This is a guide/advice on taking students on Tararua Tramping Club (TTC) Youth Programme Tramps. This process defines what a student, within the programme, needs to be guided through when in the programme. This is required due to the nature of the sport, and is needed for a student to learn about and enjoy tramping. It is to be remembered that the training will only reduce the risk of an accident, and instructors will need to observe the students capabilities, and be mindful of the risks that a new student may not yet be truly aware of.
Goals
Goals of the programme, are to:
- make the student as independent as possible, and to get them to become leaders within the club
- get students to work as a group and look after each other
- get them to make good tramping decisions
- have them gain skills as a tramper
- encourage them to be considerate of the environment
- encourage them to be considerate of other trampers
- To have a fun trip
Prerequisites
Parents of secondary school students must have given permission for the student to be part of the programme and have access to the tramping risk list to assess whether they want their child to participate. If the student is not a club member, the programme consent form is to be completed, if they are a club member then no consent form is needed. People who no longer attend secondary school are considered old enough to make their own decisions.
Every trip should have two or more instructors.
The process
Once a student has signed up for a tramp, they are to be given an information to inform them and their parents on tramping and trip details. This can be done via information sheet or the trip plan
For new students to the programme, the trip leader should talk to the student to discover what the students:
- interest in the tramp is
- fitness
- special needs are (vegetarian)
- tramping gear are (go through the stand trip gear list with the student)
- gear needs are and advise them on gear to buy (even take them to shops to look at gear)
If you have any concerns about the student please contact the programme coordinator
If a student has been on two club trips and has not made an attempt to join the club, they are to be given the club joining form and told that they can’t go on the trip unless they join.
Planning the trip
- Try to get the students to pick the trip, but in most cases you will need to guide them and make the final decision.
- Confirm the transport arrangements. Try and get a parent to provide transport, so don’t forget to ask the students about this.
- Get the students to decide what will be eaten for dinner and get them to buy the food required, preferably as a group.
- If club gear is needed for the trip get at least one of them to come to the Tuesday night club even to collect it.
- Decide where you will pick them up from and where you will drop them off, normally station 9 Wellington Rail Station.
- Talk with the other instructors on the trip
- Email or message the Chief Guide Paul McCredie -> mailto:ttc [period] chief [period] guide [snail] ttc [period] org [period] nz?Subject=Query from TTC website on 021 477 617 on what the group is up to, so she can allay any parental concerns during the tramp if contacted by caregivers.
Tramping
One of the objects is to get the students to think about tramping and not to blindly follow the instructors. Some students will be better at this than others but as a group they should be able to make the right decision. Let the students lead the trip but keep an eye on safety.
While on the tramp, make sure:
- One instructor is tail-end charlie and one is at the front or near it, to moderate the speed so that the group doesn’t go too slow or too fast for its members
- Get the students involved in route finding and making the decision of where they should be heading
- Keep an eye on the state of the students to make sure they are not struggling.
- Help students over obstacles they are struggling with
- Make sure they know they need to strap their feet if they become sore.
- Stop often for snack breaks
When on the tramp look for opportunities to teach the students tramping skills, think of at least one skill you will teach them:
- How to use a white spirit burner safely
- How to use a gas burner safely
- How to start a fire in a hut’s fireplace/pot belly safely
- How to start a fire outside of a hut safely
- How to cook, if possible get them to cook
- Simple first aid (blister strapping)
- How to put up tents and flies
- How to cross rivers safely
- How to map read
- How to walk up hill without wearing yourself out
If you make a decision on any subject, talk to the students on why you have made it. If there is a questionable situation (eg it has been raining all night and the rivers are up), the instructors are to talk amongst themselves prior to getting the students involved.
Quite often the students will socialise/play while in the car, tramping and at the hut, this is to be encouraged as this is great fun. Word games, card games, etc.
Hut time
Depending on the numbers of students you may need to take tents. Other trampers dislike large groups taking all the beds. Once the students have had dinner make sure they make room for others to access the tables. If possible collect wood for the hut. Make sure the students clean the hut when leaving.
Walking out
Take note on how tired the students are and adjust the pace accordingly. Make sure they eat on a regular interval to keep their energy levels up. Even consider having a soup stop to rest, rehydrate and warm cold people up.
Traveling Home
Once out and in cellphone range, get the students to txt/call their parents to let them know they are out, when and where they need to be picked up from.