Leading group walks

These notes are intended as a guide for those intending to organise and lead Ramblers groups on walks, though they should also prove useful for all group walk leaders. Even local walks demand careful planning and co-ordination, and it is wise to make sure that you have covered every eventuality.

Planning the walk
Basic guidelines | Insurance and safety

Advertising the walk
Walks for members | Walks for the public

On the day
Before the walk | During the walk I After the walk

Walking for everyone

Further study

Planning the walk

Basic guidelines

In selecting a route, you should think carefully about the following:

The availability of paths or open country. Stay off roads as much as possible: metalled surfaces are hard on feet, and the constant wariness of traffic will diminish your enjoyment
Start and finish points. Are they convenient, suitable and easy to find? Are public toilets nearby?
Transport. Wherever possible, walks should be accessible by public transport. If cars are the only alternative, there should be somewhere to park vehicles safely and without causing annoyance or obstruction to others.
Lunchtime halt. Is shelter available in bad weather? If a pub is convenient, will it accommodate your party, and can it provide food? Or alternatively, will it allow you to consume your own picnic lunch if you agree to buy drinks? Check in advance: many pubs no longer allow this, especially if they sell their own food.
Length and timing. The distance should never be so much as to tax unduly the capability and experience of your party. Always assume a slower speed than your own. In particular, allow more time for stiles: since most of these can only be surmounted by one person at a time, they will slow the pace of a group.
Terrain and weather conditions will also affect walking speed: for walks in upland country, you should shorten the route by 1.5-3km/1-2 miles for every 300m/1,000 feet of ascent. Muddy or windy conditions will also slow your speed.
Newcomers. Although experienced walkers can walk much longer distances, a total of around 15km/10 miles a day, or 8km/5 miles in half a day in gently undulating countryside, or less over more hilly terrain, is easily far enough for many walkers. For easy or introductory walks you should work on much less.
Alternative and escape routes. Prepare less exposed alternatives for use if the weather is bad before you set out, and escape routes to shorten the walk if conditions deteriorate on the way.

After you have devised a route, walk it yourself well in advance of the day. Any obstructions or other problems can then be reported to the highway authority so they will hopefully be put right by the time your party walks the route.

It's also best to re-walk your route a week or so before the event, to refresh your memory and note more recent changes.

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Insurance and safety

Make sure you are familiar with the principles of safety, and of choosing the appropriate clothing and equipment for walks. Consider taking training in first aid, and encourage walkers to carry a small first-aid kit.

Walks organised by Ramblers Areas and Groups automatically receive third-party insurance cover, provided the leaders are Ramblers members, through the Association’s national policy. This is designed to protect leaders against claims for damage to property and for injury or death which might have been occasioned on the walk. Similar cover, at advantageous rates, is available to clubs and other organisations affiliated to the Ramblers. Please note that neither policy provides personal accident cover.

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Advertising the walk

Walks for members

You may well be asked to supply brief details several months in advance for inclusion in the group's walks programme and on the website if it has one. This listing should include:

Name/description of the starting point. Give a six-figure grid reference if you can: see instructions on all OS walkers' maps.
Distance and estimated time, including lunch stop.
Grading and terrain: it's useful to describe routes as ‘easy’, ‘moderate’ or ‘difficult’, and state whether the route is basically flat, hilly and so on..
Date and departure time
Lunch stop. Should food be bought or can it be obtained along the way?
Public transport details. State which service to catch and from where, departure times, route numbers and destinations, where to get off and directions to the starting point. Allow in your planning for late running services. If by car, and your organisation has an arrangement to meet at a central point before setting out at the start of walks, allow time for this too, and give details of where to park safely and unobtrusively.
Dogs: state whether they are allowed, and whether they must be kept on a lead.
Your contact details: phone number, and email if you have one.

We now have an online database of walks, the Group Walks Finder, on our website, which we hope eventually will include all Ramblers Group walks. Please contact us for more information about including your walks on the system.

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Walks for the public

As well as providing the information above, draw attention to features of special interest and advise on footwear and clothing requirements. Details should be sent to the local press and radio preferably three weeks in advance, followed by a reminder two weeks later. Also include the walk details on posters and our online Group Walks Finder (see above), and notify other local information providers, such as libraries and Tourist Information Centres.

