Suggestions for leaders
- Attend some walks of a similar type to your new walk and get to
know the people who go on these walks.
- Begin with simple walks, ones you have walked before. A number of
easily led public transport walks are repeated throughout the year.
Whether semi-suburban or bush they are enjoyed. Public transport walks
are always popular
- Decide if your walk will be a 'Contact leader' or not. There are
advantages and disadvantages to both. Most public transport walks
are 'just turn up' walks. If you need cars make it a 'contact leader'
walk. Either way, you still need to put contact details in the walks
program in case there are prospectives or people enquiring about the
walk.
- No-one 'owns' a walk and walks already done will often be led again
by another, sometimes with variations.
- Check the online program or the draft program when the Walks Secretary
sends it out and if you are clashing with someone who is leading a
similar style walk in a similar area then move your walk to another
day or even another week when there are fewer activities. Go
on that other walk.
- You don't need map skills for all walks. Stick to a favourite walk
on set tracks and pre walk it with a friend or co-leader and you probably
won't even need a map. The coast is often a good idea for the cartographically
challenged. The water is on the right when you head towards Newcastle
and on the left when you head towards Wollongong!!
- For ideas for local walks, drop into the National Parks Association
Office (NPA) at Level 9, 91 York St Sydney (Ph: 92990000) and pick
up a copy of Bushwalks in the Sydney Region by Stephen Lord and George
Daniel (vols 1 and 2). They are reasonably priced and contain about
170 walks graded and described in detail. You'll also find them in
many outdoor activity shops.
Also look at our Useful links page for websites which describe walks.
Bush Club member Tom Brennan has a great website with descriptions
of lots of walks.
- Encourage a friend who would also like to start leading to put on
something with you.
- If you are worried about accidents on your walk, experience in the
Bush Club shows that injuries requiring more than a band-aid are few
and far between. On many walks, if you ask at the start of a walk,
you will find that someone in your group does have first aid skills.
If this is not the case then carrying a mobile phone will usually
help you find a solution to a problem. If, as recommended, your first
walks are on track and/or in an urban area, injury is extremely unlikely.
Remember the leader only has to co-ordinate the first aid effort not
be the expert.
Thanks to Carol and Mike for these ideas.
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