THERE was something big and menacing in the churning, 30ft deep rock pool they call The Cauldron.

Suddenly, a huge salmon, etched silver and red against the tumbling peat-stained waters, sprang upwards, tilting at the light of an English autumn afternoon.

This is one of the delightful, simple pleasures of an exhilarating walking holiday high in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales.

My party, our voices drowned by the roaring torrent of the River Ribble, clapped gloved hands in admiration as the salmon cleaved its up stream to the spawning grounds.

Earlier, at the start of our seven mile walk to Settle, we had marvelled at the huge limestone hills dating back millions of years, shadowing each side of our rough pathway dotted with curious sheep.

We had climbed over one, laddered wooden stile after another, past the pretty, tiny hamlet of Fiezor, and now we were lunching on fresh, flour-dusted baps the size of dinner plates, at the side of the fast-flowing river.

The plus-point of this HF Holidays break is that you don't have to be terribly fit, or an expert walker, to share the wide open spaces and some of the loveliest scenery in Britain.

My companions, for example, included an elderly America lady who had flown in from Florida to take her fourth HF holiday, and a white-haired retired school headmistress.

With admirable patience Jeff, our friendly guide, made sure we were fed with a constant stream of information about our surroundings and terrain.

"There's a lot of dignity in walking," he explained.

"I deliberately ensure that everyone is treated the same - and no one is left out simply because they may take longer to climb a stile or ford a shallow stream."

As if to put him to the test, one of the ladies wobbled as she attempted to cross an outcrop of slippery, mud-coated rocks.

But Jeff's firm grip guided her to safety.

We were based at Newfield Hall, in Malhamdale, one of HF's splendid country houses, just eight miles from Skipton.

It was here, over copious cups of free tea, coffee or chocolate shared with other holidaymakers, I met

Christine Helps, the company's spokeswoman.

I was to learn that more than 55,000 people travel with the company every year - with more than 90 per cent coming back for more.

And no wonder, because, in addition to a wide and diverse Classic Walking programme, they offer writing, painting an a host of other courses with expert tutors.

You quickly find yourself slipping into their simple, but efficient, holiday format.

Each morning after a real belt-bursting breakfast, you set off on your choice of walk with one of the guides.

The walks are graded as low, medium and high level - aimed to suit every level of fitness, from the challenging walks that lift your spirits to the more sedate, less taxing that I joined.

You select and take your own picnic lunch for a range of food that would sink your local supermarket shelves! Everything from yoghurts, fresh fruit and those giant baps stuffed with layers of cooked meats or cheese.

The only slightly off-putting aspect of the break is you have to order the following night's dinner immediately after eating your meal the previous evening.

However, the upside is that you can look forward to a superbly cooked meal of your personal choice on return from your walk.

The break is ideal for solos too.

As a widow from Northallerton explained: "I've been on four of these holidays now and I feel safe and really confident.

You meet a fascinating cross-section of people - and every night can be a party night."

I found that return to gentle innocence back at the house, after dinner, when everyone - including the leaders - joined in party games like Call My Bluff and an hilarious Square Dancing session.

Why, we even had a good, old-fashioned sing-song round the piano with a pint or too, before contentedly heading off to bed to dream of those silver salmon rising in the dark waters ...

A full board three-day HF Holidays Classic Walking break, including all meals and drinks, costs from around £130 a head.

For a HF brochure call 020 8905 9556 or mail info@hfholidays.co.uk

A full board, three-day HF Holidays Classic Walking break, including all meals and drinks, costs from around £ 130 a head.

For a brochure and a wide range of other holiday options, call 020-8905-9556, normal office hours weekdays, or write to: HF Holidays, Imperial House, Edgware Road, London NW9 5AL.

E-mail: info@hfholidays.co.uk.