This week we have conversations about a new and challenging trail in Hong Kong that involves swimming in the ocean, and on the Haltwhistle Walking Festival in Northumberland.

Times:

03:37 Haltwhistle Walking Festival

18:55 The Argyll Ross Trail

Argyle Ross Trail

The Argyle Ross Trail is a challenging 12-section, 100km swim hike across the length of Hong Kong. The hike includes sea swimming between islands, hiking in streams, jumping in waterfalls and traversing rugged coastlines, ridges, reservoirs and beaches. Best hiked in Hong Kong’s hot summer months, every section is wet, with swimming included in each section.

Described as a "devilish new masterpiece," the Argyle Ross Trail starts in the northeast islands of Double Haven Geopark and runs to the far west enclave of Ha Pak Lai, overlooking Shenzhen. The trail encompasses some of the most spectacular lesser-travelled parts of the New Territories.

It was created by Jack Argyle and Stewart Ross, who are our guests on this week’s podcast.

The Haltwhistle Walking Festival

If you’re looking for a walking ‘epicentre’ you could do worse than pick out Haltwhistle as a destination.

It sits just off the A69, which connects Newcastle and Carlisle, and it’s next to both the Northumberland National Park and the North Pennines National Landscape. And, if that wasn’t enough, it’s also close to both the Pennine Way and Hadrian’s Wall.

So, it makes total sense that Haltwhistle would have a walking festival. The Haltwhistle Walking Festival takes place from April 26 to May 5, and features 26 walks over the 10 days of the event.

The walks range from five to 22 miles, and from easy to strenuous. There are also linear and circular walks to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Pennine Way.

To tell us more about the festival and what’s in store for the 2025 version, we had a conversation with Catriona Mulligan, one of the festival organisers.

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