are bushwalking clubs doing enough for new starters?

[tigercat]

I joined the Hobart Walking Club 14 months ago and that has been a very good experience for me. Meeting other walkers, going on club walks to places I did not know existed or did not know how to get there, picking up tips and track notes from other members and going on trips I felt were too difficult as a solo walk or with my friends.
I have found the club welcoming, friendly and informative. There is a comprehensive range of walks, my 'problem'' this summer is that I cannot go on all the club walks I would like to go on.
I also like to walk alone, with my lady and with friends.
One disadvantage with club walks is they are usually timetabled for particular dates for obvious reasons, whereas my private trips I can be flexible around the weather.

[sim1oz]

In answer to the OP, it really depends on the new starter and the club. With the club, it depends on whether they genuinely want new members and how much effort they are prepared to put in. With the new starter it depends on their experience, attitude, personality and what they are seeking. Walking clubs are generally run by volunteers and don't aim to deliver the professional customer service (or handholding) that many of us have come to expect today. In a volunteer organisation, everyone needs to give as well as take. I think some people have unrealistic expectations about what clubs can provide. It helps to be clear about what you want from a club.

I joined a relatively small bushwalking club 3 years ago, made up of many of my parents' friends. It runs about 3-4 walks a month: one medium, one hard, one mid-week, and one for younger people. Most (practically all) of the walkers are 20+ years older than me. I've had a great time walking with them and enjoyed getting to know them. And because it's a small club I have got to know several of the walkers quite well. There have been follow up emails sharing photos and advice. Overall, I've been made to feel very welcome. They have shared decades of walking experiences from Australia and around the globe with me and given me lots of ideas for future walks and places to dream about. This particular club genuinely wants to attract to new and younger members so they've tried U35 walks, U50 walks, and family walks. Each of those walks attracts a small number of people but it is hard to get people to keep coming back. I've led a few of the younger walks because I was asked to, but the honest truth is that I just want to walk and I'm not particularly fussed about people's age. I haven't been as proactive about building a group of younger walkers as the committee would probably like because the rest of my life is already super busy and I don't like admin or 'marketing'. I like to do the harder walks and the 'young' walks seem to be at the easy-medium end of the spectrum to attract newcomers.

I'm also a member of a much larger club with loads of walks run every week, as well as bike rides, canoeing, weekends and extended walks. They seem to have a wider range of ages in their membership based on the walks I've been on. Again, all the people I have met on their walks have been friendly and eager to chat. One person even googled me before a walk. I was a bit shocked at first but it did lead to lots of common ground to talk about. Last year, we took our (then) 6yo and 8yo on a family base camp weekend and it was fabulous.

A close bond of shared experiences will naturally form where people have been together as a group for a long time. (Just ask any female, at school we called them 'cliques'!) But if a club genuinely wants new members then it will make the effort to make newcomers feel welcome, whether that's by conversation while walking, phone calls, emails, loaning equipment, etc. You will find out pretty quickly if it is all lip service and they don't truly want new members. Just leave and try somewhere else (if there are other options in your area). All the clubs I have come across seem to offer the opportunity to try a few walks before becoming a member although that may not be universal.

So far my experience of clubs has been very positive. At the moment, my walking clubs fill a gap and meet a need. I'll keep walking (and leading) with them as long as my appetite for bushwalking exceeds that of my partner and friends!

[Solohike74]

I've been along on a couple of club walks...the kind of club where casual members are allowed. There's plenty of knowledge, but I prefer to arrange walks of my own when I can as I have to do it on a shoestring...I'm on benefits. Going with a club means transport costs, money for carpooling, on my own I hitchhike so its very economic. Those in the club are of mixed ages & knowledgeable, but I only use the club if its a specially remote or hard trip.where its needed or preferred to have company. The class difference is something I'm used to, as though I'm on benefits my origins are far from humble. I took up walking over 30, my family aren't like that they're bogans actually.

