We recently received a hiking incident report from a leader in the New York-New Jersey Chapter of the AMC. The report describes an injury that occurred on a recent hike, what happened after that injury, and the essential equipment that the hike leaders and hikers did and did not have to help them through the subsequent hours spent on the trail awaiting a rescue. Below we include the original report (names have been elided). Following the report, we offer comments including a list of 10 essentials that each hiker should carry on every hike.
Do you enjoy the outdoors and want to learn more about how to protect the outdoor places you love? Join us for a Leave No Trace Workshop, led by the Appalachian Mountain Club, focusing on fostering stewardship through our own practices in the outdoors. We will spend an hour hiking on the beautiful trails in Stanley Park, periodically stopping along the way to discuss the 7 principals of Leave No Trace. This is an interactive course, with users encouraged to bring fresh perspectives and questions for conversation surrounding sustainable habits in the outdoors.
We encourage chapter members to consider becoming qualified volunteer trip leaders.
Each activity committee sets its own activity-specific leadership training requirements. This is to make sure that leaders are qualified and prepared for possible problems that are unique to the activity. For example, bicycling trip leaders need to know how to deal with mechanical issues that may occur on the road, climbing leaders need to understand rope handling, paddling leaders need to know how to deal with various river conditions. These requirements are pretty flexible and reasonable, however. We'll do a lot to help you meet them and get any training you might need or want.
Our great volunteer leaders are the lifeblood of the chapter. (We're including leaders of hiking/paddling/climbing/etc. trips, trail maintenance work parties, social events, and all the other things we do when we say this.) If you're an active leader, well, *thanks!* If you're not, please consider becoming one and sharing your skills, knowledge, and enthusiasm with others.
Whether you'd like to become a Chapter leader, or just want to improve your outdoor skills, you're invited to attend. Training emphasizes group dynamics, leaders' responsibilities, trip planning/management, weather emergencies, incident/accident scene management, leader awareness, and decision-making.
Location: Nature's Classroom, 73 Pumpkin Lane, Charlton MA
Cost: Adult: $60 member / $65 non-member; Youth: $60 member / $65 non-member. Cost includes all training materials, course instructions, meals and overnight accommodations.
Date:
Saturday, February 23, 2019 - 8:00am to Sunday, February 24, 2019 - 6:00pm
AMC’s Berkshire Chapter of Western Mass invites people in their 20s & 30s as well as the young-at-heart to attend our Young Members (20s & 30s) activities.
REGISTRATION NOW OPEN! Join chapter members of all ages for a celebration of all things outdoors: guided hikes, nature walks, camping skills workshops, music throughout the day, child-friendly activities, and a climbing wall! This free event includes a BBQ lunch and will be held at Noble View, an amazing and popular 358-acre facility that has been connected to our chapter since 1930.
