Leaders FAQ
A page where the walks committee will post questions from our leaders with our answers so that we are all on the same page. If you are a trip leader or want to start leading trips, and you have questions, please send them to [email protected] and we'll respond to your question and post the answer here.
What is a PLB?
A PLB is a Personal Locator Beacon. A PLB relies on satellite communication and is the most reliable way of advising emergency services of your location when you are in the bush. Some people incorrectly refer to these as EPIRBs, but the portable ones carried by bushwalkers are actually PLBs. Some devices such as the Garmin Inreach and SPOT aren't strictly PLBs, but they perform the same function.
Do places like the Royal National Park and Blue Mountains qualify as outside urban areas?
Some areas in both the Royal National Park and the Blue Mountains meet our definition of outside an urban area because they don't have reliable mobile coverage. If a leader isn't sure if they will have mobile coverage on an activity we ask them to use the "outside urban areas" approach.
Do I still need a trip emergency contact if my walk is in an urban area?
Yes, you still need a trip emergency contact if your trip is in an urban area. This is good practice and means that in the unlikely event of you being late back to the cars somebody will be watching out for you. You should provide your trip emergency contact with your mobile phone number and your proposed route. Don't forget to ring them when you are back at the cars.
How am I meant to email the completed walks form before the walk if there's no reception in those areas?
Many walks in non-urban areas have a start point in an area with coverage, in which case there is no issue. Where you are uncertain about mobile coverage or know that there won't be any at your meeting place the approach is to ask the people on the trip to send you through the rego number of the car they will be arriving in and the details of their emergency contact. This can then be emailed through to [email protected] the evening before. This approach has the additional benefit of people contacting the leader and confirming that they will be there on the day.
Am I meant to email my intentions for the walk besides the information we give on the program for each term?
The information we give on the program is a form of advertising for your walk and provides a level of detail which is sufficient for people to decide if the walk is for them or not.
If a party is overdue and requiring assistance in an area with mobile phone coverage, they will be able to communicate with emergency services directly.
For walks in remote areas with more complex plans the level of information in the program description would not be enough for emergency services to organise an effective search for an overdue party. They will typically ask for the sort of information we require on the trip intention form to be provided.
The Word version of the activity register isn't printing properly. What should I do?
If you can't get the Word Version to print properly you will need to use the PDF version which can be downloaded from the Forms and Policies page.
A page where the walks committee will post questions from our leaders with our answers so that we are all on the same page. If you are a trip leader or want to start leading trips, and you have questions, please send them to [email protected] and we'll respond to your question and post the answer here.
What is a PLB?
A PLB is a Personal Locator Beacon. A PLB relies on satellite communication and is the most reliable way of advising emergency services of your location when you are in the bush. Some people incorrectly refer to these as EPIRBs, but the portable ones carried by bushwalkers are actually PLBs. Some devices such as the Garmin Inreach and SPOT aren't strictly PLBs, but they perform the same function.
Do places like the Royal National Park and Blue Mountains qualify as outside urban areas?
Some areas in both the Royal National Park and the Blue Mountains meet our definition of outside an urban area because they don't have reliable mobile coverage. If a leader isn't sure if they will have mobile coverage on an activity we ask them to use the "outside urban areas" approach.
Do I still need a trip emergency contact if my walk is in an urban area?
Yes, you still need a trip emergency contact if your trip is in an urban area. This is good practice and means that in the unlikely event of you being late back to the cars somebody will be watching out for you. You should provide your trip emergency contact with your mobile phone number and your proposed route. Don't forget to ring them when you are back at the cars.
How am I meant to email the completed walks form before the walk if there's no reception in those areas?
Many walks in non-urban areas have a start point in an area with coverage, in which case there is no issue. Where you are uncertain about mobile coverage or know that there won't be any at your meeting place the approach is to ask the people on the trip to send you through the rego number of the car they will be arriving in and the details of their emergency contact. This can then be emailed through to [email protected] the evening before. This approach has the additional benefit of people contacting the leader and confirming that they will be there on the day.
Am I meant to email my intentions for the walk besides the information we give on the program for each term?
The information we give on the program is a form of advertising for your walk and provides a level of detail which is sufficient for people to decide if the walk is for them or not.
If a party is overdue and requiring assistance in an area with mobile phone coverage, they will be able to communicate with emergency services directly.
For walks in remote areas with more complex plans the level of information in the program description would not be enough for emergency services to organise an effective search for an overdue party. They will typically ask for the sort of information we require on the trip intention form to be provided.
The Word version of the activity register isn't printing properly. What should I do?
If you can't get the Word Version to print properly you will need to use the PDF version which can be downloaded from the Forms and Policies page.