DURING the past 15 years, there have been as many lows as highs and the people behind Haltwhistle Walking Festival couldn’t be more pleased!

From rugged ascents to leisurely descents and meanders along valley bottoms, they cater for just about anybody who fancies a walk, no matter what their fitness level.

As the team prepares to celebrate what will be the 30th festival, one of the team, Marjorie Baillie, nailed their colours firmly to the mast.

“We think we’ve found the winning formula,” she said, “and we’re going to be sticking with it from now on.”

You need look no further than the programme published this week for autumn’s outings. It says it all.

There’s Roman history, in the form of Birdoswald and Epiacum (aka Whitley Castle). And archaeology with Phil Bowyer, the driving force behind the archaeological survey being carried out in the wild lands north of Hadrian’s Wall.

There’s exploration: you can walk from Mohope Moor to Alston, or perhaps do the two-day trail from the source of the South Tyne back to Haltwhistle.

There’s even something for those with a literary bent, thanks to the author of Mr Woodreeve’s Reflection, Robert Bluck.

He plans to take punters through the fictional landscape of his recently published novel, giving readings along the way and stopping at one of the cottages that features in the book - any resemblance to his own is purely coincidental - for a refreshing cup of tea.

And there’s lashings of opportunities to study nature, whether that be the wildlife, flora and fauna one of the walk leaders is sure to tell you about, or you go out on the perennially popular mushroom hunt with local expert Gordon Beakes.

Marj said: “The North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty partnership is putting on a smashing walk for us, which is part of their Cold blooded and Spineless programme.

“We’ll have a number of experts there helping us learn about the creatures they are busy documenting in a five year project on invertebrates in the North Pennines.

“We’ve called the walk The Creepy Crawl and the first stop will be at the Allen smelt mill, where a moth trap will have been set up overnight.

“There will also be the chance to do some dipping for invertebrates along the way, so all in all, I think it will be a very interesting day out.”

In celebration of the team passing the 30th milestone, polar adventurers Conrad and Hilary Dickinson will both open the autumn festival and take part in the first (14 mile, strenuous) walk that is day one of the two-part South Tyne Explorer route.

“Some of our stalwarts will remember Conrad from the famous wet walk we had in Scotland a few years ago,” laughed Marjorie, “but most will know him from the television documentary about the Walking with the Wounded expedition he led to the South Pole, with Prince Harry on the team.”

There will be a slideshow one evening ostensibly featuring the beautiful walks done to date, but will do what all slideshows do and make those pictured question their hairstyles and clothes of old.

There will be the usual high octane social night, complete with music, monologues and a twist of amateur dramatics this time round.

And there will be the usual jostling among those keen to take the title ‘longest distance walker if the festival’ for themselves.