Booking: Please pay the organiser for your accommodation on request or you may lose your place to someone who can pay. When making a booking for an organised group, youth hostels require payment in full at least 2 months in advance. Top Changes to your arrangements: If you have to pull out of a trip for any reason please let the organiser know asap. You may lose your accommodation costs and you may still be liable for petrol costs if your place cannot be filled by another group member. See Fact Sheet 2: Transport Arrangements. Top Know your limits: Most of our trips are walking weekends, often involving hills (sometimes steep), mud, moderate to long distances and often away from major roads and public transport. We also can't guarantee good weather! If you're unsure about your ability, please speak to the organiser before booking. Sometimes there are options to 'pootle around town' instead, but you are responsible for keeping yourself entertained. Of course, we also do a couple of city weekends each year - where the walking is flat, mud-free and punctuated by shops, cathedrals, tea shops, castles and more tea shops... Top Catering: Check with the organiser what the catering options are. You will need to bring food for breakfasts and packed lunches, or buy these at the hostel (note that at some hostels, these have to be booked the night before, and not all hostels serve meals).
On Saturday night, we often eat out, buy a meal in the hostel or cook a communal meal (please check with the weekend organiser). If not, or if you prefer to self-cater, you need to bring food for dinner on Saturday.
Top Gear: Make sure you have the right gear. Ask any committee member for advice, or pick up a copy of Fact Sheet 4: Equipment Buying Guide, at one of our Tuesday evening meetings before you buy. Top Travel: We normally use our members' cars and share the costs based on a fixed price per passenger mile.
The travel is arranged about a month before the trip, if you cancel after travel arrangements have been arranged then you may still be liable for petrol costs if your place cannot be filled by another group member. See Fact Sheet 2: Transport Arrangements . It's your responsibility to make sure you know how you're getting to the youth hostel. To find out the final arrangements, contact the weekend organiser or turn up on the Tuesday evening before the weekend.
The regular meeting point is outside Barnet Odeon, about ¼ mile south of High Barnet underground station (Northern line) on the Great North Road (A1000) at the junction of Station Road (A110). Always check with your driver beforehand.
Expect to leave on Friday evening at about 6.30 – 7.00 pm (or occasionally earlier for trips further afield). Many of our trips are 3 or more hours away and remember that the youth hostels lock up at 11.00 p.m. We return Sunday evening (Monday evening for Bank Holidays), typically getting back by 9.00 p.m. For some local weekends, we leave on Saturday morning. If you're going to be delayed, let someone know.
Payments - be prepared to pay your driver your share of the travel costs before the end of the weekend. Rough examples merely as a guide: Portsmouth (£15), Derbyshire (£30), Lake District (£50).
See Outdoor Programme in this months' newsletter for Current mileage rate.
Drivers - if you're willing and able to drive, please let the organiser know. It makes their life easier and shares the burden of driving.
Remember we're just a club and we all muck in together. Don't make it hard for the organisers - they want to enjoy it too! Top |
Weekend Info 