[ULWalkingPhil]

Tonight I went to the local bushwalking club meeting for the first time in 9 months.

Looking around at the meeting, I started to wonder if the club has a future. There was no one there under 65 apart from myself. Many walks I been with the club, Im generally always the youngest.

I cant see this club surviving past 5 years if we don't get younger members joining the club.

I think today, the younger generation are more interested in sitting in front of the TV, computer or night clubbing. Times have changed.

[wayno]

it think the young ones get addicted to watching more intense sports on TV and want to gravitate to participating or watching those...
i remember here someone commented on a track they thought was boring, someone else chimed in it was an extremely interesting track there were so many different plants to observe and identify and wildlife to see, It's what you make of it... if you've been watching doco's about high altitude mountaineering and african wildllife you may well be disappointed by the local landscape and animals, theres no shortage of young people visiting high mountains and africa....
its waht happened in the West Indes with their cricket. satellite TV exposed the west indies to american sport, and thats where their best sporting talent go now and look what has happened to the quality of their cricket , gone from the best in the world to under performing internationally...
no shortage of people going in expensive multi sport events, and adventure races fill up, then theres mountain biking, but bushwalking doesnt get a lookin with those sort of numbers...

[andrewbish]

I suspect the bias to older folks in bush walking clubs is simply a reflection of the natural course of life. As children, we dash around, in the bloom of adulthood we run or jog; later on we walk.

[wayno]

in nz bushwalking was incredibly popular with all ages.
i grew up in wellington, in the eighties in my teens most guys my age i knew went tramping in varying frequencies.. clubs were full of people of all ages, heaps of teenagers.,.. not anymore....

[Allchin09]

Phillipsart - Very interesting, I know what you mean. I also turned up late last year to my local club and being still a student at the time, the age difference was massive. To my amazement, I was actually recommend by the club to try another one! I couldn't believe a bushwalking club of it's type was actually turning a way those from the younger generation, I really don't that they will survive for too much longer if they continue like that.

[wayno]

in wellington one of the main clubs is recognised as the one to go to for younger trampers and another one for older trampers

[tom_brennan]

Looking around at the meeting, I started to wonder if the club has a future. There was no one there under 65 apart from myself. Many walks I been with the club, Im generally always the youngest.

I cant see this club surviving past 5 years if we don't get younger members joining the club.

Some older demographic clubs survive (and thrive) on a continual influx of retirees. Typically have a good variety of walks all days of the week.

If clubs want to rejuvenate themselves, rather than aiming to recruit 30 year olds, perhaps the aim should be to start with getting a number of 50 somethings. Then 40 somethings. Then 30 somethings. That way the age of the club is slowly coming down, but there’s no generational gap.

I think today, the younger generation are more interested in sitting in front of the TV, computer or night clubbing. Times have changed.

Yes, more interested. But I think there are sufficient younger people who are also interested in getting out there and walking. It’s just about connecting with them. Club meetings probably aren't the place though!

[wayno]

my experinece you have a club full of oldies they just want to run the club to suit themselves. been in a club, some people tried to make changes to attract younger people but the club actually turned around and turfed the younger people out because they wanted to just turn up casually on trips and not pay an annual subscription, even though they were paying more for transport costs to the club when using the bus...
the club only wanted people willing to join up as members..
i used to hear the members saying regularly, "they arent even a member.."

[tom_brennan]

The members of the club have to want to keep renewing. If not, then yes, the club will eventually die.

[GPSGuided]

Tonight I went to the local bushwalking club meeting for the first time in 9 months.
...
I think today, the younger generation are more interested in sitting in front of the TV, computer or night clubbing. Times have changed.

