The Walk Leaders Handbook issued by Ramblers central office (see below for link) contains general guidance for walk leaders. This webpage also provides some more detailed suggestions and links to other resources which we hope will be helpful.
This page is organised into the following sections:
- How To Get Started As A Ramblers Walk Leader
- Ramblers Walk Leader Handbook and Other Information
- Planning The Walk
- Ramblers Walks Manager - Details Required To Add A Walk
- Doing A Recce
- On The Day
- After The Walk
Please let us know of any errors, deficiencies, broken links or comments about the information: email David using the "Contacts" page on this website.
How To Get Started As A Ramblers Walk Leader
Training: There is now a compulsory but simple process for new walk leaders to follow. The first step is to contact David or Stewart (using the "Contacts" page on this website) to let us know that you are interested. We will fill in a webform to get your name on the Ramblers list of volunteers. Then you will be given access to a couple of on-line training videos, The Walk Leader Handbook and other information. When you have completed the video training and read and accepted the Handbook you can be registered as one of our leaders and then you can start leading walks. There is also advice on some aspects of navigation via the "Navigation" link on the Walking Advice page.
Walk Buddying: Some members of the group are willing to accompany you on a recce or on your first few walks, to help you get into the swing of it - if you would like to have this, then please contact Andrew, David or Stewart (using the "Contacts" page on this website).
Ramblers Walk Leader Handbook and Other Information
The Ramblers main website Walk Leadership page and the #RamblersGB YouTube page now hold a great deal of guidance, information and other documents and videos which may be of help in planning and leading our walks. This information includes web pages and videos covering navigation, map-reading, sat-nav apps and devices, safety and first aid.
The Walk Leader Guidance has recently been thoroughly updated, but most of it is in line with our usual approach to leading group walks. The following documents have been published and can be downloaded from here:
- Walk Leader Handbook - "This guidance is a helpful reminder for experienced walk leaders and the perfect place to start for new walk leaders."
- Walk Leader Checklist - a concise printable version of the Handbook.
- Ramblers National Walk Grades - definitions of the walk grades used for our walks.
- Generic Risk Assessments - likely risks and mitigations for the various grades of walk.
- Skills Framework - suggestions for the skills you might need to lead the various grades of walk.
- Sign-in sheet - can be used to take a register of walkers on the walk, in case you need to contact any during the walk. Destroy it after the walk.
- Info for Walkers - how Ramblers expect walkers to prepare for and behave on our walks.
- In Case of Emergency card - a printable pdf version of the ICE card.
- Insurance - some information about the insurance cover.
- Incident Report Form - to be used after an incident (discuss with walk coordinator).
Picking up some points from the guidance in The Walk Leader Handbook:
- First Aid: The committee intends to arrange some first aid courses and leaders will be informed of what we can arrange. (Note that it is intended that "Strenuous" grade walks MUST have a CPR-capable leader or walker. However, the committee feel that few if any of our walks would count as "Strenuous")
- Walking Group Sizes: it is expected that the numbers of walkers per leader can be kept within the recommendation by counting the leader, the back marker and any other leaders who happen to be there on the day.
- Risk Assessment: A written risk assessment is no longer required for each walk as the generic risk assessments will cover most cases. Any additional risks which are identified during the recce can be noted and dealt with then.
- Calling Emergency Services without a mobile phone signal: In areas of poor mobile signal it may be possible to send a text message to 999 when a mobile phone call doesn't connect.
If you are in need of a route for a walk then please note that walks with maps and/or directions may be found in the following websites among many others:
- Ramblers Routes - the Ramblers' own library of walks. "Ramblers Routes is an online library of 3,000 inspiring routes for walkers to follow. Our online collection includes everything from short urban strolls through to challenging hillside walks for more experienced walkers."
- Fancy Free Walks - "Beautiful free classic walks with fresh creative imagination"
- Surrey County Council - A selection of walks in Surrey
- Walking In Surrey - "Hundreds of FREE walks to download, details of all the books, maps and walking groups in the country"
- Ordnance Survey - "GetOutside: do more in the British Outdoors" - follow the link to "GetOutside" on the OS website to find a library of walks
- Our own Walk Library page on this website, containing walks previously led by Epsom & Ewell walk leaders (a few years ago in some cases). For each of these walks we give a description of the walk and the start point, and a GPX file of the route can be downloaded. If any leader would like to donate a few walks, please contact David (using the "Contacts" page on this website) to provide the details. Before using any of these walks, please check that the details and route are still walkable, and inform David (using the "Contacts" page on this website) of any necessary corrections to routes already in our library.
