co.uk/mindex.htm>
A series of answers to FAQs [Frequently Asked Questions] is being
compiled on:
<http://www.blencathra.org.uk/ukrw/faq.html>
At present it contains links to help you with queries regarding:
Lists of walking related web sites
LDPs
Gear
A Friendly Welcome - food and drink
British Isles flora and fauna
Walking/climbing screensavers
The Boots FAQ has been revised by Chris Gilbert and Graham Drabble.
It is posted every 21 days and is available at:
<http://users.ox.ac.uk/~sjoh1646/urw-boot.txt>
Of course, how this can be developed depends on the subscribers.
If you want to see general advice from walking-related organisations
see:
The British Mountaineering Council
<http://www.thebmc.co.uk>
The Mountaineering Council of Scotland
<http://www.mountaineering-scotland.org.uk>
The Scottish Rights of Way and Access Society
<http://www.scotways.com>
<mailto:[email protected]>
The Ramblers Association
<http://www.ramblers.org.uk>
And finally - one response in a thread entitled "Why do you walk?":
"The views of distant summits,
the smell of wilderness heather,
the grasp of rock and branch in the hand,
the blowing of the wind,
the shining of the sun,
the solitude, the emptiness,
the peace, the quiet,
the shine of sunlight on speckled ice,
the crisp feel of fresh snow under boot,
the freshness of the mountain burn,
the tenderness of the foot,
the dampness of the whole spinal area,
the scratching of the midge bite,
the inaccuracy of the weather forecast,
the thick cloud from two thousand feet,
the rain, the cold,
the distant beep of GPS,
the rattling click of walking poles,
the smell of insect repellent,
the mud that's deeper than it looks,
the leaking water bottle,
the sting of untethered drawcord,
the tension of annoying walking partner,
the coach party on top of Ben Lomond,
the getting back down,
the comfortable car seat,
the removal of the boots,
the sigh,
the relaxation,
the pint of cold beer,
the "I was up there" feeling.
I guess it's just good fun."
Copyright Colin MacDonald, ukrw, 02/11/99
--
Philip Powell
Looking north across the Derwent Valley and Northumberland
to The Cheviot