We have created the following guidelines to assist our members in connecting with club events. We must emphasize the importance of open communication. Please share your needs and concerns during the trip, and actively participate in decision-making.
The instructions below assume that you have created a Meetup.com account, logged into your personal account, and joined the private Meetup group for the Island Mountain Ramblers.
Joining a Trip:
- Every event on the club schedule is a personal hike shared by a member; please be considerate
- Be familiar with the club’s Meetup etiquette and policies, and harassment policy
- Log into the club Meetup and check the schedule frequently for updates
- Become familiar with the trip rating system codes; know what HK3P2 means
- Carefully read the trip description, and if it suits your experience and fitness, consider joining the trip
- To join the event, please indicate your attendance. If the trip is full, join the waitlist, as there are usually cancellations
- Once you’re on the going list, send the trip leader your emergency contact details. Also, inform the host if you are taking any medication or have a medical condition of concern
- Remove yourself from the going and waitlist as soon as you know you cannot make it
- Show up for the event; ‘no shows” cause problems for trip leaders, which could exclude you from future trips Read more here
Bringing a Guest**
- Guests are not permitted to join the club’s Meetup events
- We allow guests to participate in trips as a courtesy for our trip leaders and members who wish to bring a friend
- Get permission from the trip leader for a guest can join the trip
- Ensure that your guest completes the FMCBC Liability Waiver
- Trip leaders are responsible for recording the guest’s name in the trip submission report
- A guest may attend up to two club day trips before they are required to become a member.
Pre-trip Preparation
- Review trip reports, route descriptions, and maps provided by the trip leader
- Seek out and review road maps, guidebook notes, topographic area maps
- Ask questions if you need more clarification before and during your trip
- Assemble a suitable first aid kit that is freshly stocked to your level of expertise
- Pack for the worst-case scenario: spending an unexpected night out
- ALWAYS pack the 10 essentials
- Assemble the appropriate gear (gear lists)
- Monitor weather and avalanche forecasts (if applicable)
- Bring money for the ride-sharing fee (posted in the event details)
- Leave a trip plan with a responsible person
Rendezvous
- Know the departure time, and arrive early!!
- Multiple rendezvous points en route are not uncommon
- Ensure everyone is taken care of regarding required gear
- Arrange ride-sharing
At the trailhead
- Introduce yourself
- Expect a short overview of the trip, its objectives and safety requirements. Expect to hear about the hazards of the trip and ask about them you don’t.
- Agree upon the ‘goal’; perhaps ‘the summit’ is not a priority!
- Set the turnaround time.
- Listen to instructions about the emergency communication plan, or ask about it
- Expect the leader to ask for a volunteer first-aider (the trip leader shouldn’t be the first-aider, or an alternate leader can be identified)
- Travelling as a group is recommended, even if in small groups. Being separated by large distances can lead to issues if an incident occurs.
Expectations for the trip
- Communicate emergent issues with the trip leader(s)
- Uphold the standards of the club’s harassment policy
- Follow the pace set by your trip leader and group; no jack-rabbits
- Practice the 7 principles of Leave No Trace
Guidelines for Trip Leaders
To understand more about the role of the trip leader, review the club’s Guidelines for Trip Leaders page.