Glasgow HF Outdoor Club
Glasgow, V2
Glasgow HF Outdoor Club (established in 1917) offers a programme of walks throughout the year. Members enjoy the countryside and visit new places in friendly company with an experienced organiser. For information about the history and heritage of the club see: [https://glasgowhfoutdoorclub.co.uk/sharing-heritage/](https://glasgowhfoutdoorclub.co.uk/sharing-heritage/)
**Membership**
The club welcomes anyone aged 18 and over – whether new to walking or with substantial experience. We also offer a joint membership where a young person aged 12 or more can come out on suitable walks with a responsible adult member of the club.
**Membership fees**
**Includes membership of Mountaineering Scotland.**
• Full membership is £30 per year.
• Concession membership is £25 per year (unwaged/student/60+).
• Youth membership is available - Regular Adult plus Youth £43.00 with additional Youths at £16.00
If you join between the 1st of April and the 30th September in any Club year 100% of the membership fee is due, if you join between 1st October and 31st March 50% of the membership is due.
Payment direct into the Club Bank Account: TSB, Sort Code: 87-37-55, Account Name: Glasgow HF Outdoor Club, Account no:78845860, providing your name in the reference box
**Joining the club**
To walk with the Club please firstly join Meetup by hitting the button "Request to Join" on the Meetup page. You will be taken to a few questions, please read / confirm. Thereafter, complete the Jotform, you will see the link when you join Meetup and there will be instructions on how to pay.
Once payment has been received you will be on our webpage and can RSVP to walks”.
**Trying us out**
If you would like to come on one of our B or C walks on an informal basis, prior to joining, by way of a tester, please contact the walk leader direct or the low or high level walk programmes organisers (their contact details are usually on the webpage for the walk). Only paid-up club members can directly RSVP for walks themselves. For further information, please email Paul Harrison (pharribobs@yahoo.co.uk) or Neil McCluskey (nmcc55@gmail.com).
**Respecting each other – Glasgow HF Outdoor Club code of conduct**
Our club welcomes diversity and will not tolerate discrimination on grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex; sexual orientation, political or other opinion in accordance with Equalities legislation..
All members and guests are required to abide by our **code of conduct** given below.
This document outlines the appropriate behaviours expected of all members, guests and anyone working on the club’s behalf.
To:
• Uphold the values, rules, code of conduct and other policies of the Club and Mountaineering Scotland to which the club is affiliated
• Promote and preserve the good reputation of the Club and Mountaineering Scotland
• Treat others fairly and with dignity, courtesy and respect at all times. The club supports diversity in all forms.
• Raise any concern regarding the behaviour of a Club member, guest or anyone working on the club’s behalf with the Club committee secretary or another committee member, in accordance with the Club’s complaints procedure.
• Ensure that any concern regarding the safeguarding of children or vulnerable adults associated with the club or its activities is reported to the committee.
• Follow health and safety protocols and avoid any unnecessary risks or behaviour that may affect the health, safety of welfare of others or themselves.
• Follow the principles of the Scottish Outdoor Access Code including respecting property and privacy of local residents and property and livelihood of landowners.
Members, volunteers and helpers must not behave or condone others:
• behaving in a manner liable to bring the activity of low and high level walking, the Club or Mountaineering Scotland into disrepute.
• engaging in unacceptable behaviours including using inappropriate language, bullying, harassment, discrimination, physical or verbal violence, drunkenness or use of illegal drugs.
Members, volunteers and helpers engaging in such behaviours may be suspended from the Club whilst such allegations are properly investigated.
**Club policy documents**
The club has a privacy policy which new members are made aware of when they join.
Our club has a formal complaints procedure for dealing with any complaints by members or guests against other members or guests or about the management of the club by the club committee or club officials.
Our club operates according to its constitution, which includes its code of conduct and complaints procedure.
The club has a standard walk safety policy and arrangements for weekends away (described elsewhere in “About Us”.
