Regular Walks
The Metropolitan Walkers organises five walks a week with everything from evening strolls through London's parks to hiking Ben Nevis "the hard way", there are walks to suit everyone no matter your fitness level. Generally we organise two walks each Saturday and two walks each Sunday, and an evening stroll each week usually on a Tuesday evening. We also have walks on most bank holidays. To see our next five walks,
click here.
No need to book, just turn up!
If you want to attend one of our day walks, there is no need to book or contact the walk leader in advance. Just turn up at the stated time and meeting place. We are usually easy to spot. Just look out for a bunch of people hanging around inside or outside the station in walking boots! If by any chance you don't see anyone at the station, just hop on the train and we'll all meet up when we get to the destination station. For evening strolls, look for a big group of people in their work clothes outside the designated tube station.
Try out the group for free
You.'re welcome to come on a couple of walks to try us out. You don't need to ask permission to come - just turn up! The group is always keen to encourage new members and on each walk there are usually several people who haven't been before. If after this you would like to continue walking with the group, we ask that you become a member.
Where we walk
Our walks take place in the Capital and anywhere within a 1-2 hour train ride of London. The South East is a great place to go walking with beautiful areas on our doorstop such as the North Downs, South Coast and Chilterns.
Getting to walks
All of our walks are accessible by public transport which means they generally start and finish at a rail or tube station. The walk description will specify which tube station to turn up at or which train to catch and what ticket to buy.
Walk grading
All of our walks tend to be leisurely, moderate or strenuous. Typically there will be a choice between one more strenuous and one more leisurely walk on each Saturday and Sunday. All of our evening strolls tend to be leisurely. We use the Ramblers Association
grading system. If you are new to walking we suggest that you start with our shorter, more leisurely walks, one on flat terrain or with drop out points. You can then gradually work your way up to one of our more strenuous walks.
What to bring
Bring snacks and enough water for the day. Also, bring waterproof clothing in case of rain and an extra layer of clothing such as a fleece in case the weather changes for the worse. During the summer, it is a good idea to bring sun cream, sunglasses and a hat. In the winter you may like to bring gloves and a warm hat. Although we often stop at a pub that serves food for lunch, it is a good idea to bring food with you, in case the pub is too crowded to get served during the lunch break.
What to wear
Wear whatever you are comfortable in! Trainers should be adequate on most of our shorter walks, although it can be muddy so your trainers may get muddy! For longer walks, we recommend you wear walking trainers or walking boots (walking boots are best for hills and mountainous areas as they give better ankle support). Most of our members just wear their work shoes for the urban evening strolls.
If a walk is described as muddy you may like to wear gaiters or waterproof trousers to keep the mud off your trousers. For more information on clothing click here.
Where to buy outdoor kit
Metropolitan Walkers members are entitled to 10% off at outdoor shops Millets, Blacks and Rohan (this discount is available in store on showing your Ramblers Association membership card and is not available online). For a list of outdoor retailers in London
click here.
Aqua 3 offers up to 36% off Ordinance Survey maps and Silva compasses for Ramblers members and gives a 10% donation to the Ramblers Association for every purchase. To obtain your discount
call 0870 777 0791 and quote "The Ramblers" or click here to order online.
Mobile
If you have a WAP-enabled phone, you can now use it to check the name of the walk leader, their contact number, and travel details. Just direct your phone to http://www.metropolitan-walkers.org.uk/wap/ If there's no walk that day, you'll get a message saying "There are no events today." Please note that this service is only available for day walks and not for weekends away or social events.
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