FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How do I get involved ?

Who are you?

Do I have to live in Northamptonshire to join?

Do I have to be in my 20s 30 or 40s?

Does being "Ramblers" mean you only do very short unambitious walks?

How often do you go walking?

What day and time are the walks?

What about weekends away?

Do you do any longer trips?

Do I have to spend a fortune on clothing and equipment?

Can I bring my dog on the walks?

Can I bring my child(ren) on the walks?

Do I have to tell you before I turn up on a walk?

Once I start, do I have to come on every walk?

Do I have to join before coming on a walk?

How do I join?

What is the Ramblers Association?

When can I meet you?

Do you do anything besides walking?

I live a really long way from Northamptonshire - is there a similar group near me?

How do I get involved?

The best way to get involved is to turn up on one of our walks, or at the monthly pub meets throughout the winter, and see how you like it!

There is no need to formally join the Ramblers Association before this and you can come along on up to three "trial" walks before you need to join.

 

Who are you?

We are the Northants 20s to 40s Ramblers - As the name suggests, essentially we are a group based in Northamptonshire, in our 20s 30s and 40s, who go walking - but that would be too simple!

Do I have to live in Northamptonshire to join?

No - Although we are based in Northamptonshire we have members from many of the surrounding counties as well. Basically, if you can get to the walks then you can join us!

Do I have to be in my 20s, 30s or 40s?

We have just expanded from a "20s - 30s" group to better represent those members in their 40s, and 20s to 40s is the age group we are aimed at.

That said, we don't ask for your birth certificate!! As long as you are "young at heart" then you should fit in well! (And if you are 29 but act like a 65 year old then you probably won't!!)

At the lower end of the scale, you have to be at least 18 (for legal reasons).

Most of our members are somewhere in the middle, so if you are in your 20s, 30s or 40s you will find plenty of people around your age.

Does being "Ramblers" mean you only do very short unambitious walks?

No - Although we are called Ramblers this is because we are part of the Ramblers Association. However, we are far removed from the image this may conjure in your mind of groups of pensioners in bobble hats drinking tea! 

Usually walks are around 8-10 miles, and some of the local walks may be a "figure of 8" - split into two roughly equal halves. On some of the more distant daywalks and most weekends away we tend to do some ambitious walks, in areas such as the Lake District, the Peak District and North Wales, which can involve some steep hillclimbing and long distances. But we try to cater for everyone and low level and shorter walks can be made available on weekends, if there is demand for these.

To get an idea of the sort of thing we have done in the past, see the Photo page.

How often do you go walking?

We now walk most weekends, alternating between local walks and those a bit further afield - up to two hours drive away.

What day and time are the walks?

Walks are usually on a Sunday and usually start at 10.30. For the more distant walks a central Northampton meet for car sharing will be organised, which will be one or two hours before the 10.30 start, depending on the distance to the start of the walk.

Local walks may sometimes be "figure of 8" walks, which give the option of just doing the morning or afternoon half of the walk, with the second half starting at 1 or 2pm.

The "Programme of Walks" lists the details of all daywalks and weekends away, with full details available at least a month in advance.

What about weekends away?

About once every two months we also organise a weekend away. These are generally to areas which are too far away for a daywalk, and which are worth spending more time in. Often this means the Lake District, Peak District, North Wales and other popular and not so popular (therefore quieter and more interesting) walking areas.

See the Weekends Page for details of all weekends currently planned.

Do you do any longer trips?

We try to run a Summer trip of at least one week's length every year, usually abroad, as well as extended weekends of up to four days.

Details of the next one will appear well in advance on the Walks and Weekends pages and if you become a member you will get e-mails about these and all other plans.

Do I have to spend a fortune on clothing and equipment?

No - Boots, adequate sensible clothing (including waterproofs but excluding denim) a packed lunch and a rucksack to put it in normally suffice, particularly for local walks in the Summer. See the Equipment Page for more details.

Can I bring my dog on the walks?

Yes - we have nothing against anyone bringing dogs, although in practice they are rarely seen on our walks. Most walks are on public footpaths and therefore dogs are allowed. Obviously your dog will have to be on a lead if there is any livestock around, and you (not the walk leader) will be responsible for keeping your dog under control.

It is also likely that you will have to carry your dog over styles and on some walks these could be numerous and/or high and/or difficult to get over even without a dog. Some walks may also not be exclusively on public footpaths and therefore dogs may not be allowed (e.g. if we go through a nature reserve). Given the rarity of dogs on our walks issues such as these are not usually taken into account when walks are planned and it is therefore advisable to contact the walk leader before bringing your dog.

For weekends away, dogs may not be allowed in the hostel and you should check with the weekend organiser before booking . (Contact details for walk leaders and weekend organisers are on the walks page, or contact us.

Can I bring my child / children on the walks?

Yes - As long as they are old enough to be able to keep up with the pace of the walk (i.e. a reasonable walking pace), or small enough for you to carry, and are well behaved (so they don't disturb the rest of the group - who in the main are frankly not used to having children around!)

Your children (under 18) can only come on walks when you are coming as well as you will be responsible for supervising them - we are not legally able to act "in loco parentis".

Do I have to tell you before I turn up on a walk?

No - You can just turn up on daywalks without letting anyone know in advance, and this is what established members generally do. But it is always nice to know if new people are coming, and it does mean we can wait for you if you get lost on the way to the start! For weekends away you do need to contact the organiser in advance, and you should do this as soon as possible.

Once I start, do I have to come on every walk?

No - although many people will do most of the walks, you can turn up as often or as infrequently as you like.

Do I have to join before coming on a walk?

No - You are welcome to come along and "try us out" on a couple of daywalks or even a weekend, but if you want to keep coming after this you will need to join the Ramblers Association.

How do I join?

You can join the Ramblers Association via their website - visit This Page and select "Northants 20s 40s Ramblers" as your group from the drop down list (it is essential that you do this or you will be allocated to the "all age" group for your area, who will get your fees!).

If you are already a member of the Ramblers Association it doesn't matter if you have already specified a different group, or didn't specify one at all, and you don't need to do anything more to join us. But if you do end up mainly walking with us, rather than your old group, we would be grateful if you would "change your allegiances" to us!

What is the Ramblers Association?

The Ramblers Association, which we are a part of, is a charity that protects Britain's unique network of public paths, provides information to help you plan your walk and enjoy it in safety and comfort, increases access for walkers and has established statutory rights of access to our countryside, safeguards the countryside from unsightly and polluting developments so that walkers can enjoy its tranquillity and beauty, and educates the public about their rights and responsibilities and the health and environmental benefits of walking, so that everyone can enjoy our wonderful heritage.

To find out more visit www.ramblers.org.uk

When can I meet you?

We meet up on the first Wednesday of each month at a pub in the area, which is an opportunity to find out more about the group and forthcoming activities (and is easy to escape from if you decide its not for you!). In the summer the venue and time varies as we also include a short (optional) evening walk. See the Programme of Walks for details of the next meeting and come along to find out more.

Do you do anything besides walking?

We also try to arrange regular activities & social activities, like bowling, ice skating, meals out and trips to places such as Alton Towers. These are organised by the Social Secretary and are listed on the Activities & Socials page.

I live a really long way from Northamptonshire - is there a similar group near me?

There are 20s 30s groups covering large parts of the country, hopefully there is one near you - see the Ramblers Association List of Other 20s 30s Groups Please note that many of these do not accept over 40s (However some of them are 40s + groups)

 

If you still have any questions then contact us and you will usually get a reply within 24 hours.



Northants 20s - 40s Ramblers
Registered Charity 1093577