FAQ

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Hike organizers send a message to the list (a CALLOUT) describing their chosen hike. All you have to do is reply to the organizer (not the list!). They will send you a confirmation email (or a rejection email if the quota has been filled). After that, it’s up to you to get you and your gear to the meeting spot and get out there!

YOU ARE! YOU AND ONLY YOU. Wanderung is just a tool to help you organize, or join, the events. Please review the terms of your subscription HERE.
As always, however, take all needed precautions and look out for your fellow participants!

There is usually one weekly newsletter and one or more hike CALLOUTs (an invitation to a hike from an organizer) per week, so if you’ve received nothing, please check your mail account. In our experience it is almost always the spam filter. Please check with your mail provider first before contacting Wanderung. We have 4 test accounts with different providers and usually will be aware of a problem with the server before most members.

Wanderung was originally started to facilitate day hiking. In recent years it has expanded to include several other activities. Simply click on the following link for further details: Permitted Activities

You should always carry the 10 essentials mentioned in the Callout. In addition to that your gear will depend on the type of trip you are doing. Please see the gearlist links posted in our RESOURCE sections.

Only the weekly newsletter (posted by Wanderung administrators), CALLOUT emails, and PLANNING CALL-OUTs sent by members should ever be sent to the mailing list. What is NOT appropriate to post to the Wanderung mailing list:

• trail reports (send these to info@wanderung.ca)
• casual questions to the group
• attempts to advertise to the Wanderung mailing list
• jokes, or anything that is not focused on the task of assembling an outdoor event
• anything sexist, racist, or possibly derogatory to any other subscriber
• postings for trips being organized through other outdoor organizations.
• …basically, anything that is NOT a callout.

Wanderung is not moderated. This means that subscribers that post inappropriate e-mails will be removed with few, or no, warnings. Content that does not qualify as a CALLOUT, but might be valued by all subscribers (gear sales, trail closures, etc.) can be forwarded to info@wanderung.ca for posting in the weekly newsletter.

Please note: Other than a “callout” message, the only other types of messages that subscribers may send to the list are as follows:

“Hike Full”
“Hike canceled”
“Driver Needed”

Please note that “Almost Full” or “I need more people” type messages are not OK. If you don’t have enough people for your trip, sending your callout to the list again is NOT allowed. The “driver needed” message should be used only as a last-minute measure if your whole trip plan is about to collapse due to lack of drivers.

Benchmarking. Without some “experience” to compare to, your readiness is difficult to assess. If you have hiked before, compare the distance and elevation gain of hikes you’ve done with those in some of the guidebooks we recommend in our RESOURCE section. If you’ve never hiked, there is only one way to find out, pick a hike and start easy, then compare that experience with something in a guidebook. You may not want to do this with a bunch of strangers your first time out but for a hike rated “easy” most people with probably be OK. Building a frame of reference is key, and if you go to the gym regularly, cycle frequently, or run then you are probably fit enough to hike. Organizers will usually give you some clues as to what fitness level is required for a particular trip.

Wanderung uses an email based model for organizing events so the invites will come to you. Wanderung does not use a pre-determined calendar or forums. Please do not email Wanderung administrators about hike details. Direct all of your questions to the organizers that CALLOUT a given hike. Just reply directly to the hike organizer if you wish to attend (please don’t `reply-all’!). The organizer will then respond only to those that expressed an interest for that week’s hike. Do not assume that you have a spot in the hike until the organizer confirms via email. For more details see the Organizer Guide

No, carpooling is part of our mandate – Wanderung encourages keeping costs and environmental impact to a minimum. You will, however, need to get yourself to the designated meeting spot. Wanderung does NOT recommend doing pick-up runs or secondary meeting spots. Please note it is MANDATORY to compensate your driver. All passengers should make sure they have paid for their ride and respected the drivers’ rules for their vehicles (we have a shortage of drivers these days, let’s keep the drivers coming back).

