All our walks are led by our group members. Any SYW member can lead a walk - you don't need any special training or qualifications. Here's an outline of what's involved.
SYW walks are generally between 5 and 15 miles long, so you'll have plenty of choice of what type of walk you'd like to lead. If you need inspiration, there are lots of guide books giving routes all over Surrey, including AA's 50 walks in Surrey, 100 walks in Surrey, and Pub walks in the Surrey Hills. Or you can find routes online at sites such as:
www.go4awalk.com
www.fancyfreewalks.org
www.gps-routes.co.uk
www.walkinginsurrey.co.uk
It's recommended to walk out the route in advance ('recce') to make sure there are no problems. Remember the pace of a group will be slower due to regrouping stops, water stops, etc. Generally plan for a pace of 2.5 miles per hour on flat/easy terrain, or 2 miles per hour on hilly terrain. Plan a suitable lunch and/or refreshment stop.
You'll get higher attendance if the start/end point is a train station. Plan your start time to coincide with trains from popular hubs such as Guildford and Clapham Junction. If you can find out the parking charges for drivers then it's also useful.
Look at the walks already submitted and decide on a date that you'd like to submit your walk for. We welcome more than one walk on the same day if they are in different areas or grades, so don't be put off if there's already a walk on your ideal day.
When you're ready to put your walk on the programme simply log in to our website and complete the form. The form requires the same details as you see when looking at the programme. The webmaster will check your submission and either approve it, or ask you for clarification of any details.
This is a quick online form, and for a typical walk (and once you've done it a few times) it will take you literally 30 seconds.
There are lots of things to remember, so we recommend focusing on the following:
There's not much to do at the end of the walk - just make sure everyone is still accounted for and if there were any accidents or problems during the walk, make a note of them.
If leading a walk sounds like something you'd love to do, submit your walk for review and inclusion on the walks listings.