Family Bushwalkers Inc.

Information for members

MEMBERSHIP FEES

Membership of the Club is from 1 October to 30 September. To become a member, to renew or to change membership details, please use the form at the end of this program. See the application form for details of membership fees.

DAY WALKS

Meeting times and places

The normal meeting time is 8.50 am, unless shown otherwise - highlighted with ***.

The usual meeting points are:

W:      The northern car park of the Cooleman Court shopping centre,
        Brierly St, Weston, the corner across the road from McDonalds;
K:      Kambah shopping centre car park, corner Drakeford Drive & Marconi 
        Crescent, opposite the service station; and
Q:      Queanbeyan Swimming Pool car park, Campbell St.

Cancellation of walks

Walks are likely to be cancelled:

if fewer than four people turn up;
if severe weather is forecast or a total fire ban is in force.

If in doubt, contact the leader.

Transport

Transport is not organised by the Club, but car sharing is usually arranged at meeting places. The suggested contribution for each passenger is given for each walk. It is based on 10 cents per passenger per km, rounded to the nearest dollar, with an increase as determined by the leader for rough or difficult tracks. Park entry fees are usually divided equally among all people in the car.

Car drivers should check the destination with the leader at the meeting place. Drivers unsure of the route should ask the leader to wait at significant corners. A tail car may be nominated by the leader. Convoys inconvenience other drivers, so please allow plenty of room for overtaking traffic.

Start and finish

Day walks usually leave the cars by 10.00 am. The time of return to the cars cannot be guaranteed, because all sorts of events can delay the walk, but it will usually be by 4.00 pm in winter and 6.00 pm in summer. These times depend on the grade of the walk. Hard and exploratory walks may start earlier and end later. This will normally be indicated in the walk description.

It is our custom to bring a thermos and enjoy a friendly chat after walks before driving home.

Overdue walkers

Please direct any enquiries concerning overdue walking parties in the first instance to the Club's Emergency Officers. See front cover for contact details. If neither of them can be contacted, please contact an Office Bearer or Committee member. They will advise Police Communications of the situation. Upon return, leaders of overdue parties must contact the Emergency Officers as soon as possible.

PACK WALKS

Start and finish times, meeting points and transport arrangements for overnight pack walks are much more variable. Those interested in these walks should contact the leader for details, as indicated in the program.

ADVICE TO WALKERS

Bushwalking is an outdoor, active recreation. The aim of the Club is to enjoy the bush in good company and in safety. Each walker must be aware of the hazards and be prepared for them. If in the leader's opinion a walk is not suitable for a particular person, the leader has a right not to accept that person on the walk. The Club expects all members and visitors to diligently follow the advice given below:

If you have doubts about your ability to undertake bushwalking, please consult you doctor beforehand.
For your enjoyment and that of others it is important that you read carefully and understand the walk descriptions. If you have any doubts, phone the leader beforehand. Leaders' phone numbers are always given in the program.
You should select an easy walk for your first walk with the Club, unless you are very experienced and the leader approves. Walkers with fitness problems and new members should stay with walks graded 'Very Easy' or 'Easy', until confident of their ability to undertake harder walks as indicated by the grading system.
If walking with children, make sure to choose a walk which they can manage comfortably. Most walks under 10 km over easy terrain are suitable for children of, say. 7 years and older. Our family walks are usually 2-3 hours and are intended for families with younger children.
Most day walks take the party several hours away from car or phone, and pack walks, often much further away. We advise all walkers to take their own first aid kits, and there are several recommended kits on sale, eg. St John Ambulance. The Club cannot guarantee that there will be someone in each party with first aid or medical qualifications. Some first aid needs arise more often than others: sunburn, thorn pricks, insect bites, abrasions and bruising from falls, blisters, heat exhaustion through not drinking enough, and sprains and strains from slipping on rock or wet wood.
Visitors are welcome on all walks, but they must discuss the walk and their own experience with the leader before going to the meeting point. If you have doubts about your ability to keep up with the group on a particular walk, do not attempt the walk.

RULES FOR WALKERS

The Club expects all walkers to observe the following rules:

Dogs and firearms are not allowed.
Bring lunch and plenty to drink - about 1 litre per adult and 1.5 per child in normal weather, and more for hot weather.
Dress appropriately and always bring a hat, waterproof jacket or coat, and warm clothing, eg. heavy woollen sweater, gloves, warm headgear, for unexpected cold weather. You can encounter very cold winds on the ridges and be caught in rain and snow storms. A tired, wet and cold walker is vulnerable to hypothermia (exposure). You can avoid distress by wearing the right clothes.
Wear strong footwear with thick treaded soles. Walking boots with thick socks are best, but joggers or gym shoes are suitable for easy and medium terrains.
For day walks bring everything in a light day pack so that both hands are free. Hand held bags are neither comfortable nor suitable.
Keep together. Use the same route as the leader and do not get ahead of or behind the party. Call out if you are getting behind, or if you have been told a walker is making a toilet stop. Pass the message to the leader, who will stop. If the party is large, a tail is usually appointed to look after slower walkers and check periodically with the leader. The most common causes of separation are getting ahead of the leader or making a toilet stop without telling anyone. Do not assume you can drop behind and then easily catch up.
If you do become separated, stop and call out. Do not keep walking. Wait in a visible place even if you have to wait some time. The leader will return for you. Call out at intervals.
If you want to leave the walk for any reason, always consult the leader first - and abide by the leader's ruling.
The Club endorses minimum impact bushwalking. Avoid damaging the bush environment, leave absolutely no litter, and do not burn plastics in fires.
Call for a stop at the first sign of a blister or other injury. The party will gladly stop for a rest while any necessary first aid is given. If you use someone else's supplies, replace them.
If the leader is making a head count, assist by standing still.
Use mobile phones for emergencies only.

