PF (29) WYE VALLEY & FOREST OF DEAN (Pathfinder Guides)

I am now a committed user of the Pathfinder series of books having bought this as my first.I like the details of the walks they are generally decent quality and easy enough to follow.I like the fact that there is a map extract to aid in the navigation.We originally made the mistake when we first started walking to try one of the orange walks because it was close to us.Well after completing it and then not being able to walk for about 3 days after we decided on the more sensible approach to starting on the greed walks and moving on up to the oranges at the end.We have now completed every walk in the book and I would say all bar two were fantastic with a contrast in walks. We now consider ourselves a lot fitter and happier and this book, with it being the first has helped us a lot in that process.We have actually done a couple of the walks twice, due to the weather not being perfect the first time.We have subsequently bought and are working through the Brecons, Mid Wales and the Marches, Cotswolds and also Hampshire in the series.These are by far the best books I have found for directions.I do however also buy the maps for the area also to have with me and always carry a day sack with the map and compass, especially when you are on to the more remote walks and venturing through some more rough terrain.The best thing I also invested in for me was a GPS, I am not saying get a really really expensive one, but I use the GPS coordinates provided in the book to plot out a route, I then will plot a track by following the map and I send them to my GPS. Many smart phones can do almost as good a job but it is definately worth the time.I then have my very own personal guide with me to verify where I am for those few times that we all have, where the reassurance of a confirmation saying you are on the correct path is all that is required.All in all very happy with the book and enjoying seeing our beautiful countryside.

Great product, the walks are so informative, it gives you so much information! From type of walk, dog friendly or not, close pubs, everything's such a good book. Get it!!

good information and easy to follow instructions. does exactly what it said it would. a good guide to anyone wish to explore this area.

I love the series as the mapping is clear and walks tend to be varied and well worth doing. Sometimes the written instructions are less clear as occasionally a step is missing - e.g walk 6 "Ahead, the narrowing tip of the field ushers you to a kissing gate. Walk away at the edge of grazing to another kissing gate " - sounded to me as if we shouldn't go through the first gate but look for a second. In fact we needed to go through the first, cross a field and then go through the second. Walk 3 started brilliantly but we met some locals who told us the path in the book no longer existed had been gone for years - the good mapping showed another. alternative path which we could take but unfortunately it was not visible on the ground as it was early in the year and hadn't been trodden down yet. We landed up following the re-routed Wye valley walk and had to go back for 2 miles along a road. The update only 3 years ago seems not to have taken the re-route into account.

This was a very useful book of walks and we went on three while staying in the Wye Valley.

An ideal book for someone planning a walking holiday in the area with good descriptions and maps.

Excellent book - a good buy.

we found it very useful lots of great walks