Introduction to Walking Activities
A
Program of Walks and other activities
is published quarterly with detailed information about each upcoming event. It is published in the
monthly Newsletter
and on the Website. A
variety of walking trips is available, each graded by experienced club members.
The Tips for New Bushwalkers gives
some helpful guidance to those who are new to the activity.
|
Type |
Grade |
|
D |
Day Walk.
|
E |
Easy |
|
PC |
Pack-Carry |
M |
Medium |
|
BC |
Base Camp |
H |
Hard |
|
L |
Lodge
Accommodation |
|
|
|
|
Weekend trips are planned on most weekends of the year. These may be day walks from a base camp
or lodge accommodation or pack-carry walks over
two or more days. Longer trips are arranged for public holiday weekends, both within Victoria and interstate. Occasionally, small groups arrange trips to New Zealand although these are not officially club trips.
Prospective walkers should discuss with the trip leader the level of fitness and
other requirements for the trip, if inexperienced with such trips.
Base camps
These can be either walk-in or ex-car style camping.
Camping beside the cars means additional comfort and luxuries, in addition to essentials like tent, sleeping mat & bag, food, cooking gear, etc.
Walk-in camps usually involve a 5 - 6km walk to the campsite, so normal weekend pack carry gear is required. These are an ideal introduction to pack carry trips.
All base camps feature day walks, usually with an early start to allow for longer distances.
Overnight Pack Carry Trips
Longer walks arranged over two or more days, carrying a pack with tent, sleeping mat & bag, stove, food, water, clothing, etc. Consequently, these walks are more difficult because of the weight of the pack and length or difficulty of each day's walk.
 One of the institutions of The Melbourne
Bushwalkers is the Sunday Walk which happens 51 Sundays throughout the year. The
destination is generally within 1 - 1.5 hours drive from Melbourne, with a bus departing
usually at 9am and usually returning by 6.30pm. The Sunday Walk generally splits in to
two groups:
- An easy grade route, catering for beginners and newcomers to the club
and those not wanting too strenuous a walk, usually between 12-15 kms. There
are breaks for morning tea and lunch and several other rest breaks.
- An easy/medium grade route for reasonably fit and more experienced walkers, usually between 15 - 18 kms.
There are breaks for morning tea and lunch and other rest breaks as
required.
Sometimes, walks may have a harder grading, e.g. easy & medium or
easy/medium and medium. Prospective walkers should discuss
with leaders the grade and level of fitness required, if in doubt.
 A
bus is provided to transport participants to the Sunday Walk location, with a
charge of $25 ( $15 concession ) plus $8 for visitors (temporary members, rebateable
on joining) and $5 late-payment fee if applicable. Bookings must be made and
paid for on either of the two preceding Wednesday nights at the Clubroom. (Please
note: No telephone bookings. No advance
bookings beyond the following two Sundays.)
To join the bus, members and visitors
(temporary members) meet in South Bank
Boulevard on the south side of The National Gallery of Victoria before 9am (unless otherwise indicated
in the program and/or preview for specific walks). (Depending on the direction of travel the bus my stop on either side
of Southbank Boulevard.)
Usually in the Dandenong Ranges and typically half-day walks. The programme includes an easy grade walk on the last Saturday of each month, and several Saturday walks of a more difficult standard are arranged throughout the year.
In and around Melbourne, looking at sites & routes of historic interest. Typically half-day and easy standard.
A recent addition to the program designed for
senior members of the club. An easy half-day or day walk usually arranged for the third
Monday of most months.
An easy or medium day walk usually arranged for the third Wednesday of most months.
Designed for senior members of the club, the
Thursday old
fogies (TOFS) walk on the first Thursday of the month, usually within
70kms of Melbourne and around 10-11 kms easy walking, in parks or on bush
tracks.
The club organises bus transport for Sunday
Walks (see above) and private transport (members' own cars) is generally used for most other walks and activities, with car-sharing arrangements organised by individuals or via the trip leader. A contribution to running costs is the accepted levy per passenger.
For average cars on good roads the Club recommends that each passenger
contribute 10c/km for 2 or 3 occupants (including the driver), reducing to 8c/km
for 4 in the car. (The charges are subject to regular review and passengers
should confirm the current guideline with the driver.)
Remember
Bushwalking is inherently risky and walkers are responsible for their own safety.
Always - "Talk before the Walk" and tell leaders if you have any pre-existing health conditions, special medication requirements or allergies. We want you to have fun and return home safely.
► See the
Walks Program for more details.
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