Being a walk leader – how was it for me?
Moo Ling’s answers to frequently asked questions
Why do you lead walks?
Lea Valley Friends (LVF) offer 52 walks a year, either on a Saturday or Sunday. I can only attend half of them. That’s 26 walks. I have enjoyed all of them. There’s always a call for new leaders and I realised that perhaps, the least I can do is help out and lead just one walk in return for the 26 that I have enjoyed. That was how I got started.
I have never led a walk before
Ever heard of the old Chinese proverb about the 1000 mile journey that starts with the first step? Same idea here.
What walk can I do?
You can start off by sharing a favourite walk. One that you have regularly used with your family or indeed, the family dog. Local knowledge is a wonderful thing. Share it with us. You may have, like me, enjoyed a walk elsewhere and would like to repeat this for the group. Many in LVF will have books on walks and you can borrow these from them. I have started using the guide, 'London (AA 50 walks). These map out the exact routes and many are within 3-5 miles, ideal for LVF.
As people get more experienced, they may adjust the recommended walking routes. I have done this for figure of eight walks when I have cut out either the top or bottom loop and immediately halved the distance. When you get more experienced and confident, you can have the satisfaction of devising your own routes!
City or country?
It doesn’t matter. The only difference that I can see is, there is no mud in the city although you may still encounter a certain type of animal dirt along pavements. I am known to lead city walks but that’s purely a personal preference. I just wanted all my walks to be accessible by public transport so that those who don’t have their own cars can still come along. This therefore tends to lend itself to city walks. Also, it is easier for me to find my own way around. There are street signs, the A-Z and the helpful bobby.
In contrast, there is no one around to ask for directions in the country. I tend to get ignored by the country dwellers. Even if I do get a response it tends to be woolly and supercilious. “Bah!” or “Baaaaaaa” is all I can hope to for.
Where do you get your ideas?
I get my ideas from books, researching the internet, talking to other ramblers, going on other people’s walks, random thoughts and day dreams. Not all of them end up as a walk. My walks centre on London because it is such a fascinating city, rich in history and there to be discovered again and again.
Samuel Johnson got the right idea when conversing with his friend and biographer, James Boswell, "Why, Sir, you find no man, at all intellectual, who is willing to leave London. No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford." Later, Boswell recommended in his writings, "A country gentleman should bring his lady to visit London as soon as he can, that they may have agreeable toppicks for conversation when they are by themselves."
I cannot read maps
You don’t need to be able to read maps to lead the way. You just need to know the way.
What if I get lost?
Even the most experienced walk leaders get lost at one point or another. The art of avoiding getting lost is to prepare well. Hence, the recce (see below). However, if you do get lost, there are two things you can do.
a) Pretend that you are only stretching your neck muscles while turning round in the same spot, surreptitiously looking for the right path or, if you keep walking past the same row of trees several times, assure the group it is intentional. This is where play acting skills or experience in amateur dramatics is useful.
A word of caution: these tactics only work for the first 10-15 minutes. If you persist, not only will your group think you have gone off your rocker but you will get hopelessly lost.
b) It is better to confess. You will find that the group is very forgiving and will wait while you re orientate yourself. They will be pretty good humoured about it all. Unless they are still there at nine in the evening.
What is a recce?
These are dry runs of the walk you intend to do. I did 3 recces when I led the heritage walk around the City of London Cemetery (a grave responsibility) before I was reasonably satisfied that this walk would not lead to a dead end. On the other hand, if it is somewhere you are familiar with, you may only need to do just one trial run. I would, however, recommend that you do at least one recce for a walk that you intend to take on. For example, paths may get blocked and trees that you have relied upon as landmarks may have been cut down since you were last there. That's the countryside for you! A recce helps you to familiarise yourself with the route, adjust the timings and fit in any rest stops as necessary.
Is there an age limit for walk leaders?
If you can walk, you can lead.
Can I choose when I could lead a walk?
Of course. Just contact our Walks Secretary and agree on a mutually convenient time. If you are able to do this well in advance, you are much more likely to have the date that you want.
How do I know I would be any good as a walk leader?
You won’t know until you have tried. After that, if nobody turns up for your second walk, you’ll know that people are avoiding your walks. I hasten to add however, that this has never happened yet with LVF. There is, of course, always the first time. However, I am so confident that it will never happen that I will pay for your next Christmas Lunch with LVF if people do not continue to turn up for your walks.
I am too shy
So am I.
Have you had any embarrassing incidents, other than getting lost?
Definitely. Having the whole group leave without me when I was ONLY a few minutes late was unforgettably mortifying when I was supposed to be the group leader. Another was when I was standing with my back to a historic pub and blithely spouting to the group in front of me that the pub was established in the 1800’s when everyone could see that the large pub sign above me clearly stated: Ramblers Rest circa 1684.
I am not as good as Dennis
No one is. You are talking about the King of the Ramble here. But you can aspire to be like him. Start with just one walk.
What would I get out of this?
You have a group of people who will be following in your footsteps, listening to your every word and doing as they are told. What more do you want? These same people will also come up to you at the end of the walk and thank you. Sometimes there is even applause which can be pretty embarrassing when you are somewhere public. You will have a sense of achievement on a job well done. And, you will also succumb to the temptation to pat yourself on the back, as though all that adulation is not enough. It’s a great feeling. No matter how many times you have led a walk, you always enjoy the appreciation of others. The feel-good factor cannot be overestimated.
Finally, do it because it is fun!