Whether you’ve got a question on gear, gadgets, hiking or health, walk’s panel of resident experts are here to help
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I’ve loved my time with the Ramblers, but a new job requires me to move around Europe and North America. Are there any similar organisations in these parts of the world? Warren Turner
Andrew McCloy: There are equivalents of the Ramblers in most countries. In France, the Federation Française de la Randonnée Pédestre (www.ffrandonnee.fr) can put you in touch with its network of local hiking clubs. In Italy, there’s the Italian Federation of Hiking (www.fieitalia.com/fie) and Germany’s equivalent is Deutscher Wanderverband (www.wanderbares-deutschland.de), which coordinates over 50 walking associations and 3,300 local walking clubs and has details of local walking routes. The European Ramblers’ Association acts as the umbrella organisation for the continent, and includes 55 walking organisations from 30 different countries. Its website (www.era-ewv-ferp.com) has a useful page on long-distance European walking trails. In the USA, there are numerous hiking clubs across the country – check out www.webwalking.com/hikeclubs.asp. Or for national organisations, try the American Hiking Society (www.americanhiking.org) or the more environmentally minded Sierra Club (www.sierraclub.org).
Can you suggest a remedy for black toenails? I get them whatever kind of walking boots I wear. It’s not a fungal infection or down to poor hygiene! Georgina Maryon
Dr Helen Crawley: It sounds as if you are bruising your toes under your toenails when you walk. You might also be damaging the nail bed at the base of your nails, where the nail grows from, causing your toenails to drop off (they should grow back slowly). Your toes are more likely to get a bashing if you’re walking downhill as they can slip forward and hit the inside of your boots. Next time you buy your boots, make sure there is plenty of room for your toes, with uppers that are softer and more flexible. Before you go out, cut your nails so they don’t extend beyond the end of your toes. And when you’re about to go down a hill, stop and give your laces an extra pull to make sure your foot is held tightly in place at the back of the boot. If none of these measures works, you could try using walking poles to lessen the impact on your feet.
I’ve used many brands of walking boot over the years and am always dismayed by the flimsiness of the footbeds inside. Should I replace them with a more robust version to prevent plantar fasciitis and the other types of foot and ankle strain I often suffer from? Russ Sheaf
Minnie Burlton: According to Mike Sheehan, founder of Alt-Berg boots, 50% of people don’t need specialist footbeds, whether they’re off-the-peg or custom-made. They may help prevent foot strains and injuries for some, but for others they make no difference at all. “Plantar fasciitis is more often caused by either the type of your foot (i.e. a high arch or supinated) or by excessive strain during ‘push off’, especially going uphill or if the foot is cold,” says Mike. “Most footbeds are focused on the rear part of the foot, so they have limited influence during ‘push off’. But it is impossible to generalize: there will always be exceptions.” There are generally two types of footbed: orthotic, firm design and construction, which help to align the foot into a natural, neutral position; and cushioned, which absorb shock and give more spring during use. I often use Superfeet insoles (www.superfeet.co.uk), which you cut to fit, but Sorbothane (www.sorbothane.co.uk) work just as well. Sidas (www.sidas.co.uk) footbeds are moulded for a custom fit.
For decades, local residents have used a path around fields belonging to a university farm. But, after crops were damaged, access to the fields has been blocked. What can we do? Janet Robson
Emily Shaw: It appears that access was permissive, with a mutual understanding between the local residents and the farmer of where you can walk around the fields. Unfortunately, permissive footpaths do mean that if this agreement has resulted in damage to their crops, the landowner is entitled to stop access. The best way to protect a path is to designate it as a public right of way. If it has been used by the public for 20 years without interruption, a right of way may have come into existence. You can make an application to the highway authority to have the path added to the definitive map based on evidence provided by at least seven people who used it during the 20-year period. The council’s rights of way team should provide the guidance you need.
I see more and more people wearing masks in cities while travelling around on foot or bicycle. How effective are they and is there a real health risk from air pollution for city dwellers regularly commuting on foot? George Daly
Dr Helen Crawley: The fine particles present in dust, soot and exhaust fumes can affect your health, especially if you already have heart or lung problems. Carbon monoxide prevents the uptake of oxygen by the blood and can worsen some heart diseases. Whereas gaseous nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and ozone may irritate the lungs, exacerbating breathing problems such as asthma. While a simple surgical face mask reduces the spread of infection, they are in fact useless against air pollution. More expensive, high-performance masks have been shown to reduce the risks of pollution in Beijing. But in Britain, levels of pollution are generally much lower and there is little evidence that masks have any real benefit. On balance, walking or cycling in British cities without a mask should improve your overall health and fitness. But if you are affected by air pollution, try to avoid strenuous outdoor activities and take a more rural route if levels are high, (check www.airquality.co.uk for pollution forecasts). In which case, asthmatic patients may need to use more of their inhalers.
The writers of these letters all win an Icebreaker Tech T Lite top from the travel collection. The Tech T Lite, £50, is made from ultralight 150gm merino fabric that regulates temperature, breathes to prevent overheating and resists odour naturally. Plus it dries in a flash. Visit www.icebreaker.com
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walk magazine, Ramblers,
2nd Floor, Camelford House,
87– 90 Albert Embankment,
London SE1 7TW
or via email to: walkmag@ramblers.org.uk
Grand Canyon hiking photo by Grand Canyon NPS.