MEMBERS’ HANDBOOK
Welcome to Keswick Rambling Club. We hope that you will find this Handbook answers any questions you may have but, if not, please do not hesitate to contact any Committee member who will be pleased to help. Their contact details can be found on our website: Committee – Keswick Rambling Club.
So, first of all a little bit about the early days
Formed in 1954 and originally called The Keswick and District Rambling Club, by the early 1990s our name had contracted to its current form. The first recorded walk was to Blencathra in October of that year. Originally walks seemed to be a very ad hoc affair; members would meet at the Moot Hall on a Sunday for a walk which would be decided upon by those who turned up. By the mid-60s a little more planning was involved and a few members would meet up in a café on Saturday morning to decide where to walk on the Sunday. A “sunrise” walk up Skiddaw was a regular event as was a walk crossing Morecambe Bay organised alongside The Ramblers Association.
1969 was the year that the current system of walking on a Wednesday and Sunday once a fortnight was adopted. In 1988 a decision was made that walks with ice axes and crampons were not suitable for the Club due to the age of the members (in their 60s!).
Up until the 1990s “Mr Simpson” and his coach provided transport to and from walks. The group would meet by a phone box in Eskin Street and when everyone was there a call would be made to Mr Simpson who would then turn up 5 minutes later with an appropriately sized coach.
The 50th Anniversary of the Club in 2004 was marked by programming all 214 Wainwrights in the year. A team of leaders was put together and the celebration culminated on Ling Fell in December.
There have sadly been some difficult years for walking for us all, notably 2001 during Foot and Mouth and most recently during Covid when we ceased walks.
Records from the 70s until now show that membership numbers have been relatively stable at around 150.
Times have certainly changed, all the information about our walks etc can now be found on our website and members mostly use email or mobile phones as a means of contact. We have a WhatsApp group too ‑ all unimaginable in the 1950s!
Where we are now?
Our walks are all led by our members and, as we do not have any specific qualifications or expertise as walk leaders, members therefore always walk at their own risk.
Our walks still take place on a Wednesday and Sunday every other week and we offer three grades of walks. Members regularly swap from group to group depending upon the walks offered.
We have a Committee comprising 4 Officers (Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and Web Manager) plus 5 ordinary members and we meet several times a year to discuss the planning of events and any other matters that arise from time to time. Ordinary members serve on the Committee for three years.
Our Club is run by its members for the benefit of its members.
What walks do we offer?
As a member you can now see the programme of walks on our website. Email reminders with more details are sent out a few days beforehand.
Your first step is to decide which level of walk you would like to join. We grade our walks as “Challenging”, “Moderate” and “Easy”.
- A “Challenging” walk is roughly 16km (10 miles) in length with ascent in the region of 900m (3000ft). Some examples are: the Horseshoes (Newlands, Coledale, Fairfield etc) and sections of High Street or the Helvellyn ridges. The programme may include a small number of routes involving minor scrambles which cannot be by-passed eg the Tower Ridge route to Crag Hill but there may also be routes where the difficult bit can be avoided eg the “bad step” on Crinkle Crags. In these cases the leader will ask another member of the group to take those not wishing to attempt the scramble via a “less exciting” route to an agreed meeting place.
- A “Moderate” walk is roughly 13km (8 miles) in length with ascent of 600m (2000ft). Some examples are: Sheffield Pike, Lord’s Seat, Mellbreak, Bowscale. Generally there may be few routes involving scrambles but in these cases there will always be an alternative route and the leader will appoint a sub-leader to take those not wishing to attempt the scramble to an agreed meeting place.
- An “Easy” walk is roughly 9km (6 miles) in length with ascent in the region of 300m (1000ft). Some examples are: Gowbarrow, Loughrigg Tarn, Newlands Valley, Johnny Wood.
These are rough guides: walks may be shorter with more ascent or longer with less. Weather conditions may cause the walk to be altered at the last minute.
How do I join a walk?
If you are not sure if a walk is suitable for you please give the leader a ring. Leaders are always happy to talk you through their walk; they want you to have a good day out. Chat to them about anything that you may prefer not to do eg is there a scramble or a water crossing?
You will get an email a few days before the walks giving you the name and contact details for the leader along with a short description of the walk. Please book on as soon as possible after getting the email, ideally three days before the walk ‑ it makes it so much easier for the leader to organise. You can contact the leader by email or phone/text. The leader will always reply to emails and text/phone messages.
We use a mixture of local buses and members’ cars as transport. We try to minimise the number of cars that we take and passengers are expected to pay the driver an amount based on the total distance travelled. You can find the current charges on the Members section of the website.
