Organising a day’s walks for the Club is a challenging but very satisfying activity. To the person who hasn’t done it before, it may at first appear to be a daunting task but it can be undertaken by anyone who is a keen walker with a basic knowledge of map reading. This guide is designed to explain the whole process and there are a number of people who regularly organise walks, as well as the Walks Co-ordinator, who will be willing to offer assistance.
The following list is intended to provide guidance for walk organisers that are interested in organising a day’s walks for the Club. The list is largely in chronological order.
Walk destination
Every Autumn, members are requested to offer to organise a day in the following year’s walks programme. If so willing, you need to identify the area in which you’d like to organise the walks and decide the place (village or town) where all walks will finish. The destination should have reasonable access roads for the coach and somewhere it can safely wait (e.g. car park, lay-by) whilst waiting for walkers to return. The day is a balance of travel time and walk time though it is the Club’s tradition to allow time for socialising before returning home.
The walks
Next, you need to identify 5 walks of differing distances that will end at the chosen destination in the time available. These will vary according to local conditions but are typically: –
- Walk 1: A 14 – 16 mile walk which will tend to involve the most ascent and is intended for the stronger walker.
- Walk 2: A 12 – 13 mile walk that will tend to involve quite a bit of ascent but over a shorter distance.
- Walk 3: A 9 – 11 mile walk, which is similar to Walk 2 walk with generally less ascent.
- Walk 4: A 6 – 9 mile walk that is essentially low level with minimal ascent.
- Walk 5: A 4 – 6 mile walk with little or no ascent .
This is only a guide as the stated lengths of the walks may differ to suit the terrain and height involved and may be less than those general values. Naturally a day’s walks in the Lake District will be generally shorter than those along the Northumberland Coast. A good guide is to look at past walks in that area for determining the 5 different walks. Advice on how to calculate the times of your planned walks and how they should fit into the whole day is given in Calculation of Walk Times.
Drop off points
Having identified the 5 walks, the drop-off points, where the bus will need to stop to let off the walkers, should be examined. Again, reasonable bus access needs to be borne in mind, as well as the logical sequence in which the walks will be dropped off. Try to avoid having to stop the bus on busy roads or corners, and any routes that will involve narrow country lanes and narrow or low bridges. Signposted bus stops are considered to be valid drop-off places and lay-bys are ideal. Also, if the bus needs to turn around at any point, bear in mind the length of the coach for it to be able to manoeuvre. Google Earth, Google Maps & Street View are useful tools for assessing potential bus routes and especially proposed drop-off points.
Morning and Evening stops
The next thing you need to decide upon is where the bus is going to stop in the morning for a breakfast stop. There are breakfast stops that we tend to use which are suitable for various destinations and if you need advice, ask a Committee member.
You should check that the destination has suitable facilities for us to gather after the walks. In many towns there is a choice of pubs but in smaller villages there may only be one pub. In the latter instance, it is good practice to let proprietors know of our intended visit. If there are multiple facilities at the destination, the promise that we will visit is best avoided.
The option to have an evening meal or a snack is welcome but it is not essential. Many pubs cannot provide food during the time we are there, although it can be worth asking if they are willing to provide a limited menu for us. Beware of websites as they are often inaccurate, it is better to contact a pub directly.
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance of the walks is not essential though some members prefer to do that in order to determine that the rights-of-way match those on the map, and whether any features vital to the walk are actually there, such as bridges for river crossings. Again, Google Earth can give a very good indication whether there are visible tracks across an area, for example, across moorland. The Club also has fairly up-to-date OS maps which can be borrowed.
Initial draft proposals
Initial thoughts on your walks should be given to the Walks Co-ordinator at least 6 weeks prior to the walk date for review and response. This can be on a map showing all of the walks, including start and finish points and mileages with an estimate of ascent and descent. If you use Ordnance Survey software (or others) to plan the walks, .gpx files showing the walks may be submitted. Information on proposed breakfast and evening stops should also be given.
It is important not to complete all of the maps at this stage as the Walks Co-ordinator may suggest changes to the routes based on past experiences in that area or walking time available. The Committee also reviews the routes before they are approved .
Final maps
Once the routes have been approved, either mark all 5 walks on a suitable map base or alternatively staple together individual maps of the 5 walks. Either way, two sets will be required for circulation on the bus on the day for members to select their walk. A map should be prepared and given to each individual walk leader, preferably well in advance of the walk day.
The maps may be on any convenient scale. It is the walk leader’s duty to transfer the information onto a 1:25,000 OS map.
The Walks Co-ordinator will arrange to have the approved walks placed on the Club website.
Walk leaders
When you have the routes approved and maps prepared you can approach members of the Club to lead the various walks. There are again several people within the Club who are willing to do this.
Attend committee meeting
The walk organiser for the forthcoming Saturday may, if they wish, attend the Committee meeting on the Wednesday before the walk. If there are no issues or last minute changes there is no requirement to attend. However, it is the organiser’s duty to ensure that the Walks Co-ordinator has all information that is needed for the Saturday walk at the prior Committee meeting, and in particular the bus copy maps.
Assistance
Remember, help is always at hand and should you need assistance at any stage of the process, no matter how trivial it may seem, then please approach the Club Walks Co-ordinator or any member of the Committee.
If there is one piece of advice above all others, it is to submit draft proposals as early as possible.
