We offer a varied programme of walks to suit all tastes and ability levels.
Each walk is carefully planned and reconnoitred by a leader, who is responsible for the route and for the safety of the group. If you are in doubt about your ability to undertake a walk, please contact the leader, who will be able to advise you as to the nature of the terrain and the level of fitness required.
If you are interested in leading walks, please talk to the Walks Organiser and consult the information for leaders.
There is a full-day walk of between 7 and 10 miles every Sunday throughout the year, unless otherwise stated on the programme. Sunday walks are moderately paced and always include stops for coffee and lunch. We sometimes end the day with tea at a local teashop.
Once a month we also offer a shorter, slower-paced Thursday walk of 4-5 miles, usually travelling by bus and finishing with a pub lunch. Thursday walks are mainly popular with our older members.
In addition to the scheduled programme, we may offer ‘pop-up’ walks on other days of the week. These can be added to the club calendar at any time in order to take advantage of fine weather and so that those who enjoy mid-week walking can invite others to join them on a walk at short notice. Be sure to watch the calendar page to see what is happening, and contact Christabel or Katherine if you wish to add a pop-up walk or other activity to the calendar. Pop-up walks may be of any length.
We encourage car sharing as far as possible, in an effort to reduce our carbon footprint and because there is often limited parking space at the start of a walk. We also strive to be socially inclusive and to make our walks available to those on low incomes or without a car.
However, Covid forced us to abandon our previous practice of meeting at a central Exeter location and piling into as few cars as possible, and we have now adopted a system of pre-arranged car sharing. Please be assured that we will still do everything we can to accommodate non-drivers and newcomers to the club, so don’t be afraid to ask.
If you intend to go on a Sunday walk, you should contact the leader as early in the week as possible, telling the leader whether:
a) you would like a lift; b) you will be driving and are willing to take passengers, and stating how many seats you have available, or c) you wish to drive alone to the start.
The leader is not responsible for arranging lifts but will circulate details of who is planning to come on the walk and may offer suggestions, based on where people live. It will then be up to those involved in the walk to make car-sharing arrangements in advance of Sunday, including agreeing on mutually convenient pick-up points. Please consult this information sheet on Sunday transport arrangements for further details.
If you are planning to drive alone to the start, it is still really important to let the leader know in case there is any last minute change of plan.
Passengers are asked to contribute towards the cost of fuel. This is regularly revised to reflect petrol prices and is currently 10p per mile.
What to bring
The following equipment is required for all walks, unless otherwise stated (e.g. pub lunch):
Dogs
Dogs are not allowed on any club walks.
Safety
For your own safety and that of the group, we ask you to comply with the following requests:
Disclaimer
The Exeter Rambling Club accepts no responsibility for any circumstances that may arise during or as a consequence of any walk. Members walk at their own risk and are advised to check their own accident insurance and to take due care at all times.