Walks Programme
Our walks
are planned and led by
volunteers from within the group.
If you’d like to get involved in leading a walk, please let us know, we
have lots of support available to help you. Contact any member of the
committee or any walk leader - see Contacts
page - for
more information. Also see our Getting
Involved page.
Our walks are free to all Ramblers members and non-members are welcome to come and walk with us a few times, before deciding whether to join the charity. Visit the national website for more information about joining and membership benefits.
What to bring
For an all day walk, bring a packed lunch and enough water for the day.
Also, bring
waterproof clothing in case of rain and an extra layer of clothing such
as a fleece in case the weather changes for the worse. Sometimes
we stop at pubs where you can eat your own food although not many
landlords allow this. For half day walks there is usually an 'apple
stop' of ten minutes or so bring whatever refreshments you like.
What to wear
Wear whatever you are comfortable in! Trainers should be adequate on
most of our shorter walks, although it can be muddy so your trainers
may get muddy! For longer walks, we recommend you wear walking trainers
or walking boots (walking boots are better as they give better ankle
support). If a walk is described as
muddy you may like to wear gaiters or waterproof trousers to keep the
mud off your trousers. Denim jeans are never a good idea as if they get
wet will take ages to dry out and can be very, very cold. The leader
may refuse to accept your participation if, in their opinion, you are
inadequately equipped or unfit either of which could lead to an unsafe
situation.
Getting to the start
of the walk
A guide to finding the start of a walk may be found here.
At the Start of the Walk
The time shown in the programme is the time of departure from the
meeting place. Walkers should aim to arrive at least 10 minutes
before
that to get parked and booted-up etc, so that the group is not kept
waiting. it is important that new walkers introduce themselves to the
leader. The following prefixes to a walk used in the walks programme
indicate that you should take (F) Food
(D) drink and a suffix (WCs) indicates toilets are usually open.
On the walk
Walkers must follow the instructions of the leader when walking on
roads. It is not always the rule to walk facing oncoming traffic,
particularly if there is a sharp right-hand bend in the road.
Never overtake the leader unless he/she asks you to go on ahead.
Make sure that you are fit enough to undertake the walk you intend to
join. If you are unsure of your fitness level, try a short and
easy walk first. It is much better to find a walk too slow and
easy rather than make yourself miserable and exhausted. If in
doubt, check with the Programme Secretary.
Health and Safety
All sporting and leisure activities have inherent hazards associated
with them and rambling is no exception. In spite of the safety of
members always being of paramount concern, accidents will occasionally
happen. It is important therefore that, when entering into an
activity, each member appreciates that they have a responsibility to
identify hazards associated with the activity and take all reasonable
steps to eliminate or minimise the potential for accidents to arise.