Note: As of July 2024 the Meetup website no longer offers the facility to store all these club policy documents in full so they were circulated to all current members in September 2024. We are currently developing a new club website which will offer among other things a new convenient place where the documents can be accessed by members. But meantime they can be may be obtained if needed from Paul Harrison (President) or Laura Nav (Vice President) at any time.
**Mountaineering Scotland Membership**
Our club and all our members are affiliated to Mountaineering Scotland, the cost of which is included in our membership fee: this offers many benefits, including liability insurance (note this is not personal accident insurance - members must arrange this themselves if they want it) .
Mountaineering Scotland is Scotland’s national representative body for hill walkers, climbers and ski-mountaineers which works hard to look after their interests. Our club members now have access to all the benefits of MS membership as the cost of this is included in Glasgow HF's membership fee.
There is a wealth of information on all aspects of hill walking and mountaineering to be found on their website [www.mcofs.org.uk](http://www.mcofs.org.uk) and all novice walkers should take advantage of this as part of their preparation for attending walks.
**Contacting club officers**
Once you have registered with the club, if you have a question for one of the committee members, you can make contact directly through the website by clicking on the "Members” button on the Home Page and then the "Leadership Team" button On the drop-down menu. This brings up a list of committee members and their roles, as well as walk organisers. Simply click on the name of the person you want to contact and post a note.
**COMING OUT ON OUR WALKS**
**New members**
If you are a beginner we ask that you consider whether your level of fitness is appropriate for the type of walk that you want to do - occasionally someone will turn up who is not fit enough to complete a walk and this can be frustrating, both for the group and the individual. It can also be very demoralising for that person and may put them off hill walking altogether.
We don’t want you to feel under pressure on your first walk, so think about the grade of walk that you believe you can comfortably manage.
I fyou need a lift to the start of a walk, check in the comments section on the webpage for the event to see if anyone has already ofered to give a lift - or post a note requesting one. Please also see the section 'Using members' cars' below.
**Type of walks**
We have three broad grades of walk:
Easier – typically on level routes or sometimes with slight ascents taken at an easy pace.
Moderate – sometimes on paths or tracks, but with open country and some steep ascents at a steady pace.
Strenuous – ascents of one or more Munros at a brisk pace.
These walk descriptions are explained more fully below.
The published programme shows the distance and height of each walk, so members can confidently choose one that suits their level of fitness.
The club organises walks every weekend (and several weekends away on public holidays and at other times) as well as some weekday walks.
This website shows our programme, where to meet and what to bring. If you have any questions, please email a member of the organising committee.
Here are the grades of walks undertaken by the club with brief details of what you can expect:-
Grade A+
Very strenuous: arduous traverses involving steep ascents/descents over rugged terrain – for experienced, energetic hillwalkers who enjoy a long day out of 8+ hours. Typically >1200 metres ascent + 20km.
Grade A
Strenuous: fitness, stamina & experience required for ascents of 900-1200m + 10-20 km walking at a brisk pace for 6/7 hours. Steep ascents/descents over rough ground.
Grade B+
Moderate to strenuous: for regular walkers or newcomers who are used to sustained aerobic exercise. A steady pace will be required for ascents between 600-900m (expect some steep gradients) + 10-15km usually covered over 6 hours.
Grade B
Moderate: usually on paths/tracks, 300-600m ascent (with possibly some steep sections) + 10-15km or up to 20km on flatter walks. Expect to be walking for 5/6 hours.
Grade C+
Easy to moderate: typically up to 300m ascent (gentle gradients) + 9-12km or up to 15km on flatter walks which should take 4/5 hours. Suitable for anyone with average fitness/limited walking experience.
Grade C
Easy: a maximum of 4 hours to cover 12km with minimal ascent on paths/tracks/roads always at a comfortable pace.
Walkers who want to go on a more strenuous walk (grades B+, A or A+) should contact Alan Ramsay (07886 809614) or Robin Gordon (07866 430331) prior to their first walk - this is especially important in winter.
The website [www.walkhighlands.co.uk](http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk) contains detailed descriptions of many of the hill walks (and lower level walks) that appear in our programme – consulting that may provide you with more information on what a particular walk entails.