WALK DESCRIPTIONS AND GRADINGS

The standard entry for a scheduled day walk should include the following information: Day(s); date(s); title; grade; distance; description (route, climb if graded above 'very easy', terrain, main interest or special attractions); map reference for parking place at start of walk; car distance and passenger contribution; map(s); leader and phone number; meeting point. Where relevant it will also show: Non-standard starting time; expected late return; car shuffle or cross-over; any special hazards; and any special instructions.

Some terms used in walk descriptions:

Compulsory swim	            Unavoidable River or pool crossing too deep for
                            walking.
Fire road, fire trail       Rough vehicle track, usually comfortable
                            for walking.
Foot pad                    Narrow track worn by passage of feet.
Foot track                  Constructed narrow track for walkers.
Creek or river crossing     Stream crossing without a bridge; may mean wet feet
                            or use of stepping stones or logs.
Rock scrambling             Use of hands on steep, slippery, rocky slope.
Rock hopping                Stepping or jumping springing from rock to rock in
                            or above water.
Scrub                       Low trees or shrubs, collectively.  Light
                            scrub offers little impediment; medium
                            scrub requires some extra effort and use of 
                            hands; heavy scrub requires considerable effort
                            and constant use of hands.
Total climbing              Sum of all climbs on the walk, not just the
                            difference between the lowest and highest points.

The grading system

Walks are graded by experienced walkers, but gradings will always be somewhat subjective. The difficulty of a walk can be greatly affected by changes in the weather, vegetation, and track conditions. Walk descriptions include the approximate distance, total climbing, and notes on the terrain. These factors are used in the grading system, and regular walkers will learn to match their capabilities to them. One of five grading is obtained by scoring the three factors according to the table:



FACTORS                                                                GRADING
Distance (km)  Climb (m)   Terrain                                     Score Grade
               900-    6
21-        5   700-899 5  Mostly rough going/thick scrub           5   14-16 VERY HARD
16-20      4   500-699 4  Moderately rough going/some scrub        4   11-13 HARD
11-15      3   300-499 3  Some rough going                         3    7-10 MEDIUM
6-10       2   100-299 2  Mostly road, track or footpad,           2     4-6 EASY
                          no rough going
0-5        1     0-99  1  All road, track or footpad,              1       3 VERY EASY
                          no rough going

Note: Rough going includes medium or heavy scrub; rocky, loose or slippery ground; rock scrambling; and stony creek crossings.

The gradings

Very Easy       Distances up to 5 km; urban or nature park rambles;
                suitable for family groups, including young children
                needing to be carried. No previous bushwalking experience
                required.
Easy            Suitable for people with little or no bushwalking experience.
Medium          Moderate fitness and some bushwalking experience required.  Many
                who have not been on a full day's bushwalk before find these
                quite difficult.
Hard            Demanding walking.  Fit and experienced walkers only.
Very Hard       Strenuous walking.  Fit and experienced walkers only.
Exploratory     Route not fully known to the leader.  May be physically
                demanding, with delays and diversions from the intended route.
                Fit and experienced walkers only.

OPPORTUNITIES TO DEVELOP YOUR BUSHWALKING SKILLS

The Club wishes to encourage members to improve their skills in navigation, first aid and more advanced bushwalking. The following activities are open to all:

Navigation training and exercises. Members wishing to practice navigation may bring map and compass on a walk and check their navigation with that of the leader. While leaders will not be able to give you undivided attention, you will find them willing to help and advise, particularly if you have phoned them beforehand. In this program there are special opportunities for learning navigation - see Saturday 20 May for details.
First aid training. The Club is prepared to subsidise attendance at St John Ambulance courses. Conditions apply, and information is available from the Secretary-Treasurer.
Advanced bushwalking. The Club offers you many pack walks of varying difficulty into more rugged terrain over two or more days. The best way to go about this is to start with a simple overnight walk with an experienced leader, but because of the greater safety and fitness requirements, you must ask the leader's permission beforehand. This applies to all overnight pack walks. A kit list is available from the Secretary-Treasurer, and on the walk you will hear lively debate about the best gear. In addition to the special introductory pack walks in this program - see 6 March and 1-2 April for details - you are welcome to call the Secretary for the name of an experienced wilderness bushwalker if you would like personal advice about gear, routes, etc.

The Club needs new leaders and new ideas for walks. If you are interested in leading or in finding out more about it, please feel free to talk to walk leaders, the Walks Officer, or to other Committee members, and to come to the next Walks Program Meeting with your ideas. From the Walks Officer you can also obtain a copy of Notes for Leaders, which contains detailed advice on what is involved in leading a walk.

The Club is affiliated with the NSW Confederation of Bushwalking Clubs which provides some public liability insurance cover for club officers, leaders, and members, and has a Policy on Natural Areas and a Bushwalking Code.