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On the day

Before the walk

Introduce yourself as the leader of the walk, and, without appearing officious, make sure that:

cars are parked responsibly
dogs are on leads, or their owners have some means of restraining them.
all party members are suitably equipped to cope with the terrain and the prevailing weather conditions. This will have to be a subjective assessment, but in extreme circumstances you would be justified in turning away someone if you thought that a lack of proper footwear or equipment could put them or others at risk.

Before setting off, give a brief oral description of the route, together with details of the lunchtime break, and other occasional stops, and estimated finishing time. If there are a number of new or non-members, remind them of the Country Code.

Give instructions on a code of conduct if there is any road walking involved: in general, walk in single file, and on the right side of the road to face the oncoming traffic, crossing over when you are about to approach the inside of a bend.

Please note that although the most recent version of the Highway Code gives contrary advice, it is referring to organised marches. The leader and back-marker are however recommended to wear reflective arm bands on the left arm on any walk involving road walking. It is a legal requirement to inform the police and to take their advice if any walk planned is likely to take the form of a march.

Also advise the party not to walk more than two abreast when crossing fields that are ploughed or in crop.

If sheep and cattle are likely to be encountered, dog-owners should be advised at this stage, and should be prepared to put their animals on a lead when asked to do so.

Finally, appoint a back-marker (preferably, someone who knows the route as well as you) and make sure he or she is known to the party, and that everyone knows the back marker's function: to close gates and to ensure that no member of the party falls behind unseen. However, it is the leader’s responsibility to ensure that contact is not lost with the rear of the party through a gap opening up in the middle.

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On the walk

The party will soon become spread out. In many respects this is preferable to having everyone bunched together, but try to avoid large gaps occurring by slowing down the pace, and making frequent stops to allow those at the rear to catch up. Don’t move on just as the back-markers appear, since their need for a short rest will be, if anything, greater than those at the front. In addition, close up the party for complicated turnings, poor visibility or in woods.

In reasonable weather, lunch should not be rushed: for many, eating out of doors is one of the most enjoyable aspects of open-air recreation. 45 minutes should prove ample. Use the lunch break to give out information, such as details of future walks and events or Ramblers membership. Before leaving your lunch site, clear up litter and check that nothing has been left behind.

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After the walk

Check that everyone is accounted for and has transport home. Give out information about other group activities and membership.

On your return home, write a brief description of the walk for local newspaper (numbers attending, itinerary, unusual happenings and so on), or telephone the details through to your organisation’s publicity officer to deal with. Make sure you do this immediately – newspaper editors will not use out-of-date copy. You may also want to keep a record for your group's newsletter or website.

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Walking for everyone

As a charity which aims to promote walking, we encourage our Groups to lay on a wide range of walks to appeal to as many different people as possible. Please don't just think about meeting the needs of experienced members when you plan your programme: consider shorter, easier walks for beginners, walks that might be attractive to families with children, and walks that can be reached by public transport or start from the centre of town. This will also help us in broadening the membership of the organisation.

Sometimes those with special needs, such as people with disabilities, are interested in joining Ramblers walks. How easy it is for a person with a disability to join a regular Group walk will vary according to the walk and to the particular disability: there are more practical issues involved in taking a wheelchair user on a walk than, say, someone who is deaf but otherwise able-bodied. However, you should try to accommodate everyone wherever this is practical. Some Areas and Groups also make a point of laying on walks specially designed for people with various disabilities, and we are keen to encourage this.

When taking people with disabilities on your walks, you should bear in mind the following points:

The Ramblers cannot take on any medical responsibilities; where appropriate, carers should be in attendance unless a prior arrangement has been made with the walks leader
It is important that participants or carers consult with the leader before the day of the walk to discuss all aspects of the route
Ramblers groups and members are covered by our public liability insurance policy, and if any groups of disabled persons join the walk they must be placed on record as being under the RA's organisation for the duration of the outing.

For further practical advice on providing walks for people with disabilities, see our Let's Get Going pack, available from our main office.

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