The leader will need to know:-
- your name;
- your contact phone number (mobile if possible in case of last minute alterations); and
- where you live and if you can offer to drive or need a lift (so that car sharing can be arranged).
We usually meet at the Keswick Leisure Centre off Brundholme Road but the leader will confirm the meeting place when you book on.
Of course sometimes the weather on the day of the walk is not good and the leader will decide to cancel the walk. If the forecast for the walk day is clearly bad the leader may well cancel the walk the previous evening but walks can also be cancelled first thing in the morning hence the importance of your contact details. It might not just be rain or snow that is the reason for a cancellation, strong winds or waterlogged paths may also be taken into account.
Sometimes the walk will be postponed to the following week and the website programme will be updated and you will get the usual reminder email.
If you have to cancel for any reason please inform the leader as soon as possible.
Our walks are very social affairs with lots of chat and laughter. Bring your flask of tea/coffee etc and whatever you wish to eat as we usually stop around 11:00am to have a drink and around 1:00pm for lunch.
Many members take photos when out on the walks and send them in to our Website Manager (web@keswickramblingclub.co.uk) who will upload a selection to the “Gallery”.
There are a few basic guidelines that we should all follow when out and about in the countryside:-
We all have a responsibility to protect our countryside and open spaces for current and future generations. Please always follow the Countryside Code:-
- Respect everyone living, working and enjoying the countryside: do not injure, abuse or put at risk members or other people.
- Protect the environment: take home litter; leave gates as you found them (make sure that the last person in the group knows how to leave them).
- Keep to paths whenever possible to limit the impact of your footfall.
Please note that we don’t allow dogs on our walks except for Assistance dogs.
Our walks are group walks and the pace is the pace of the group as a whole. You must stay with the group, there can never be a guarantee about how long a walk will take and it is unfair to the leader to try to hurry the pace. The leader will of course be at the front of the group and will always make sure that the last walker is in sight.
Please remain with the group for the entire walk but if you have suffered an injury or become unwell the leader will get 2 other members from the group to help you back to safety. If for any other reason you need to leave the group please discuss this with the leader.
What do I need to bring with me?
The advice from Keswick Mountain Rescue Team is for fell walkers always to carry:-
- a map, compass and whistle;
- a basic first aid kit; and
- a fully charged mobile phone.
In the summer you may need sunscreen and plenty of water but it is the winter months when walkers will take more kit, eg walking poles, microspikes or similar, a head torch and goggles if there is a potential for hail/driving snow. A one person bivvy bag is a relatively cheap item to buy and can be invaluable in keeping someone warm. These of course are in addition to extra layers of clothing, waterproofs etc. If you have to wait for any length of time it is surprising how cold you can get.
It is a Club policy never to go on a walk where an ice axe and/or crampons are needed.
You may wish to consider bringing contact details with you on walks to be used in the event of an emergency.
How about becoming a leader?
Once you’ve been on few walks you’ll have got to know quite a few members and have a good idea of how things work. It’s just a small step to leading a walk especially if you have a favourite walk or two that you would like others to enjoy. Always remember you don’t need any qualifications or expertise to lead a walk ‑ members always walk at their own risk.
Members are always grateful to walk leaders and the more people who lead the better.
If you’re still a little unsure about what to do chat to the leader of the next walk you’re on, they’ll be happy to talk you through what they do. Is there someone who could be your “buddy”? They could do a recce of your route with you, perhaps suggesting a good place to stop for lunch etc. They will quite likely come with you on the day too.
For more information please click on the “Walk Leader’s Guide” on the website.
Social events
We usually have at least two events every year:-
Christmas walks and lunch – a choice of our usual three levels for the morning walk followed by lunch at a local hotel, in mid-December.
Annual outing ‑ a coach trip in mid-May/June usually within a couple of hours drive from Keswick. Three levels of walks followed by an early evening meal.
These are always well attended and a good opportunity for members to meet up. The Committee always welcomes any suggestions for destinations re the outing.
Guests
If you know someone who may be interested in becoming a member why not bring them along as a guest? You will need to make sure that the leader is happy for you to bring them and, of course, you will need to take responsibility for them being capable of completing the walk.
If someone who is eligible to become a member comes along as a guest we like them to join the club if they wish to come out with us again.
And finally
It can be daunting to take the first step into something new but, as a club, we love to
welcome new members. New members rapidly become new friends. If you are new to the area you’ll be amazed at the wealth of information we can offer ‑ not just on walks but on all things Keswick and surrounding areas!
So come rambling with us ‑ we promise that you won’t regret it.
Best wishes
The Committee, Keswick Rambling Club