All club activities, including walks have a designated leader. The leader is responsible for all aspects of the activity including selecting the venue, day and date, publicising the details of the walk in the club magazine 'The Cakewalk' and leading the actual activity.
The walk leader is responsible for publishing a walk notice in The Cakewalk. The walk notice will detail the name of the leader, the date and location of the walk, travelling instructions, meeting point and meeting time, a brief description of the walk or activity and the grade of the walk.
For most walks here will also be a registration date specified. All walkers must register with the leader prior to the walk and should endeavour to do so by the date specified by the leader in the notice. Registration is important so the leader will know who to expect on their walk and can also pass on any last minute instructions or changes in plans.
The leader can also assist with making car pooling arrangements to limit the number of cars used and help spread transport costs. If you need a lift or can offer transport to others, please discuss this with the leader when registering. For weekend trips, the leader will also assist with making sharing arrangements for such things as tents, cooking gear and food. It is much more friendly (and fun) to share than go it alone.
The club participates in public liability and personal accident insurance schemes organised through the Federation of Victorian Walking Clubs (VicWalk) Inc. which requires all walkers to sign a walk registration form. Visitors are also required to sign a waiver acknowledging the risks and obligations of going on a bushwalk. Failure to sign the form when requested will mean that you cannot be accepted on the walk.
On the walk, the leader is responsible for (but not the guarantor of) the safety of the group. All walkers are expected to follow all reasonable instructions given by the leader. All members of a walking group have a shared responsibility for the safety and enjoyment of the group by keeping alert to their surroundings, the condition of their fellow walkers and the route being taken. If problems are identified the leader should be advised immediately. This is especially important in difficult terrain or bad weather.
CAEX believes strongly that the bush belongs to everybody, therefore all members and visitors are asked to follow the minimum impact code when in the bush. Visit Tread Lightly Victoria for comprehensive codes covering a range of bush activities. A summary of the bushwalkers code is as follows:
 | Make all parties small parties
By keeping the numbers in our groups small, the impact on the area we are visiting is kept to a minimum. A small party is also easier to organise and you will get to know the rest of the group better.
|
| Keep to the track
Minimise damage by keeping to established routes and tracks, where possible. Don't cut corners or create new tracks. Avoid walking over easily damaged areas, for example, alpine bogs. Cross fences preferably at gates or strain posts, never stand on the wire. Choose light boots or runners for shorter and less demanding walks. Heavy boots are not necessary in Victoria.
|
| Bury toilet wastes
Where there is a toilet, please use it. In areas without toilets, or if toilets are full, bury your faecal waste and toilet paper at least 100 metres from campsites, water sources and tracks. Dig a hole about 15 cm deep within the soil's organic layer. Carry out sanitary pads or tampons as they are unlikely to degrade.
|
| Carry out all rubbish
All of your own rubbish is to taken home with you. Plan your trip to minimise rubbish generation by avoiding excessive packaging, bottles, tins and aluminium foil. Don't leave behind plastic wrappers, aluminium foil, teas bags, orange peel, cans or bottles. And, if you can, clean up the waste left behind by other inconsiderate bush visitors.
|
| Respect flora and fauna
Minimise any damage to plants during your walk and especially at campsites. Use clothing or mats to sit on, never make a mattress out of vegetation. Share your wilderness experience with the wildlife, observe and enjoy the birds and other animals. There is much to discover.
|
| Respect the enjoyment of others
When moving along tracks or camping overnight, be considerate of others in your party and particularly of other groups. They too have come to enjoy the bush and its many qualities in peace and quiet.
|
| Camp fires
A small social fire is acceptable in less sensitive areas. Dead wood makes an important contribution to our natural ecosystems which we are trying to protect, hence do not waste any timber. Bush camps are enjoyable even without a fire. Locate your fire in an existing fire-place and make yourself familiar with the Victorian fire regulations current in the area and be sure to follow them. Take particular care in the danger period from December to March.
|
| Leave campsites tidy
You should aim to leave campsites the same as when you arrived, or in better condition, if that is possible.
|
| Take care of huts
Bush huts are precious, look after them. Leave them clean and tidy for the next group. As they attract many visitors they tend to highlight the need for the minimum impact practices described here.
|
| Use a stove to cook
Firewood has become very scarce due to the popularity of bushwalking and camping. This is evident wherever we go and in many places campfires are completely banned. Bushwalkers nowadays carry stoves for cooking as a part of their equipment. Modern stoves are efficient, quick and easy to operate, lightweight, clean to use and controllable. They are good for wet weather and safer than fires at times of high fire danger.
|
| Protect water resources
We need to conserve water resources in the bush. In summer and autumn they are often scarce and in heavily used areas water quality is sometimes degraded by careless practices. When washing dishes, always wash up at least 50 metres away from streams or lakes and scatter the used washing water so that it will be filtered on its way back into the watercourse. Avoid using soap to wash dishes, billies, etc. Sand, grass or a commercial scourer are ideal to help clean the problem utensils. |
Visit Tread Lightly Victoria for comprehensive codes covering a range of bush activities.
Return to Home Page Return to Top
© CAEX Bushwalking Club Inc.