New to YHA Bushwalking Victoria?  Or new to  bushwalking?

 

Here’s how to start

•  Join our Mailing List.  Our newsletter will keep you informed of upcoming events and other updates about our club.

 

• Attend a Clubnight.   Committee members and experienced leaders can talk to you about our activities and what you might need.

 

• Start with an Easy to Medium walk.   See the Walks Program, Meetup, or the newsletter.  Easy to medium walks generally have a higher limit on numbers, group sizes are typically 10-20.   There’s no shortage of people to chat to, and the pace rarely exceeds ‘leisurely’. Choose one of the easier graded walks if you have not walked before or a Medium one if you have experience. You need a day pack, sturdy walking boots, wet weather gear (no jeans!) and a water bottle.   See our Gear page for a complete checklist.

 

Becoming a regular bushwalker?
Looking for even more breathtaking experiences?

 

•  Join YHA Bushwalking Victoria  Club members pay an annual fee of $35 to receive free walks (except for car pooling costs), priority bookings on events, discounted fees for some social activities and voting rights at our annual general meeting.    You do not need to be a YHA member to join YHA Bushwalking Victoria.

 

• Go on an Accommodated or Basecamp weekend trip.   Victoria’s most spectacular bushwalks are too far from Melbourne for day trips.   Accommodated or base-camp trips start from one place, such as Halls Gap, Mansfield, Falls Creek or Wilson Prom with multiple day walks – no need for extra gear or carrying your own camping equipment.

 

• Now for an overnight pack-carry.    This where you get to spectacular sunsets and sunrises only seen from campsites in high places.  See the second part of our Gear  page for what to take.  Chat with our experienced walkers and leaders about brands of tent, sleeping bag, stove etc.  Start with an easy (introductory) grade pack-carry.   A medium-hard day walk doesn’t equate to a seamless transition to a medium-hard overnight walk.   You need to get used to the extra weight (and work out what you really don’t need to carry after all).  If you are an experienced pack carrier, let the Leader know what you have done and how long ago.

 

• Finally come the iconic walks.   Everyone talks about these for good reason – Tasmania’s South Coast track, Central Australia’s Larapinta Trail, the Flinders Ranges, New Zealand’s Nelson Lakes.   Once a regular pack-carrier with us, you’ll be ready to enjoy these experiences.  A word of warning however.

 

If you’ve headed straight to the bottom of this page without going through the intermediate stages…well, you aren’t the first to do so, and we understand why, but we mean it when we say you need adequate preparation to enjoy our activities.

There is no mandatory system of qualifying walks to go on a pack-carry, however leaders of hard extended walks are entitled to request that you demonstrate your suitability on one of the club’s weekend pack-carries beforehand.