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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Who
are you?
We
are the Northants 20s 30s
Ramblers / Walking Group -
As the name suggests,
essentially we are a group based
in Northamptonshire, in our 20s
and 30s, who go walking - but
that would be too
simple!
Do
I have to live in
Northamptonshire to
join?
No -
Although we are based in
Northamptonshire we have
members from many of the
surrounding counties as well, and
from as far afield as Luton.
Basically, if you can get to the
walks then you can join us!
Do
I have to be in my 20s or
30s?
No -
Although we are technically a
"20s 30s" group we don't ask for
your birth certificate!! As long
as you are "young at heart" then
you should fit in well! (And if
you are 29 but act like a 65 year
old then you probably
won't!!)
At
the lower end of the scale, you
have to be at least 18 (for legal
reasons).
Most
of our members are somewhere in
the middle, so if you are in your
20s or 30s you will find plenty
of people around your
age.
Does
being "Ramblers" mean you only do
very short unambitious
walks?
No
- Although we are called
Ramblers this is because we are
part of the Ramblers
Association.
However, we are far removed from
the image this may conjure in
your mind of groups of pensioners
in bobble hats drinking
tea!
Usually
walks are around 8-10 miles, and
some of the local walks may be a
"figure of 8" - split into two
roughly equal halves. On some of
the more distant daywalks and
most weekends away we tend to do
some ambitious walks, in areas
such as the Lake District, the
Peak District and North Wales,
which can involve some steep
hillclimbing and long distances.
But we try to cater for everyone
and low level and shorter walks
can be made available on
weekends, if there is demand for
these.
To
get an idea of the sort of thing
we have done in the past, see the
Past
Walks
Programmes
and Photos
and
Reports
pages.
How
often do you go
walking?
We
now walk most weekends,
alternating between local walks
and those a bit further afield -
up to two hours drive away.
What
day and time are the
walks?
Walks
are usually on a Sunday and
usually start at 10.30. For the
more distant walks a central
Northampton meet for car sharing
will be organised, which will be
one or two hours before the 10.30
start, depending on the distance
to the start of the
walk.
Local
walks may sometimes be "figure of
8" walks, which give the option
of just doing the morning or
afternoon half of the walk, with
the second half starting at 1 or
2pm.
The
"Programme
of Walks"
lists the details of all daywalks
and weekends away, with full
details available at least a
month in advance.
What
about weekends
away?
About
once every two months we also
organise a weekend away. These
are generally to areas which are
too far away for a daywalk, and
which are worth spending more
time in. Often this means the
Lake District, Peak District,
North Wales and other popular and
not so popular (therefore quieter
and more interesting) walking
areas.
See
the new Weekends
Page
for details of all weekends
currently planned, or follow this
link for the Next Weekend Away
Do
you do any longer
trips?
We
try to run a Summer trip of at
least one week's length every
year, usually abroad, as well as
extended weekends of up to four
days.
Follow
this link for the
Next
Summer
Trip
- if this doesn't work this means
there is none planned at present,
but details of the next one will
appear well in advance on the
Walks
and Weekends
pages and if you become a member
you will get e-mails about these
and all other plans.
Do
I have to spend a fortune on
clothing and
equipment?
No -
Boots, adequate sensible clothing
(including waterproofs but
excluding denim) a packed lunch
and a rucksack to put it in
normally suffice, particularly
for local walks in the Summer.
See the Equipment
Page
for more details.
Can
I bring my dog on the
walks?
Yes
- we have nothing against anyone
bringing dogs, although in
practice they are rarely seen on
our walks. Most walks are on
public footpaths and therefore
dogs are allowed. Obviously your
dog will have to be on a lead if
there is any livestock around,
and you (not the walk leader)
will be responsible for keeping
your dog under control.
It
is also likely that you will have
to carry your dog over styles and
on some walks these could be
numerous and/or high and/or
difficult to get over even
without a dog. Some walks may
also not be exclusively on public
footpaths and therefore dogs may
not be allowed (e.g. if we go
through a nature reserve). Given
the rarity of dogs on our walks
issues such as these are not
usually taken into account when
walks are planned and it is
therefore advisable to contact
the walk leader before bringing
your dog.
For
weekends away, dogs may not be
allowed in the hostel and you
should check with the weekend
organiser before booking .
(Contact details for walk leaders
and weekend organisers are on the
walks page, or Contact
Us).
Can
I bring my child / children on
the walks?
Yes
- As long as they are old enough
to be able to keep up with the
pace of the walk (i.e. a
reasonable walking pace), or
small enough for you to carry,
and are well behaved (so they
don't disturb the rest of the
group - who in the main are
frankly not used to having
children around!)
Your
children (under 18) can only come
on walks when you are coming as
well as you will be responsible
for supervising them - we are not
legally able to act "in loco
parentis".
Do
I have to tell you before I turn
up on a walk?
No -
You can just turn up on daywalks
without letting anyone know in
advance, and this is what
established members generally do.
But it is always nice to know if
new people are coming, and it
does mean we can wait for you if
you get lost on the way to the
start! For weekends away you do
need to contact the organiser in
advance, and you should do this
as soon as possible.
Once
I start, do I have to come on
every walk?
No -
although many people will do most
of the walks, you can turn up as
often or as infrequently as you
like.
Do
I have to join before coming on a
walk?
No -
You are welcome to come along and
"try us out" on a couple of
daywalks or even a weekend, but
if you want to keep coming after
this you will need to join the
Ramblers Association.
How
do I join?
You
can join the Ramblers Association
via their website - visit
This
Page
and select "Northants 20s 30s
Walking" as your group from the
drop down list.
If
you are already a member of the
Ramblers Association it doesn't
matter if you have already
specified a different group, or
didn't specify one at all, and
you don't need to do anything
more to join us. But if you do
end up mainly walking with us,
rather than your old group, we
would be grateful if you would
"change your allegiances" to
us!
What
is the Ramblers
Association?
The
Ramblers Association, which we
are a part of, is a charity that
protects Britain's unique network
of public paths, provides
information to help you plan your
walk and enjoy it in safety and
comfort, increases access for
walkers and has established
statutory rights of access to our
countryside, safeguards the
countryside from unsightly and
polluting developments so that
walkers can enjoy its
tranquillity and beauty, and
educates the public about their
rights and responsibilities and
the health and environmental
benefits of walking, so that
everyone can enjoy our wonderful
heritage.
To
find out more visit
www.ramblers.org.uk
When
can I meet you?
We
meet up on the first Wednesday of
each month at a pub in the area,
which is an opportunity to find
out more about the group and
forthcoming activities (and is
easy to escape from if you decide
its not for you!). In the summer
the venue and time varies as we
also include a short (optional)
evening walk. See the
Programme
of Walks
for details of the next meeting
and come along to find out more.
Do
you do anything besides
walking?
We
also try to arrange regular
activities & social
activities, like bowling, ice
skating, meals out and trips to
places such as Alton Towers.
These are organised by the Social
Secretary and are listed on the
Activities
&
Socials
page.
I
live a really long way from
Northamptonshire - is there a
similar group near
me?
There
are 20s 30s groups covering large
parts of the country, hopefully
there is one near you - see the
Ramblers
Association List of Other 20s 30s
Groups
If
you still have any questions then
Contact
Us
and you will usually get a reply
within 24 hours.
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