Becoming a Hike Leader
Are you interested in becoming a hike leader for our Meetup Day Hike Group or our Meetup Pack Carry Group?
When I first started hiking in Australia I hiked with other groups until I felt confident with the terrain, wildlife and wellbeing of myself and others on a hike. For me, it was also about hiking where I want, when I want.
A month after creating the Green Trails (Day Hikes) Meetup Group, we started our own business selling hiking & camping gear, Green Trails Australia. Green Trails Australia aim to bring more people from a ‘Walking for Exercise’ activity to a ‘Hiking for Exercise’ activity. Hiking is not nearly enough practised in Australia. It’s time to involve our children, and get the whole family out on the trails away from phones, iPads, and laptops. It is time to replace Screen Time with Green Time! That goes for adults too, not just children!
As a business we also want our members, and leaders to have access to some of the best hiking gear available: To be able to test that gear out in the field and to be able to recommend and discuss their hiking gear with other members. As an active hike leader, you will also be offered the best discounts on the gear that we sell.
As a hike leader you can post your own hike whenever, wherever. All our hike leaders have their own ideas and ways of leading their hikes and in selecting who goes along with them, and who does not. The idea of one hike leader, does not represent the idea of all hike leaders, nor is it representative of the group as a whole.
Mostly it is about the confidence and ability of the hike leader as to how many hikers and whom they wish to include on a hike. Given that all our hike leaders are volunteers, we allow them to have this flexibility. If you would like to attend a hike where you are guaranteed a position, and to get off the waiting list, then we would suggest that you become a hike leader.
If you would like to become a hike leader for Green Trails, you will need to attend at least one of our hikes and have a chat with one of our hike leaders. If they feel that you are up to the task, they will refer you on to becoming a hike leader.
As a hike leader you are responsible for the well-being of both yourself and of those in your group. That is not to say that you are liable for any misfortune that may occur on a hike (see our Waiver of Liability and Risk page for more info on this), but rather that you have their best interests at heart. To the best of your ability, make sure that your hikers have the correct gear and are fit enough to attend your hike. Make sure that they know what is planned and how difficult a hike will be.
If you would like to know more, or have some general questions, please contact our group Organizer, Michael directly through Meetup.
