Glenwalk

General:

1. You have a Duty of Care towards the walkers in your group and must not do anything that may endanger the people in your charge.
2. All leaders must have Mountaineering Ireland insurance. Familiarise yourself with the Mountaineering Ireland insurance policy and what it covers.
3. On the day of a walk all leaders should present an outline route card to the co-ordinator detailing: time, distance, height, terrain and outline route.
4. Leaders should create an atmosphere of calm and control on their walks, bearing in mind that people are out to enjoy themselves.
5. Leaders should stop regularly and inform the group of the progress of the walk, eg. how much has been covered, what distance/time is left, lunch stop etc. Show that you are in control.
6. If at the start of a walk you feel that you have too many people in the group then you may take any measures that you deem necessary. Options are to split the walk assuming that you have an adequate second leader to rely on. You can also ask people to join another walk. This will have to be done at the walk start before the other groups leave.
7. Leaders should get a weather forecast on the day of the walk. Weatherdial: 1550-123-710 or RTE Radio 1 at 07.55.
8. Leaders should be familiar with the route they are guiding, especially their entry and exit points.
9. On the slower walks you should place the easier section of the route at the end of the day.
10. It is important to remember that "you are only as fast as your slowest walker". Especially with slower groups it can be a bad idea adding on a bit at the end to make a walk longer. Fatigue slows a group down (especially unfit walkers) towards the end of the day.
11. All leaders should maintain a suitable level of fitness. If they feel they are unfit on the day of the walk they should "cry off".
12. The purchase of a GPS is strongly recommended.
13. When planning your route aim to ascend the steep sections and descend via the gentler slopes.
14. A leader should only lead a walk that is within their fitness level.
15. Note that in an emergency a Text Message/SMS may get through where when a phone call won't.
16. Whistle: 6 blasts per minute in rapid succession indicates distress, 3 per minute to respond.
17. Reminder: whistles can only be heard over a short distance. Don't allow the walk to stretch too much.
18. The walk co-ordinator should be informed of any serious incident that occurs on a walk.

Specific:

1. At the start of the walk a back marker should be appointed. Identify the back marker to the other walkers, make sure the back marker has a whistle and a buddy. Be seen to communicate regularly with your back maker. Try to change change your back marker regularly during the walk.
2. Count the number of walkers you have at the start and again regularly throughout the duration of the walk.
3. Set a pace that is reasonable for the walk level.
4. Stop at regular intervals, make contact with your back marker and count your numbers.
5. Aim to have lunch at about 1.30 pm. If needs be at this point a split can be organised if a section of the walkers are too slow or if the group is too large.
6. If you are unhappy with a walker who refuses to follow your instructions (eg. someone who consistently walks too far ahead of the group) you should inform them that you cannot accept responsibility for them and that you no longer consider them part of the walk. Make sure that you have a witness to this conversation.
7. Inform walkers at the start that they must tell the leader or back marker if they wish to make a stop, if necessary the back marker should inform the leader. The leader should then stop the group.
8. If a walker insists on leaving the group during a walk they must inform you and the back marker. Tell them that they must contact you when they get back to the walk start or the pub.
9. In conditions of poor visibility, high winds, difficult terrain, etc. try to keep the group closer together by stopping more frequently. Change your route if necessary.
10. If an injury occurs whereby a walker is unfit to continue but is able to return to the cars you must appoint someone to return with them. Ensure they are equipped with a map etc. Continue with the walk as planned.
11. If a more serious injury occurs whereby a walker is unable to continue you must first decide whether it is prudent to continue with the walk. Then appoint a leader to either continue with the walk or to return to the cars with the main body of walkers while you remain behind with suitably equipped volunteers. You must then deal with the injury as you see fit eg. call out Mt Rescue (Telephone: 112). Remember: "the whole group is at risk when you are stopped for a lengthy period of time due to an injury to a walker".
12. You may extend or curtail any walk as you see fit bearing in mind that you should be back at the cars before dusk, no later than 5pm (Winter) and 6pm (Summer).
13. You should consult with the group if you make any changes to your original plan.
14. Stop at obstacles such as fences, walls etc. Organise people to aid in the crossing of rivers. Continue the walk when the last person has crossed.
15. The leader should stay at the front of the walk.
16. All leaders should be properly equipped: map, compass, watch, torch with back up battery and bulb, whistle, 1st aid kit and mobile phone (the club can supply you with one on the day if necessary). Ensure that you have the phone numbers of the coordinator and other leaders, as well as Mountain Rescue: 112. All leaders should also have a watch and should be aware of when the sun sets.
17. If you find that a walker is unreasonably slow and you feel this is jeopardising the safety of the group or the enjoyment of the walk you should cut the walk short OR send them back to the cars accompanied by one or more persons OR split the walk, assuming that an adequate second leader is available. The incident should be discussed with the walker afterwards and the Committee should be informed.
18. Note that it can take a walker the first 10 to 20 minutes before they realise that they are unfit for that particular walk especially if the walk starts with a climb. Be vigilant.
19. On steep ground where a walker is unsure of themselves you can make them feel secure by walking just below them. This is the same for whether you are going uphill or downhill. This technique is known as "spotting".
20. It helps to demonstrate correct footwork on descending steep ground. Do not rush people.
21. If conditions are cold and/or wet try to keep keep stops, including lunch break, short.
22. Aim to have lunch at 1.30 not any later, unless conditions are not favourable. This is important because for many walkers who live far from Wicklow, breakfast time may have been at 8.30 am, 5 hours earlier! These walkers may start feeling weak due to hunger and as a result they will be more prone to stumble or fall. If the weather is bad (ie. cold or wet) the stop should be kept very short, alternatively two short lunch stops could be taken instead.
23. Help walkers from getting dehydrated by overheating. At the start of the walks people wear all their layers because they get cold chatting to their friends while waiting for the walks to start. Then, when the group heads off people overheat. They need to be given the opportunity to take layers off. Stop five minutes after heading up the slope and suggest to walkers that it is a good time to remove a layer. Note that this also applies to any period during the walk where the group may have stopped for a while, eg. waiting for slower walkers to catch up, after lunch etc., and may have put their warm gear back on.
24. Not everyone has a platypus. It is also important to stop the group and remind people to take a drink of water regularly. Walkers without platypuses usually need to take off their rucksack to get out their bottle of water.
25. The correct use of a pair of hillwalking sticks should be demonstrated. For example some novices leave the rubber protectors on the tips of their sticks which makes the sticks lethal on slippy rocks and wet grass.
26. If you stop you should not restart the walk until everyone is wearing their rucksack. The best rule of thumb here is not to start walking if you see a rucksack on the ground. If a rucksack is on the ground then not everyone is ready. By starting too soon you are just putting pressure on the back marker who has to stand waiting for the person who is not ready.
27. Leaders should check walkers equipment at the START of the walks. This is especially applicable to the slower walks. People incorrectly attired should be told to stay behind.
28. You should try to demonstrate correct footwork technique before starting on a steep descent. A "steep descent" is defined as one where should a walker fall there is a danger that they could continue sliding further down the mountain thereby running the risk of injury. The correct footwork involves the use of the side of the boot NOT the heel.
29. Weekends away. Bear in mind when planning a route in Kerry or Connemara that the terrain is much steeper than in Wicklow, this will slow the group down considerably. Plan your walk accordingly.