Information for people wishing to join the club
New members are always welcome in the Galtee Walking Club. Perhaps the best thing to do if you are thinking of joining is firstly to go on a walk as a guest. By doing this you'll get an idea of what goes on and see if it's suitable for you. It's probably a good idea to phone the walk facilitator first to let them know you are coming and to get directions if you're not sure of the meeting point. You'll get the facilitator's phone number on the Walks Schedule page. The first two walks are free of charge with no obligation to join, but after that you should become a member if you wish to continue walking with the club.If you're not sure of your level of fitness it's probably better to start on the "C" grade walks rather than risk finding yourself out of your depth on the faster, longer walks. You can always move up the grades later if you find you are not being challenged enough.
There's lots of information on clothing, equipment, etc. on the Advice pages but, basically, for your first walk the most important thing is to wear a strong pair of shoes or boots. Bring a light raincoat if it's there's a chance of rain and bring a banana or a snack bar and a small bottle of water.
Membership costs €40.00 for an adult, €30.00 for a student and €10.00 for people under eighteen. Members of the Galtee Club automatically become members of Mountaineering Ireland and a portion of the fee goes to them to provide insurance etc. If you are already a member of Mountaineering Ireland then the membership fee is €11.00. The membership year starts and ends in October so your first year's fee may only cover part of the year, depending on when you join.
The Membership Form is available as a PDF file from the link on the right of this page so if you want to join you can print the form, fill it in and give it to a walk facilitator together with the appropriate fee. Alternatively you can post the form and fee to Brendan at the address on the form. Cheques should be made payable to 'Galtee Walking Club'.
So, don't keep putting it off. Have a look at the Walks Schedule and pick a walk to start.