The map references for several public car parks which we often use are listed on the Walk Start Points page found in the "For Leaders" dropdown menu of this website. NB Before using any of these car parks, please check that the car park is suitable and the information is still correct. Please inform Stewart or David (using the "Contacts" page on this website) of any necessary corrections, additions or deletions to our list. The Ramblers Surrey Area website can show you any walks already planned for your selected day by other local ramblers groups.
The option "Plot your own walking routes" (also on the "For Leaders" dropdown menu of this website) offers a way of marking your planned route on a map and saving the route as a file on your device in "GPX" format (Global Positioning system eXchange). This format is a standard format for geographical data to make up a route, which should be recognised by satnav devices and navigation apps.
There is plenty of other navigation software for smartphones and desktop machines: you may find some of the following helpful:
- OS Maps App - to plan routes and navigate them using OS Maps data. Download for your mobile device from Google Play or Apple. For desktop or laptop computers, the OS Maps web version is available - good for planning a route in comfort. Subscription includes access to 1:25000 and 1:50000 for the whole of Britain.
- OS Locate App - to get the OS Grid Reference of your current position; also acts as a compass. Now called "Locate Me" and is built in to the OS Maps app.
- Other similar mobile apps include Memory Map, Outdoor Active etc etc
- There are also dedicated satnav devices by Garmin and other companies.
- Grid Reference Finder website - to look up OS Grid Refs, Postcode, What3Words of places on a map or aerial photo.
- What3Words website and App - to look up What3Words for your current location, or see a map view of any What3Words address. (Emergency services and the AA are now using What3Words - see this news item)
- Help anyone give you their current what3words address with the Locate Link which is simply: locate.what3words.com - if you send that link to another person they can click on the link and find out where they are as long as they have a smartphone, a signal and have location services turned on. If you use it yourself you get your own current What3Words address.
When you wish to reserve a date for leading a walk please contact the Walks Programme Coordinator for that day. As soon as you have planned the details of the walk also please inform the coordinator - see next section for the requirements. The coordinator will add the details to our online Walks Programme and they will then be visible to Ramblers members and the general public.
The coordinators for each day are as follows (contact them using the "Contacts" page on this website or their own email address if you know it):
- Tuesday – Stewart
- Wednesday – Janet
- Thursday – Susan
- Sunday - John W.
Please contact the co-ordinator for that day or Stewart as soon as you become aware of a situation that requires a walk to be altered or cancelled so that the necessary action may be taken.
Ramblers Walks Manager - Details Required To Add A Walk
Our walks programme is stored in the "Walks Manager" app, from where the walk details are supplied to various websites including this one. Stewart says "The object is to fill the Ramblers Walks programme with as many interesting walks as possible. If you have an idea for a walk you would like to lead, send me what you've got. Any wrinkles can be ironed out as we go."
In the following table Stewart has set out the details ideally needed. To keep things to a minimum, where possible, he has made items optional and shown the default that will be applied.
You can also add up to five photos to the walk description: they will make your walk stand out amongst other walks. Ramblers recommends using photo file sizes of approximately 5MB and they must be in .png, .jpg, .jpeg or .gif format. Emailing your pictures straight off your phone should work. Please note that photos may be cropped and show differently depending on what device they are viewed on. You can add photos later if you don’t have one to hand when first creating the walk. Your recce is a good time to take photos of the walk if you don't already have any.
