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Richard Whibley was born and brought up in Manchester. He has always been a very keen walker, and from an early age he used to go off walking with friends in the countryside around Manchester. As soon as he was old enough, Richard would take the train to Snowdonia or the Lake District to discover more challenging walks. In 1994 Richard moved to the Roussillon, met his wife Lisa, the local district nurse, and has been living and working there since. Richard is a fluent French speaker and is well integrated in to the local community; he loves the relaxed way of life, the breath-taking landscape, the great food and excellent local wines. Richard has walked all over the Roussillon and many other parts of France. He has also walked in Ireland, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and India. Richard will lead all the walks on the accompanied holidays and share with you his knowledge of this remarkable area.

Siskin is Richards most loyal walking partner. She is a Border collie. Some people say she's not a pure breed but Siskin doesn't listen to them. Siskins main pleasure in life is walking and even if she's just come back from a long challenging walk, she's ready for another one.

Siskin was born on a sheep farm in the Corbieres, her parents were both working dogs. She has an unexplainable fear of sheep, but loves rounding up groups of walkers.

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The Roussillon is an area of the South of France which offers excellent walking opportunities, breath-taking scenery, great wine, dry, sunny weather, and the intriguing history of the Cathars. The Agly River winds across the Roussillon, starting at the base of the "Pic de Bugarach", one of the most striking summits in the area. It cuts its way through the Corbières via the impressive "Gorge de Galamus", then on through the Fenouillèdes. The Agly finally ends its journey in the Mediterranean at Le Barcarès. The Roussillon is famous for its wines, and has lots of young ‘vignerons” making new interesting wines, using the traditional working methods and grape varieties.

Richard Whibley has been living, working and walking in the Agly valley since 1994, and never tires of the surrounding country side, and its amazing history. He has created Agly Walking Tours to share this wonderful region with other walkers.

The best time of year for walking in this part of France is from September to early June. The summer months get very hot, so walking during the day can be quite uncomfortable. For this reason Agly Walking Tours organise holidays in the spring and autumn.

Self-guided holidays are for the independent walker. We will take you to you first guest house, and provide you with detailed directions and maps about the walks with information about flora and fauna, historical and geographic facts, details about local wine and cheese producers and other crafts. We will meet you every morning to provide you with a packed lunch, take your luggage to the next guest house, and answer any queries you may have. The evening meals will be in the guest house or in a nearby Restaurant. This is the ideal holiday for those who like to walk at their own pace and have the freedom to discover the area in their own time. Although the Self-guided holidays are based on a 6 day circuit, you can choose to do a shorter variation.

Accompanied holidays are for those who like to meet and walk with other people, eating and staying together throughout the week. Richard will lead all the walks on these holidays and enlighten you with facts about the surroundings. Everything is catered for on the accompanied holiday including entrance fees into Castles, visits to local winemakers and craftsmen and even down to snacks and drinks to take on the walks.

Special accompanied holidays.

Each year Agly Walking Tours organise a special accompanied holiday with a theme. For 2008 we are doing a Walking and Art holiday to celebrate Perpignan being the Capital of Catalan culture. For 2009 we are organising a Walking and Wine holiday. This will include a wine tasting lesson, visits to wine producers, and even a chance to try you hand at grape-picking.

Taylor made holidays Agly Walking Tours can arrange holidays to suit your needs and interests. These can be accompanied or self-guided and can concentrate on certain aspects of this region, (history, wildlife, wine growing and producing, architecture, art, gastronomy etc...). The walks, accommodation and meals can all be adapted to meet your requirements, whether you are on you own or a group of 40 we can accommodate you. Please contact us for more information.