I think it's wrong to simply attribute the decline of bushwalking clubs to those factors. From my point of view, more important factors are,

- Bushwalking is old school, no longer in fashion. In contract, cycling clubs are booming, in particular road. Morning fitness clubs are also very popular. Just visit Centennial Park at 6:30am.
- Bushwalking is inherently time inefficient as a sport, as a form of exercise. People are time poorer these days. A morning of cycling can easily beat "walking" in terms of exercise and fitness improvements.
- Bushwalking knowledge and related info are far more readily available eg. Forums, Youtube, OSM etc, noobs no longer have to join clubs to access. There's more than enough knowledge out there to allow people to do most day walks solo or with close friends.
- Many more alternatives to Bushwalking clubs for "finding a partner". Often a significant driver for young people.

Of course, many of the traditional values of bushwalking clubs are still there and will continue to attract a sub-group of potential candidates, just smaller. Can the issue be reversed? I think so. I think bushwalking clubs need to diversify their activities and possibly be re-shaped as outdoors clubs to cater a greater range and variety of interests. Bush-"walking" alone is no longer adventurous enough for the younger generation. That's life.

[wayno]

just werent the distractions when i started tramping in the eighties.. two tv channels. no electronic toys. shops closed on sundays, mates were all involved in one outdoor activity or another...

[perfectlydark]

Interesting. As a 30yo just last week I was considering contacting a local club I googled, mainly cause I have no friends that share the interest (im trying though!). Not so sure now to be honest..never been bothered walking alone (in fact prefer it) but definatly not interested if its a bunch of oldies looking down on people under 50, mo offence.
still im yet to actually inquire so see how it goes

[GPSGuided]

...definatly not interested if its a bunch of oldies looking down on people under 50...

Irrespective of the age group, no one will be interested with that kind of attitude. However, there are good groups out there and it's a matter of looking around. Often one can tell the age bracket of the group by looking through their photo albums. Check the listing from NSW's state body and make your pick.
http://bushwalking.org.au/findclub.html

[perfectlydark]

Thanks gps! I looked at the clubs photos I was interested in but who could tell what they were lol. All at a distance back facing. Ill have a look around, it woukd be nice to meet like minded people for the odd walk

[GPSGuided]

I think so. Variety and options are always good. Whilst recognising privacy issues, but most clubs have enough photos on show to give an idea of the age group of the club and potentially the intensity level of their walks. Some are close to octogenarian and focused on gentle local walks while others have 20-something abseiling down sheer ice cliffs. So pick wisely and check them out.

[wayno]

you need young people involved in running clubs or at least having input into how they want a club run and what activities they want to do. otherwise you end up witha roundabout of young people just exiting the clubs. young people are better served than ever by recreational activities. they dont have to belong to a group to take part in a lot of organised sporting activities they can cherry pick whatever they want to do.... theres stiff competition for activities, older people tend to favour group loyalty., young people just dont have as much experience of it and don't see anything wrong with changing activities whenever they want to.

[GPSGuided]

I agree Wayno. Similar to how cycling clubs are letting women run activities that attract women to cycling. They work.

[perfectlydark]

Also agree. Any club that wants a wide demographic base needs a varied leadership

[walk2wineries]

The SA clubs are important for trails maintenance and for lobbying for rights of way etc. For that reason I pay the minimal yearly fee to the Friends of the Heyson, (walking club as well) although I don't walk with them. IF I chose to do so, they welcome newbies and have "trailstarter" walks for them, and walks have clearly described levels of difficulty and length which allow walkers to choose an appropriate level.

This lot http://www.keepwalking.websyte.com.au/ are very welcoming - indeed, one doesn't really join, just notify leaders of intent to join a walk and visitors to the state are welcome. There's a minimal charge per walk which covers insurance and often coffee and cake at the end. Again, leaders active with http://www.walkingsa.org.au/ which liases with govt and local councils. I wak a lot by myself, but the groups a nice change, I discover new walks with them, I get to do some linear walks requiring a car shuffle that I couldn't otherwise do, and knowledgeable regulars can often help with the "what flower/fungus/river is that."

I have noticed that in some states visitors aren't welcome unless perhaps as guests of a member. Seem to be the same areas where locals complain about encroachment of commercial ventures, and with a higher-than-average rate of searches for lost walkers...... Duh.