download - The Wayfarers

Dear Friends and Fellow Walkers
Every time I sit down to write an introduction to
our new brochure, I look forward to the coming
season with the same enthusiasm and anticipation
as I did almost thirty years ago. I sense the spirit of
our Walks – that something new and exciting is just
around the corner waiting to be discovered and shared
every day on the trail.
In 2012, I fulfilled a life-long ambition to follow in the
wayfaring footsteps of Bruce Chatwin and visit
Patagonia. My wife, Betsy, and I soaked up the
compelling silence of the steppes, the grandeur of the
glaciers, the ever-changing vistas of snow-capped
mountains and lakes and the magical emptiness of this
awe-inspiring landscape. Together we have created a
uniquely Wayfarer take on walking in southern
Patagonia (p.58) which features hikes with incredible
views of some of the most stunning scenery in the
world, chances to see interesting wildlife such as
guanacos, rheas, condors and flamingoes, a cruise to
almost touching distance of the great Perito Moreno
Glacier and interaction with gauchos who still work on
the land.
Medieval towns and walled cities, the majesty of Mont
St Michel, renowned local culinary specialties and a day
exploring the beaches and museums of the D-Day Landings,
make this a fascinating new Walk. It’s a Founders’ Walk, too,
so I’m looking forward to it hugely!
For Chris Hague, my co-Founder, and me, one of the joys of
the Founders’ Walks is that we get to choose the destination
- we are thrilled to introduce and accompany our new Walk
in the Czech Republic and Germany, linking Prague and
Dresden (p. 51). Apart from these two wonderful cities of
art and culture, we walk through dramatic unspoilt scenery,
villages scarcely touched by the twentieth century, a
story-book journey of wars and revenge and reconciliation,
a magical world of rivers and forests.
Many of our guests now join us for two or more
consecutive Walks and this new Walk has been scheduled to
connect with our journey from Vienna to Prague enabling a
two-week immersion in Central European culture.
I hope you will join us somewhere on our journey of
renewal in 2013,
When Philippa, our local guide, proposed our 'Downton
Abbey' Walk (p.7), I was sure that Highclere Castle, the
model for the fictional abbey, would be the highlight of
the Walk. But it turns out to be only one of several
memorable highlights – two of England’s prettiest
villages, stone circles more impressive than Stonehenge,
the stunning Winchester Cathedral – and some lovely
walking in gentle countryside.
Michael West
Founder
PS. We are bringing back a couple of old favorites in 2013;
we will be returning to the footpaths of Slovenia (p.45)
and, in Italy, to the glorious Amalfi Coast (p.33).
After receiving a number of requests for Walks in
Brittany and Normandy (p.23)– our French Team has
refined an itinerary that covers the best of both.