Walks Programmes
The Club aims to organise walks every Sunday and Wednesday throughout the year and occasionally special walks such as on Boxing Day or New Years Day. There is usually a trip to Wales (normally the Brecon Beacons) every second Sunday of the month. All walks have a short coffee/drink stop and the longer, all day walks may also have a packed lunch stop that will be stated in the walk description.
Newcomers are encouraged to walk with us before commiting to join the Club and may do so up to three times before becoming members. Good footwear and suitable clothing for inclement weather are strongly recommended. Sorry, these walks are not suitable for any dogs, as there can be high solid stone stiles, stepping stones across streams, encounters with livestock, etc.
PARTICIPANTS WALK AT THEIR OWN RISK.
START TIME: Unless stated on the programme and with the exception of some Welsh walks, all walks leave the start point at 10:00am.
CAR SHARING: Car sharing is encouraged to help limit the number of vehicles travelling to and from walks and ease parking issues. If sharing a car as a passenger, please consider a voluntary contribution to the driver’s motoring costs; the Club’s suggestion is 10p per mile.
PROSPECTIVE MEMBERS: If you are planning to join a walk prior to applying for membership please contact the walk leader in advance so they know to expect and welcome you on the day.
NEW MEMBERS: The walks vary in both length and difficulty, if you are unsure of your fitness level the Club recommends you try a short and/or low graded walk first.
SAFETY AND FIRST AID: Please familiarise yourself with information in the Safety and First Aid document.
WALK GRADINGS: Walks are graded in five stages from Very Easy to Very Hard. This describes the terrain rather than the length.
1 Very Easy – Flat
2 Easy – Gentle Slopes
3 Moderate – Includes some Hills
4 Hard – Hard Climbs/Hills
5 Very Hard – Mountains
WHAT TO WEAR: Generally you should wear good walking boots or shoes and bring waterproof clothing and sufficient layers to keep warm. Club members can get a 15% discount with Cotswold Outdoor http://www.cotswoldoutdoor.com .
LIABILITY: Whilst leaders will take every care for the safety of walkers, the Club can accept no responsibility for injury. Please satisfy yourself that you are fit and well enough equipped for the walk you join. Though walking is one of the safest outdoor activities, no activity is completely without risk and it is your responsibility to act in a way to minimise the potential for accidents to occur.
OTHER INFORMATION: Sorry these walks are not suitable for any dogs as there can be high solid stone stiles, stepping stones across streams, encounters with livestock, etc. Prospective members are welcome to participate in up to three walks for before being asked to join the Club, however, non-members are not covered by our Public Liability Insurance.
REPORTING FOOTPATH PROBLEMS: If anyone has problems with paths on a walk, please report them to the relevant walk coordinator. The relevant coordinator will then raise the problem with the relevant authority.
FOOTPATH WORKING PARTIES: Swindon and North East Wiltshire Ramblers are always looking for volunteers to join their Footpath Working Parties, so if you would like to help us keep the walking environment that we all use clear and usable then please contact Tom Allen on tomoallen@hotmail.com for further information.