**Booking on day walks**
Our arrangements for booking on walks are designed to try to be as equitable and reliable as possible for participants, and to discourage last minute changes in those who are going, so that those on the waiting list have maximum notice of vacancies that arise.
\- For safety reasons in the event of an accident or a participant becoming unwell on a walk\, there must be a minimum of 3 in the group for a walk to proceed\.
\- RSVPs open 7 days before the walk: hopefully\, by this time members should be pretty certain of their plans for the following week and not engage in pre\-emptive booking\.
\- RSVPs will usually close 24 hours before the walk meetup time\.
Any member who has a place on a walk but fails to turn up will be marked with a 'No-show' on the website. Only a credible reason for non-attendance (e.g a genuine unforeseen emergency, or travel problem will be considered as mitigating circumstances).
We also keep a note of any members who frequently drop out of a walk after RSVPs close to identify if any particular members are making a habit of this practice, since it also effectively denies other members the chance to go on walks.
We also strongly discourage 'double-booking' on walks i.e. where a member has simultaneously confirmed places on both an HF walk and also on another walk organised by another club. Members who are identified as being double booked on another walk will be removed from the HF walk on which they have a place. Repeated double booking will incur further penalties.
**Weekends away**
The club organises walking weekends away where members can walk and socialise together, including wherever feasible weekends away providing both low and high level walks. These are usually arranged for the major public holiday weekends, but sometimes at other times as well.
Since these are designed to be 'club' weekends, attendance is restricted to paid-up members who are already coming out on day walks with the club.
Members are able to sign up for weekends well in advance in order to be able to book their accommodation. If a weekend is fully booked up, members who are seriously interested in going on a weekend are encouraged to sign up on the waiting list since invariably places (and often also accommodation) become free later for various reasons.
The club arranges organisers for some suggested walks for each weekend but those who attend will be encouraged to decide and organise amongst themselves during the weekend which walks actually happen.
In principle, any member attending a weekend is eligible to attend any of the walks on offer, subject to having suitable experience and fitness, and subject to the usual safety considerations, such as weather, time of year and the maximum number the walk organiser is happy with. The walk organiser has absolute discretion in deciding such matters as the maximum number on the walk and who has suitable experience.
Together with individual walk organisers, the overall organiser of the club weekend will arrange a meeting of all attendees on the evening of the day of arrival to discuss and plan all proposed walks for the weekend (including what each walk involves and the weather prospects) and to decide who is doing which walk taking into account safe numbers for each walk and the experience of participants. There will also be a general safety briefing.
**Cancellation policy - block booking of hostels for weekends away by the club**
Unless the hostel or HF cancel the weekend for any reason, the club will only issue refunds for accommodation paid for if there are no beds still available and someone on the waitlist wishes to take the unwanted bed.
The basis of this policy is that the club has to pay the whole cost of block booking the hostel well in advance and therefore needs to break even.
For the same reason, those on the waitlist cannot “privately buy” beds no longer wanted if the club still has beds available.
**What Equipment Do I Need?**
For your own safety and enjoyment, when coming on one of our walks you should be properly equipped for the conditions. The walk organiser may exclude anyone they believe to be not properly equipped, or who they think may not be able to complete the walk in the required time.
Basic kit list:-
Rucksack, about 35 litres capacity
Walking boots with a treaded sole remain the recommended footwear
Comfortable outdoor clothing (avoid cotton under layers & denim trousers)
Waterproof jacket and overtrousers
Spare fleece or jumper, hat & gloves
Small First Aid kit (plasters, blister kit, bandage, disinfectant wipes)
Survival bag, whistle
Liquid (at least 1 litre, more in the summer if it’s hot) and/or flask if hot drink required
Enough food for a full day's walking + something extra, just in case
Map & compass
Mobile phone and power bank backup
Summer extras:-
Sun hat, sunscreen, midge repellent
Winter extras:-
Ice axe, crampons, head torch
Also advised are:-
personal 1-2 person bothy shelter, gaiters, walking poles,
You should also have in your rucksack emergency contact information: your name, address, telephone number and any relevant medical information, plus name and phone number of someone to be contacted in an emergency. If you carry an android mobile phone an emergency contact phone number can be inserted onto the lock screen. For iphones a free app to hold all the above emergency info can be downloaded.