| Item Name | Required? | Format | Description |
| Title | Optional | 100 characters max. | If not supplied the Walks Manager App will make something up. |
| Date of Walk | Optional | dd/mm/yyyy | If not supplied the Walks Manager will offer an available slot in the programme. |
| Walking Day | Conditional | Text | Walking day if Date of Walk not supplied |
| Start Time | Optional | hh.mm | If not supplied we will default to: 10:30 for Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday; and 10:00 for Wednesday. |
| Walking Group | Optional | Text | Will default to "Epsom and Ewell" |
| Leader's Name | Mandatory | Text | Could just be first name followed by initial of surname. |
| Leader's Contact Number | Conditional | Text | Required if the leader has not set contact details and preferences in Walks Manager website. |
| Leader's Email Address | Conditional | Text | Required if the leader has not set contact details and preferences in Walks Manager website. |
| Description | Mandatory | Text: 50 characters min; 800 characters max. | What to expect in terms of route and terrain. Conditions underfoot and pace of the group. Livestock. Ascents / descents. Include some highlights – any good views or points of interest. |
| Additional Details | Optional | Text: 800 characters max. | Anything else you want to include, such as details of stops during and at the end of the walk, packed lunch, pub stops etc. Arrangements around car sharing. |
| Refreshments Available | Optional | Text | Indicate if any available at start, during or at end. |
| Toilets Available | Optional | Text | Indicate if any available at start, during or at end. |
| Accessible By Public Transport | Optional | Text | Give details below with "Start Point" information. |
| Car Parking | Optional | Text | Give details below with "Start Point" information. |
| Car Sharing | Optional | Text | Give details above in "Additional Details". |
| Dogs | Optional | Text | Defaults to "Dog Friendly". The option being "Assistance Dogs Only". |
| Stiles | Mandatory | Text | Give an idea of how many stiles and whether any of them would require a dog to be lifted over. |
| Images | Optional | Image File | Files must be less than 128MB and in .png, .jpg, .jpeg or .gif format. A picture can make your walk stand out in the walks programme. |
| Type of Walk: Circular / Linear | Optional | Text | Defaults to "Circular". |
| Starting Point | Mandatory | Text | Ideally includes OS Grid ref. Possibly also directions on how to find it. Philips Surrey Street Atlas if available. |
| Finish Point | Conditional | Text | If a linear walk: ideally includes OS Grid ref. with directions on how to find it. Philips Surrey Street Atlas if available. |
| Walk Grading | Optional | Text | One of:- "Easy Access", "Easy", "Leisurely", "Moderate", "Strenuous", "Technical". Will default to "Easy" for Thursday Walks and "Moderate" for Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday Walks. Refer to the Ramblers National Walk Grades - most of our walks will be in the Easy, Leisurely or Moderate grades (Strenuous and Technical walks will be more for mountainous terrain and will require the leader to be able to do CPR) |
| Distance | Mandatory | Numeric | Kilometres or miles. |
| Ascent | Optional | Numeric | Total ascent in metres or feet. |
| Estimated Finish Time | Optional | hh.mm | Sunday and Tuesday will default to 13:00, Wednesday 16:00, Thursday 12:30. |
The Ramblers strongly recommends that you recce the route before the day of the walk if possible, so that you will be familiar with the route on the ground, and be aware of any problems or unforeseen risks, and therefore be able to amend the route if necessary. If you find that you have to make a significant change to the route please ask the coordinator to amend the walk details in Walk Manager accordingly.
Please report any footpath problems encountered during the recce to our Footpaths Secretary Brian (using the "Contacts" page on this website) with 10-figure Grid Reference, description of the problem and ideally a photo. The "OS Locate" smartphone app can be helpful for determining the relevant location.
Check the weather: During the few days before your walk keep an eye on the weather forecast in case extreme conditions are forecast - such as floods, snow, black ice, high winds. If you decide to cancel the walk contact the walks coordinator for that day or Stewart or David or Andrew as soon as possible.
Walk Register: The Ramblers App (for your smartphone or tablet, available from the appropriate app store) provides a means of taking a register of walkers at the start of the walk, although taking the register on paper will also be fine. Here is a link to the Ramblers sign-in sheet for the Epsom and Ewell Group. Walkers will be asked to give name and group, and also to add their mobile phone numbers and emergency contact numbers if they are happy to do so. If they have their completed ICE cards in their rucksack they can just write "ICE" in the emergency contact space. Destroy the paper register after the walk (but report numbers of walkers to Stewart first - see below).
Back Marker: If you have more than perhaps 10 walkers it is prudent to ask for a volunteer to be Back Marker. It could be useful if you and the back marker note each other's mobile phone number.
Walkers should be adequately dressed: The Leader may refuse to allow any walker to join the group if he/she is inadequately dressed or shod for the expected weather or terrain.
Footpath Problems: Please report any footpath problems encountered on the day to our Footpaths Secretary Brian (using the "Contacts" page on this website) with 10-figure Grid Reference, description of the problem and ideally a photo. The "OS Locate" smartphone app can be helpful for determining the location of the problem.
After The Walk
After the walk please send a brief report to Stewart listing the numbers of:
- Epsom & Ewell group members
- members of other Ramblers groups or affiliated groups and
- non-members with the non-members' names and contact details (so that we can invite them to join Ramblers when they have had their three taster walks).
It can also be useful to report the actual miles walked (if different from the planned distance) and a note of any problems or other details that might be useful in planning future walks (e.g. was the car park too full on that day). This information will help the Epsom and Ewell Ramblers committee assess the popularity of our walks programme.
Then destroy the walk register (under the current data protection regulations we should not keep personal information such as contact details when we no longer need it).