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Hertfordshire

The Hertfordshire group walk on the 2nd Saturday of each month.

The group covers all of Hertfordshire and sometimes organises invasion parties into neighbouring counties.

To contact this group by e-mail, phone or letter please use our contact page.

Herts GOC has now finalised its planning for 2012; forthcoming events will appear on this website soon.  If you would like to propose an event, please get in touch!

Coming up:

• a list of forthcoming events
• the FAQs!

6 events.    

Frequently asked questions:

Herts GOC attracts up to 15-20 members and guests each month.  There are about 8 "core" members.  These are the people who turn up to events no matter what: rain, snow, drought, hurricane, nuclear holocaust, you name it, etc.

For the past year, all the headcount has been male, aged between mid-20s to young-60s.  The group has attracted females in its past, but has yet to convert them into loyal troopers.

Herts GOC typically walks for up to 8-9 miles during GMT, to 10-12 miles during BST.  According to the disproportionately high number of members with GPS machines, the group's typical walking speed is 2.8mph.

The typical route is circular and uses mainly footpaths and bridleways.  Roadside is minimised wherever possible, given more of it during winter.  Herts' landscapes are very varied, ranging from hills, low chasms, undulating fields, prairies and... erm... motorways.

Starting points can be either in the remotest part of the county we can find, or at a railway station.  Sometimes both.  Walks always start at 11am and normally finish at 3pm (8 miles) or 5pm (12 miles).

For most walks, Herts GOC requires members & guests to bring a packed lunch and to wear sturdy boots.  There are exceptions, e.g. walks in cities and the Xmas lunch walk.  Lunch takes about 30-45 minutes.

Herts GOC tries its best to avoid routes that go past garden centres, on the grounds that to do so will result in immediate and mutinous shopping sprees.  Walking with triffids is not particularly to the group's liking, although the group does tend to dally by railway lines, electricity pylons and churches.  It's probably best not to ask.

You would not believe how often we hear this question...

For one person: a large sandwich, a banana, a packet of crisps, one more lump of fruit, a chocolate bar and at least 1 litre (2 pints) of plain drinking water.

As a rule, no.  With a typical headcount of 15-20 people, pub lunches are unworkable for all events.

The Xmas lunch is, of course, a pub lunch.  The venue is normally selected in September and booked by the end of October.  The Xmas walk is thus only 4 miles.  And lunch is often a serious bloat-out.

A boot with a heavy tread, at least 1cm (for all-year walking).  Most of Hertfordshire is heavy clay.  Any moderate rain in the preceding 24 hours turns it into thick, slippery mud.  48 hours of no rain bakes it into a semi-solid surface (in summer, it's a concrete-hard surface).  Chalkier parts of the county are only chalkier; they still contain mainly heavy clay.

A trainer, or sports shoe, will offer you no grip, very little protection against natural hazards (e.g. tree roots, rough clay terrain), and no insulation against cold mud.  A thick-soled trainer will suffice only for urban walks.

All footwear must have heels in good condition.  The heel may be a little scraped, but when one side is worn more than the other, or the shoe's heel has collapsed, then replace the shoes.

In general, Herts GOC members tend to plan their routes on an Ordance Survey map, then test the route at least twice before inflicting it onto the members.  The group requires its walk leaders to know where they are going, with only occasional reference to a map/GPS.

Most routes are well-worn routes, sometimes repeated after a gap of three years.

A walk normally contains a good field, a good view, a good gradient, and sometimes a water feature, railway feature or road feature.  Walks normally end at a pub.

If you are a member of GOC, then you are cordially invited to subscribe (for free) to Hertfordshire GOC's Yahoo! group.

This provides you with automatic reminders about forthcoming events, share photographs, permits email with other Herts GOC members and enables you to participate in planning future events.

In short, your self-interest.  Only membership of GOC will buy you the public liability cover that relates to walking on public rights on way.

If you think your home insurance covers you for this, check the small print.  You'll be surprised what it won't cover...

Generally, we walk only on Saturdays.  If we do an urban walk (normally in winter), we will consider doing it on a Sunday.

In the first instance, speak to the group's co-ordinator at any of group's events.

If you are new to the group, then you should expect something like an "interview" about your past experience, the route you have in mind (the group might already have done it recently, for example), and how many tests you have performed on which parts of it.  Over time, as trust of you builds within the group, then you'll be asked to book a date on the group's Yahoo! calendar during planning season.