**Safety On Club Walks**
The club has an excellent safety record because of the broad range of experience that has been built up over many years and for a walk to proceed there must be a minimum of 3 in the group. The walk organiser will be an ordinary club member who is an unpaid volunteer, however they will be competent navigators and in many cases will have been arranging group walks for a number of years. They will determine the route to be taken and set a pace appropriate to the walk grade and makeup of the group.
As a courtesy to the group organiser and members, walkers should not go ahead of the group organiser but should remain near them and within their guidance. If they wish to leave the group either temporarily or permanently, they should inform the organiser. Walkers should follow the organiser’s advice but ultimately they are responsible for their own safety.
**Weather Forecasts**
Checking the weather forecast 1 - 2 days in advance of a walk is a good habit to get into, particularly in winter when the weather may make a walk much more demanding. The recommended website for mountain conditions is [www.mwis.org.uk](http://www.mwis.org.uk) which provides detailed forecasts for areas in Scotland (plus Lake District, Snowdonia). The MetWeather website allows you to check the weather at the top of most munros and some other hills, if you type the name of the hill in the search field. For lower level walks the Metwather forecasts are valuable.
In the event of an extremely poor forecast the walk organiser may decide to walk in another area or cancel the planned walk – this will be notified in advance via the club website but could be as late as the evening before a walk.
**Using Members Cars**
Club members’ cars are the main means of transport to the hill walks in our programme. To compensate drivers for the costs involved a mileage charge of (currently) 34p per car, with the total cost of a journey being divided equally between car drivers and passengers.
Please respect the car you are journeying in – don’t wear walking boots in the car, bring a change of footwear and a bag for your boots.
**Dogs on walks**
Walk organisers may opt to have dogs on their walks. Such walks will be clearly designated as 'Dog Friendly' in the walk details.
Dogs must be kept under control at all times.
It is envisaged that there will be no more than 2 dogs on each walk, this is at the leaders discretion.
Dog owners must provide their own transport and make it clear when offering lifts that there is a dog on board. Members are not obliged to accept a lift in a car with a dog.
No professional dog walkers or multiple dogs.
Dog owners must adhere to the Scottish Outdoor Access Code:
[https://www.outdooraccess-scotland.scot/practical-guide-all/dog-walking](https://www.outdooraccess-scotland.scot/practical-guide-all/dog-walking)
**The Meetup website – Security & Intellectual Property (IP) matters**
When you registered with Meetup, whether you were aware of it or not, you signed up to Meetup's Terms. These are Meetup Terms, and apply to whichever Meetup group you subsequently joined, including HF.
As a condition of using the Meetup website you are obliged to always be careful about: being respectful, about sexual content, about asking permission, about respecting privacy, about acting with integrity (not being manipulative or exploitative), and about not being threatening or violent.
These terms cover uploading and using information on their (public) website. This means your (Meetup) name, home town, optional biography and interests (if you provided one) and any information you post, including any photos taken on walks or social events that you post, which is naturally a very popular feature of the website.
Note your email address is not public information (and Meetup does NOT ask you to provide your address or telephone numbers). The information you provide on HF's membership form is not available on the website and is only shared with Mountaineering Scotland for the purposes of affiliation or with others on a need-to-know basis (e.g. in the event of an accident, with the Mountain Rescue/police).
One of the Meetup terms you signed states that you respect the IP rights of others so posting content that violates another's IP rights is prohibited. So only post your own photos (or other information), over which you own the IP rights.
If you wish to use any photo or other information posted by another member, even for a club publication, you MUST obtain permission from the person who posted it and holds the copyright.
The Meetup website reminds you that you are solely responsible for any information you supply or post on the website and that should understand that your public Information may be accessible by and made public through by search engines and other similar programs.
So do not upload any photos or material that you would NOT want anyone to download and use without your permission. Or, if you are a serious photographer, upload them at the lowest resolution necessary for website purposes or add a non-removal copyright watermark across the entire image.