How much does it cost to drive to any given destination? Compensating your driver is NOT optional, or we may find that drivers won’t be available the next time. We came up with what we thought were fair guidelines that you may want to use. Organizers, drivers, and participants, please ensure that the drivers are compensated and discuss what everyone thinks is fair. Drivers, feel free to adjust these rates and let your voice be heard! Here’s a simple formula: 6 km = $1 (per car), and here are some common round-trip examples:

Destination	Round-trip distance	Estimated cost per car
Cypress Bowl/Mt Seymour:	60 km	$10
Port Moody (Diez Vistas):	65 km	$11
Port Coquitlam (Minnekhada Park):	65 km	$11
Lions Bay:	79 km	$12
Maple Ridge (Golden Ears):	110 km	$18
Squamish:	140 km	$23
Chilliwack (Elk Mountain):	210 km	$35
Whistler:	250 km	$42
Chilliwack Lake (Lindeman & Greendrop Lakes):	270 km	$45
Duffy Lake Rd (Joffre Lakes, Blowdown Pass):	380 km	$63
Manning Park:	430 km	$72

It’s up to participants to divide the “per car” costs between the total numbers in the group and split that amount between the number of drivers equally regardless of who went in which car. It’s the overall required capacity that determines the needed number of cars, not how the number of participants is split.

The numbers above were derived at a time when gas was around $1.10 a litre.

Wanderung CALLOUTs are usually limited to 6-8 participants (at discretion of the organizer). Please respect the organizer’s wish to control the size of their hike, and do not assume that by replying, you have secured a spot. Wait for the organizer’s confirmation. Some reasons why limits make sense:

• the bigger the group, the further the spread of hikers, and safety decreases
• less organization is required on the part of the organizer = happy organizers = more hikes in the long run
• allow for more personal interactions
• more efficient/easier decision making

As an organizer, you may feel awkward writing your painfully crafted “nice” rejection emails, but you shouldn’t. You are already doing us all a favour by offering your time so generously. Feel free to use this template response:
“We’re sorry but this Wanderung event has already reached its maximum capacity. At the organizer’s discretion, a waiting list might be kept, but this is not guaranteed. However, the good news is this: if you are looking to find hiking partners it’s as simple as organizing your own. See the Organizer guidelines at Organizer Guide.”

Wanderung was set up with adults in mind, and in the interests of safety and liability we cannot allow minors on hikes. There are some hike clubs that do encourage family based trips based on the North Shore that you may wish to seek out.

Wanderung also does not support hiking with dogs. Most trails don’t allow dogs (for ecological reasons, ask anyone who works for BC Parks). Dogs present a number of issues on hikes. They can trip up hikers whether on or off the leash; some people don’t want dogs in their car; some people have dog phobias and some people actually dislike dogs. Please decide for yourself – you know your dog – but the safety and enjoyment of other Wanderung hikers is our top priority. Our suggestion is that if you want to run a dog friendly hike, you are free to do so, but please clearly indicate in your CALLOUT description that this is your intention. Wanderung is not responsible for any incidents (accidents, fines etc) involving dogs, please also see Wanderung’s terms and conditions regarding breaking the law.

Absolutely not! We’ve learned that fit people span a huge range of ages. Most of the group members are in their 20s and 30s, but we also have active members in their 40s and 50s.

Yes, please do! Organizing a hike isn’t difficult, and Wanderung always needs more people to get involved. in fact, unlike other hike groups Wanderung is optimized for the organizer, and people with specific destinations in mind. Check out the Organizer Guide for more details.

For the worriers, personal liability insurance may be useful (e.g. tenant or home-owner insurance), and for the non-worriers, just be safe and minimize the risk of accidents. Plan and execute your trips carefully, and never do anything to endanger the lives of others.

For all of the list usage rules, go here.

Please DO NOT do any of the following:
1. Sending a message that is not consistent with the callout template.
2. Sending a callout for an activity that is not permitted.
3. Sending messages more than once.
4. Using the list to publicize trips from another hiking group.
5. Using the list to publicize a commercial event, paid service or enterprise.
6. Accidentally CC the mailing list by using the “reply all” button.
7. Sending a question to the list.
8. Sending information to the list.
9. Sending updates to callouts.
10. Sending complaints to the list, or airing a grievance.
11. Spamming the list in any other way not described above.
12. Sending an “Almost Full” or “I need more people” type message.