| General Questions |
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| Who are Leeds YHA Local Group? |
A friendly group of people who enjoy walking and outdoor activities. |
| What do we do? |
We are predominantly a walking group with other social events throughout the year. There is lots of time to chat, socialise and meet all our members. Each month we have weekend day walks and also a weekend away in a Youth Hostel.
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| I want to come on an event, who do I ask? |
For most events on a Tuesday evening, simply turn up. The main exceptions are meals out or anything which require advance bookings. This will give you a good idea of what we are about before you become a member and try other events. Try one of our contacts for more details. |
| How do I get to events? |
We encourage car sharing which helps the environment and keeps the costs of attending events down. If you can give somebody a lift, please let the event organiser know as early as possible. Weekend organisers may be able to arrange a lift for you if you need one. Some of the events are planned to be easily accessible by public transport. |
| Activities |
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| Tuesday Evenings |
There is an organised activity on Tuesday evenings. In summer there is a wide range of walks around the Leeds area interspersed with other outdoor and social events. Please meet at 7.15pm for a 7.30pm start, unless stated otherwise. Most events are free. In winter we meet indoors, for a varied social programme including meals, ten-pin bowling, games, quizzes and slide shows. |
| Weekends away |
Weekends away involve Friday and Saturday nights at a hostel (longer at Bank Holidays) with walks organised on the Saturday and Sunday. Some hostels are popular and fill quickly, so the organiser will need to know that you are interested, and will require payment at least two months in advance. It may be possible to go on the weekend after this date if spaces are available, but you may be asked to make your arrangements with the hostel directly. If you are new to the group then we insist that you first go on a couple of events before coming on a weekend away. This gives you a chance to see what the group is about before commiting to a full weekend away. |
| Weekend walks |
All walks are graded. We generally start at 10:30am from the specified location and stop for refreshments on the walk. Bring a packed lunch for a midday break. We finish at a teashop/pub. Walk leaders can assist in arranging transport. |
| Friday evening events |
A number of members meet up to play badminton on Fridays at Fearnville sports centre from 9.00pm. Contact Melvin (286 5155) or Rob and Helen (252 1621) if you want to join in. During the summer, there are also bike rides on Friday evenings. |
| How difficult are the walks? |
We organise a mixture of differently graded walks. Please consider your ability when attending the harder walks. Some walks are designed to be strenuous to give a challenge to the stronger members of the group. The walks are graded between 1 and 5.
| 1. A gentle, fairly flat walk of up to 6 miles. |
| 2. An undulating walk of about 7-9 miles. |
| 3. A walk of about 10-13 miles with moderate ascent. |
| 4. A walk of 14-16 miles with moderate to significant ascent. |
| 5. A challenging fast-paced walk of 17 + miles with few stops. |
If the group goes out on a weekend walk there will only be one walk so please check with the organiser if you are unsure. If you are at a Hostel weekend then there will typically be more than one walk so you can choose one to suit yourself.
Tuesday night walks are nearly always Grade 1.
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| How difficult are the cycle rides? |
We organise a mixture of differently graded cycle rides. Please consider your ability when attending the harder rides. Some rides are designed to be strenuous to give a challenge to the stronger members of the group. The rides are graded between 1 and 5.
| 1. A gentle, fairly flat ride, up to 15 miles. |
| 3. A moderate ride with some hills, up to 40 miles. |
| 5. A more challenging ride with moderate to significant ascent/descent, up to 70 miles. |
| Off-Road. Please contact the event organiser as this will be more strenuous and may require specialist equipment. |
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| Leeds YHA Group |
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| Is there a membership fee? |
Yes, but you are welcome to try a few events before being asked to join. The subscription is currently £8 per year. We offer a 50% reduction if you are a student or unwaged. |
| Who runs Leeds YHA Local Group? |
An elected committee co-ordinates the group’s activities which are then run by individual members. All members are welcome to suggest or organise events. |
| Do I also need to be a member of national YHA? |
You don’t need to be a member of the YHA to come on most of our events, except for weekends in Youth Hostels, which are managed by the National YHA. |
