Information for New Leaders

Lancaster Fellwalkers is always happy to have volunteers to lead one of their walks. Thank you! Our Information for New Leaders can be downloaded here.

Here are some guidelines which we hope will help to plan and lead your walk.

You should be able to:

Use a map and compass
Have a basic knowledge of first aid
Assess hazards and risks
Use emergency procedures
Communicate - and be the one making decisions concerning your party on the day. No matter how well you lead your walk, different people have different expectations, so it's unlikely that you'll be able to please all of the people all of the time. Please don't let this put you off, however.
Check the weather and know of its effects.

Help and advice is always available from the committee members when planning your walks, and the Walks Coordinator can check your route for you and make sure that it fits our criteria. On the walk itself, help will always be on hand from experienced leaders should you require assistance.

Guidelines for Walk Lengths and Height Gain
These are the accepted gradings for the walks offered by the club:

‘B’ party: Usually 9 to 11 miles and approximately 1,000 feet of ascent (14.5-17.75 km, 305 m).
‘A minus’: Usually 10 to 12 miles and approximately 2,000 to 2,500 feet of ascent (16-19 km, 607-762 m).
‘A’ party: Usually 12 to 15 miles and up to 3,000 feet of ascent (19-24 km, 914 m).
‘A+’ party: Usually 14 to 18 miles, at a fast pace, and up to 4,500 feet of ascent (22.5-29 km, 1372 m).

Journey Times
We've prepared this handy list for you to help calculate what time the coach will be arriving at your destination:
Coach Journey Times

Your Walk

Preparation: pre-walk as much of the route as possible. Allow approximately 4-5 hours in winter and 5-6 hours in summer, at approximately two miles an hour, including stops. On some terrain such a bog and rocky slopes you may be reduced to one mile and hour, whereas on roads the pace may be quicker. Note any safe exit routes in case of deteriorating conditions. It's useful to have somewhere in mind for your rest stops and lunch before the walk starts.
The speed or pace of the walk should be set to suit the party - organise your walks to take into consideration the speed of the slowest walkers.
Nominate a back marker to ensure that no one gets left behind.
When starting your walk make sure that everyone is ready. Don’t set off while people are packing bags etc, and the same applies at stops on the route.
Communicate clearly your walk to others in order to inspire confidence. Avoid statements like 10 to 11 miles, say 11 miles - people prefer to have a definite figure in mind and would much rather find out that the walk has been shorter than expected than longer. On the walk, let people know if you are turning onto a different path, and try to indicate any points of interest.
Don’t let the party become too spread out, have catch-up stops and when they catch-up don’t set off immediately; allow a couple of minutes for the last to have a rest. People who are trailing behind will become demoralised.
If you have new members on your walk, try to ensure that they have the appropriate kit. It may be necessary for club members to lend them spare items if they do not.
Stop for a short break, say 10 minutes, about every 1 to 1½ hours, and longer for lunch. People are more likely to have accidents on difficult terrain. The length and frequency of breaks will depend on which party you are leading (i.e. A party walks will need fewer breaks than a B party walk).
Be aware of changes in the weather and modify the walk if possible. In bad weather, make sure that the back marker (with a whistle) keeps the party close together.
All leaders make mistakes, so don't be afraid to ask for help and ask for other people's opinions when things go wrong or you are not sure what to do.
Your primary task as a leader is to have your party walk safely from A to B. Your party’s primary objective is to enjoy themselves.
At the end of the walk you should be last, not first, into the pub having ensured the slowest and last of your party are safely back.

Further Information
Several books are available on leading walks, the most popular being Mountaincraft and Leadership by Eric Langmuir. Other recommended books include: Hillwalking – The official handbook of the Mountain Leader and Walking Group Leader schemes by Steve Long, and Mountain Navigation by Peter Cliff.