The trip leader’s/trip organiser’s main job is to ensure that, at the conclusion of the trip, everyone has enjoyed themselves.
Rather than do all the tasks that need to be done, a good leader will delegate some jobs to less experienced party members and make use of the skills of more experienced members of the party.
Good judgement is usually the result of experience and experience is frequently the result of bad judgement. Never pretend to know something that you don’t.
Before the trip
- When a trip is added to the trip list, check the details on the webpage. You can get the Chief Guides (Peter Davis and Yingjun Shelton) to add details (such as time and place to meet, any bookings for huts or transport that party members must make for themselves or special gear requirements).
- The lists of who is going are now done through the webpage. You will be supplied with access to the list well before the trip. For weekend and multiday trips, please add in an itinerary for each day of the trip (planned route and location for the night). Check who is on the list. As leader you can turn down people that you think aren’t suited to the trip. Contact the Chief Guides if you want to talk about any uncertainties. They are there to help.
- The Chief Guide and Club Emergency Contacts will have the list of participants and the trip plans from the trip list. Leaders must text or email the Emergency Contacts (Peter Davis, Owen Cox, and Steve Hudson) confirming participants and any changes. Also indicate any route changes from the trip list route and an estimated deadline for coming out of the hills.
- If you are making bookings for the group, make sure you get paid before you make the booking. Talk to the Treasurer if you think you need to use the club bank accounts.
- If using private cars, make sure you have enough cars and carpool as far as practical to reduce the costs and the number of cars at the road end.
- Trip Leaders are expected to take a club first aid kit, club personal locator beacon (PLB) and a club inReach on all trips. These are held by the Gear Steward, so talk to Rodney about getting what you need. They may be able to be collected from the previous trip leader or at the next club meeting.
- The Trip Leader will distribute communal gear such as tent-flies, first aid kit and PLB evenly amongst the stronger members of the party. The club has some gear and ice axes; these are held by the Gear Steward (Rodney Hopkirk).
During the trip
- At the start of the trip, each morning and at critical points along the way, explain the planned route - the terrain, highlights, any challenges or difficulties likely to be encountered and backup plans.
- Use a map to familiarise each member of the party with the route and surrounding area. Set expectations for the conduct of the trip, including when it's appropriate for faster participants to travel ahead and when it's not. Remind participants not to get too far ahead and to wait at appropriate landmarks.
- Set approximate time frames for lunch and breaks so people know where to wait and when. Remind participants of their obligations to help others through obstacles such as wind fall or across rivers.
- If the party does decide to break up into faster and slower groups, agree on a 'tail-end Charlie' to look after slower or less experienced trampers – this may well be the trip leader. Trip participants have a responsibility to stay together and assist other participants.
Emergencies
- Injury - The most experienced person should take decisive command: act promptly, deliberately and calmly. Always ensure that the group’s safety is paramount. The leader should delegate tasks to other capable members in order to keep abreast of the overall situation and allow time to clearly plan the next steps. Get help if needed.
- Losing another party member - Confusion reigns if party members charge into the bush looking for a lost member without plans to regroup. Sending an experienced party member ahead, perhaps without a pack, to catch someone going ahead the wrong way and another member back to the last location where the party was together, are sound strategies. Always have someone stay with packs as these can be nearly impossible to find off-track.
- Getting help – Club trips have PLBs. These are for emergency use only. Don’t use them just because you are late. If you activate a PLB, keep it with the injured person and leave it on until rescued. In many places you have cell phone coverage. If the location is clear, dial 111 and ask for help. You need to give details, location and your phone number. Contact the Club Emergency Contacts by cell phone if you can, after you have alerted emergency services.
Remember in an emergency the whole party should help and work together. The leader doesn’t need to do it all.
After the trip
- Report back to the Club Emergency Contacts by text or email as soon as possible to advise the group is safely out from the trip.
- Get someone to write a report for the trip, preferably including a few photographs, for the club website. This can be entered onto the website using the ‘Create Trip Report’ in the Members area of the website.
- Encourage someone on the trip to gather photos for the club album and trip report, passing them to the club Photo Album Creators group.
- Make sure the club first aid kit, PLB and inReach are handed back to the Gear Steward or handed over to the Trip Leader for the following weekend’s trip (please let the Gear Steward know you have done this).