Ideas for new leaders

Ideas for new 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 programme 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 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 - see above)

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 Carole and Mike for these ideas.