Where will you walk this Easter? Will it be a local and much loved route or somewhere a little more adventurous? Perhaps you have heard about a fabulous walking route near where you’ll be on holiday and fancy trying that. Or you are keen to find a route but don't know where to start for recommendations. Today, there are many, many on-line resources, downloads and apps that offer the first steps to a new walk route.

One resource that we really like is the ViewRanger, which offers a database of planned routes written by local experts. The idea is to provide a wealth of routes to inspire and all are available on your smartphone.

And if you get started on your route planning now, you can take advantage of four free premium (charged) routes from ViewRanger for every customer. You’ll need to make the downloads before April 10, 2012.

Each of the ViewRanger routes comes with the mapped path, a full description, guidance on where to park and levels of difficulty to help you to select the perfect holiday weekend trail for you and your family.

While out on the trail, you’ll also have the ability to use the navigation features of ViewRanger to keep you on the right path.

There are now more than 26,000 expert guided trails across UK, Germany, Ireland and the US to choose from so it’s not going to be too difficult to find a walk or cycle route to suit your aspirations!

Get kitted out for a chillier Easter

As the weather returns to winter after a wonderfully warm and promising start to summer, you might need to return to your outdoor clothing wardrobes and rediscover the cooler weather clothing.

Rain, snow and colder temperatures are forecast for the coming week so you’ll need:

  • Good quality and waterproof walking boots
  • A waterproof jacket and over trousers
  • Lots of layers, including baselayers and thin fleeces
  • Cosy walking socks
  • Hat, gloves and buff
  • A rucksack packed with spare clothes, snacks and a flasks of coffee.

Don’t let the weather put you off, but do make sure you’re prepared to walk in more winter like conditions.