You don’t need to book in advance for our walks, so in most cases you can just turn up on the day. But if you're thinking of coming along to your first walk, these guidelines give you an idea what to expect.
All our walks are graded to give you an idea of what each one will be like. To find out more about a particular walk, contact the walk leader.
If you're unsure of your fitness level, try a short and easy walk first. It's better to find a walk too easy than to make yourself miserable and exhausted. Walk leaders reserve the right to turn away anybody who, in their opinion, would be unable to complete the walk.
Bring appropriate clothing and footwear for the weather conditions. You can find useful information about clothing and footwear on the Ramblers' Association website.
Bring something to drink, even if the walk has a pub stop. On most full day walks you’ll need to bring a picnic lunch. Some walks include a pub lunch, and if you'd like to eat in the pub please contact the walk leader in advance so that we can let the pub know how many people to expect.
If you wish to bring your dog on a walk, you must ask the walk leader in advance as some walks are not suitable for dogs.
Many of our walks start from stations, but if there’s no public transport and you don’t have a car you may be able to arrange a lift. Contact the walk leader, or use the message board on the Members' page.
Please arrive early so that the walk can start on time. We'll wait up to 10 minutes if you phone to let us know you’ve been delayed en-route.
All our walks are led by SURG members. Please follow their instructions, don't walk ahead of them, and let them know if you decide to leave the walk before the end.
Follow the countryside code. If you bring a dog, make sure that it's under control at all times. You can find some guidelines on walking with dogs on the Ramblers’ Association website.
Enjoy yourself! One of the great things about a group walk is the opportunity to chat to lots of different people as you walk. But if you feel uncomfortable about unwanted attention from another person on any walk, please let the walk leader know or email the SURG Chair in confidence.
You can find contact details for walk leaders in the members' version of the programme.
If you're not a member, please email us if you'd like contact details for a walk leader.
