Leading Guide
The clubs walks can only take place because we have members whom are experienced enough to safety lead the walks.
Due to the average age of our members it is not practical to have leaders trained to national standards such as Mountain Leadership. This does not mean that the leaders are any less capable. In fact, the experience our leaders have when they leave the club puts them in a good position to go on and get their Mountain Leadership Award in later life.
We are always looking for new people to train up and/or take over leadership roles. We assess new leaders by allocating them a current leader who will (if necessary) train them and report on their progress to the committee. Once their ability has been assessed, it will be decide what grades of walks (if any) they can lead - this will be continuously assessed. For example one person may start off leading "A walks" then progress to "B walks" before being gaining the experience and ability to lead "C walks". First of all a new leader will be asked to shadow a leader, periodically being checked by the leader. Then they must demonstrate their ability in leading two walks while being backmarked by another leader.
Becoming a leader can be a very rewarding experience and can add a totally new dimension to your Sunday's Hike. Probably the greatest advantage is that you know that once you leave university you will not have to rely on others to take you hiking.
You are always guaranteed a place on a hike and your leadership skills look great on your CV.
If you are interested, see a committee member to organize an assessment.
