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 Day walks
Our day walks range from easy half day walks on tracks which are suitable for people new to bushwalking, through to longer walks of over 20 km, or off-track walks with extensive scrambling. On all walks you must carry enough water and food for the entire trip, plus some spare in case the trip is delayed due to unforeseen circumstances.
Guidance on what is involved is given in the walk description in the Club program. We recommend that new walkers start off with walks of grade 3 or less. See the section on Walk Gradings for a detailed explanation of walk grades.
Overnight and extended walks
Our overnight walks range from easy on-track weekend walks, to off-track and exploratory weekend walks and extended trips of a week or more. Walkers on overnight and extended walks must have a level of fitness that is sufficient to carry food, water and camping equipment.
We usually mention on the program if an overnight or extended walk is suitable for new walkers, however if you are not sure if a walk is suitable for you please contact the leader. We recommend that you would have to be fit enough to do a day walk of medium grade before attempting most overnight walks.
The Club has camping equipment which is available for loan to members participating in Club activities.
Walk Grades
Club activities are generally graded on a scale of 1 to 9. The descriptions below only refer to bushwalking trips. Where these grades are applied to other activities (eg. cycling) the descriptions no longer apply but a similar level of fitness and experience is required. See the grading section for each of the other activities.
Grading is subjective and cannot take into account all possible factors, so if you are uncertain about the grade, the experience and fitness required, or the terrain, ask the leader for advice.
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Grade
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Classification
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Description
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1 to 3
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Easy
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Distances of up to 15 km per day, mostly on roads and tracks. Grades 1 and 2 walks are generally over relatively flat terrain. Many people who haven't been on a full day bushwalk before, find Grade 3 walks quite hard |
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4 to 6
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Medium
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Distances up to 25 km per day. possible steep ascents/descents involved and often some walking in trackless bushland, in creek beds or near cliff edges. Reasonable level of fitness, agility and experience required. Many people who haven't walked off tracks before find these walks quite hard. |
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7 too 9
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Hard
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Strenuous walking over difficult terrain much of which is often unfamiliar to the leader. Fit and experienced walkers only. |
Suggestions for new members
One day walks: Start with a Grade 1 or Grade 2 walk if you haven't been on a full day bushwalk before. Start with a Grade 3 or Grade 4 day walk if you have some experience but haven't walked off track before.
Overnight walks: These require more experience and fitness than day walks of an equivalent grade, so try some day walks of a higher grade before attempting an overnight walk.
| Suggested equipment for walks |
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 When you first start bushwalking, it is best not to buy expensive equipment without some advice from experienced members. During an activity it is easy to see the type of equipment that others are using and also enquire about any faults or problems that have occurred with their gear.
The Club has a limited stock of equipment that is available to members to use on club activities.
Ideally all gear should be contained within your backpack. Items attached to the outside may be lost or damaged. There is no definite method for packing a backpack except keeping heavier items towards the top of your pack so that most of the weight is on your shoulders.
A bushwalking gear checklist is provided at the top of this page as a basic guide on items to take on the various graded bushwalks.
Rogaining is the sport of long distance cross-country navigation. The objective of rogaining is to collect the highest score by finding checkpoints within a set time limit. Teams of two to five members travel entirely on foot, navigating with the aid of a topographic map and compass. Teams select their own order of visiting checkpoints, in terrain that varies from open countryside to hilly forest.
Our Club has a number of members who are keen rogainers. Each year we have members who compete in the Paddy Pallin and NavShield rogaine.
Subsidy for Rogaine participation
To encourage members to participate in rogaines and gain additional map reading and navigation skills, the Club will subsidise the costs of entering rogaines which are organised by Bushwalkers Rescue Squad Inc (the Navshield) and Paddy Pallin if all competitors are financial members of the Sutherland Bushwalking Club. The Club will pay 50% of the total fees, including individual and team fees, but excluding late fees. To claim a reimbursement, contact the Club Treasurer, setting out the details of the claim.
For details of scheduled rogaines go to BWRS at www.bwrs.org.au or www.nswrogaining.org
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