Our weekend, long weekend and longer trips are open to adults (18 and over) who are capable of the activity described in the programme or on the website.

New Members: First Trip Away
We are always very pleased to welcome prospective new members to Highdown. If you’re considering joining us on a trip, we require that you come along on a full day walk first. This means that you get a good idea of the kinds of terrain, duration and ascents we are used to and the pace of most of our walks. All our day walks have a blurb in the calendar with details of the planned walk, the expected timings, mileage and usually an idea of approximate ascent. This also means you can get to meet a few of us and decide whether the pace and distance suits you, and we can assess your abilities on familiar territory. Our weekend trips can be more strenuous in rougher terrain than that typically found in Sussex! 

The only exception to this is where the prospective new member is a well-known friend of an existing club member, and that member attends the trip with the prospective member.  The existing club member will have assessed the prospective new member’s walking ability for the event being undertaken. Should the existing club member have to withdraw from the trip then so must the prospective club member.

Transport and Costs - 
Transport will be co-ordinated by the trip organiser using private cars and can only run if members offer to drive or share the driving on a longer journey. Our Trip Costing Policy is here. Some trips are to remote places where public transport doesn’t reach, but some will enable members to use public transport and be picked up from a station nearby. Our trips take us all over the country and we are keen that our club keeps its environmental impact to a minimum, so we try to walk direct from the door of the accommodation on at least one day. We always promote the country code; we leave only footprints and take only photos and great memories.

The costs shown against each trip are approximate and generally include accommodation/campsite fees, food and transport; the deposit reserves your place, covers the cost of the booked accommodation and is generally non-refundable except at the discretion of the organiser. A balance is payable after the trip, once transport expenses and final food costs have been calculated and shared.  Most trips away start with a meal at a local pub, as we try to support the local economy and people will have travelled different distances. Some trips are fully self-catering, some are B and B, some may include breakfasts only, others will also include an evening meal. Usually members provide their own packed lunches. Read the trip notes carefully and ask the organiser if you need further details.  

Further Details
Accommodation can vary from trip to trip. Some trips involve Youth Hostels where you do not need to take any bedding. Bunkhouses vary, some supply mattresses and pillows, some don't; you will usually need a sleeping bag and pillow-case, possibly a pillow as well. Camping trips require a tent and stove as well as all your bedding etc., some camping trips only require breakfasts to be cooked on site and evening meals are taken in a nearby pub to reduce food storage risks. The joining instructions will tell you what to bring.

When you are interested in a trip, early booking is recommended as places are often limited. Having booked a place and paid your (non-refundable) deposit, preferably by bank transfer to the trip organiser or the club accounts, you will receive detailed joining instructions containing all the arrangements about 10 - 15 days before the trip. If you still have any queries about the trip, don't hesitate to contact the trip organiser who will be only too pleased to answer them for you.

We decide on the following year’s programme at our planning meeting in July, and many of the proposed trips and dates will go on the website soon after this – that’s when you need to get your diary out and reserve your place! For those in full time employment, we understand that you may need to book time off work if a trip goes on a Thursday or Friday, so you can reserve a space with the trip organiser and have two weeks to confirm it and pay your deposit before your place may be offered to anyone else.

Our trips are unique in that we organise transport and all meals (with the exception of camping trips) as a group. When we stay in a bunkhouse or YHA type accommodation, the trip leader plans the menu and does the shopping (which is often delivered) and sorts out our fabulous ‘Merry meals’ rota for cooking, washing up and ‘general duties’ so that nobody is stuck with an onerous job all weekend, and everyone gets a break! Cooks always have priority in the showers after a long walk.

Organiser Guide
We have guidance notes available for trip organisers; have a look in our Resources section.