Welcome

Bienvenue
Willkommen
Benvenuti
Bienvenido
Witamy
Dobrodošli
Καλώς Όρισες
ยินดีต้อนรับ
Namaste
歡迎光臨

Plus many other languages, too numerous to list.

How to try one of our hiking events

You can only sign up for our events via Meetup:

  • First, you need to set up your own Meetup login if you don’t have one already. Anyone age 18 or over can set up a Meetup login free of charge. Meetup is not connected with Facebook or Google but if you already have a Facebook or Google login, you can use this to set up a Meetup login quickly with just a few mouse clicks. Then, you can use your existing Facebook or Google user name and password to log in to Meetup.
  • If you don’t already have a Facebook or Google login of if you prefer a separate Meetup login, you can set up a new Meetup login by entering your user name, email address and password.
  • Meetup may offer you a Meetup+ paid subscription with additional features but you don’t need this, you can sign up for a free Meetup subscription.
  • Log in to Meetup and find the South Herts Hikers Meetup Group
  • Click the Join Us button on the Meetup Group. You then immediately become a prospective member of South Herts Hikers (see below). There is no membership subscription until you attend an event.
  • Find an event that you would like to attend on Meetup and click Attend. For most events, you can add one guest. There is no charge to sign up for an event and no charge if you cancel but you will need to pay one month’s subscription (£4) before you attend an event. You can pay this to the organiser at the start of the event. This will also cover any other events that we may organise during the month after your subscription is paid.
  • If all spaces are full, you can join a waiting list and you will be notified automatically if a space becomes available.
  • If you change your mind about an event, please change your RSVP to ‘Not going’ on Meetup, if possible. This allows someone else to take your place if there is a waiting list.

Types of membership

Prospective member.

If you join the South Herts Hikers Group on Meetup, you are a prospective member until you attend an event and pay a membership subscription for a month. You receive notifications of forthcoming events via Meetup and you can register for events. You can also sign up for our Group email list.

Monthly member

Although our events are shown on Meetup as free, from 1st Jan 2025, this group has introduced a monthly membership subscription of £4 per month. Anyone who attends an event needs to be a member of South Herts Hikers, including guests but you only pay for months when you actually attend an event. Your membership subscription lasts for one calendar month from the date when you pay. We typically organise at least one event per month, sometimes two or three and during the month while your membership subscription is valid, you can attend other Group events (if any) with no extra charge. This subscription contributes towards the costs of running this Group which is run by volunteers on a not-for-profit basis. Organisers need to pay fees to Meetup which increased by 80% from July 2024. The membership fee does not include any cost of travel, meals, accommodation, etc. You can pay using cash (preferred) or Paypal (details on Meetup events)

Membership criteria

Membership subscriptions are only accepted if in the opinion of the organizers, you fulfil the criteria for membership (see below). It should be noted that the Meetup Terms of Service Overview currently state, “Organizers may establish membership criteria for their own Meetup groups. While there is probably a Meetup group out there for everyone, not every Meetup group is for you.”

A Meetup Help Page also states,

Organizers essentially own and operate their Meetup Groups. They often establish membership policies or ground rules for participation, and are responsible for moderating the content on their Meetup Group pages. (Organizers may also remove members at their own discretion.)

Our membership criteria are as follows:

  • Membership is open to anyone aged 18 or more who has an interest in hiking, regardless of sex, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, religion or other beliefs, provided they fulfil the following criteria:
    1. Being friendly towards all other Group members, treating other members with respect and as equals.
    2. Avoiding any conduct likely to discourage any other member from participating in future Group events or from organising future group events. In particular, this group is a “Grump Free Zone” especially on Group weekends away!

The Group Organisers reserve the right to exercise their discretion as permitted by Meetup Inc. (see above) in the following ways:

  • decline to accept a monthly membership subscription in which case the member would not be permitted to attend any more events
  • restrict membership, e.g. to day hikes only, not weekends away.
  • refuse, expel or suspend any person from membership of the Group

In the unlikely event that the Group organizers decide not to accept a monthly membership subscription, the member will also be notified by a personal message sent via Meetup and the member will not be eligible to attend further events. The member will also be removed from the South Herts Hikers Meetup Group and from the email list.

  • The group is run on a not-for-profit basis. Event fees contribute towards Meetup organizer subscriptions, web hosting costs, Internet domain name registration, affiliation costs etc.

Etiquette

These aren’t rules but advice for a friendly group

  1. The walk leader sets the pace suitable for the slowest member, as long as we can complete the walk in a reasonable time. It is not a race to finish first nor a training event nor a non-stop work-out. We stop from time to time to regroup (for example after going through a gate), to have a rest, a drink or a snack, admire the view or take photos, etc. You may need extra clothing to put on for stops in colder weather.
  2. We have members of different ages and genders and we like everyone to relate to each other on an equal basis.
  3. We have members from different nationalities and cultures. We like to make everyone welcome and we don’t quiz anyone about their background or country of origin, they can tell us if they like but this is optional.
  4. Conversations on a group walk or other event can often be overheard by others so we avoid discussing anything that is out of place in a friendly social group. This would include avoiding heated debates or any discussions about controversial or unpleasant subjects that others may not wish to hear about, including religion, UK politics or politics of any other country.

Page last updated 5 Jan 2025