Leader Resources
Leading Bushwalks
It takes skills, knowledge and experience to be a competent bushwalking leader. How much depends on the difficulty of the proposed walk and the competence of the participants.
This website is intended to support leadership within bushwalking clubs. The practical advice, reference material and learning activities can also act as a prompt to individuals wishing to arrange and conduct group walks in the Australian bush.
There is no substitute for actually leading a walk. Most organised bushwalking clubs will arrange for a new leader to work with an experienced mentor. Use the resources on this site to guide your thinking about how to prepare and what to do as a leader of a group on a bushwalk.
About the modules
The eight modules available from the menu are based on material used by Bushwalking Victoria in full day or weekend in-person Leadership Training workshops. Because of the limited number of participants who can attend these sessions, a grant from the Victorian State Government has enabled the development of this website.
Bushwalking clubs can use the slides and presenter notes from one or more modules to conduct local training for existing or potential leaders. Printed handbooks, checklists, links to the BWV Bushwalking Manual, other external links as well as some multimedia learning activities are designed for use by participants in club training as well as by individual members of Bushwalking Victoria.
Icons indicate the potential use for the various resources.
Use in face-to-face training within member clubs
Read or interact on individual screen
Print document for later reference
The detailed printed guides for club trainers and individual users of the site describe various different ways of utilising these resources.
Printed information
Leader Resources Quick Guide (2 pages, PDF, 134KB) gives an overview for all users
Club Leader Online Leader Training Resources Guide (28 pages, PDF, 239KB) is provided for use by Bushwalking Clubs
All material is copyright to Bushwalking Victoria and may be used only with acknowledgement.
Disclaimer - Use of Leader Resources
Outdoor adventure activities, including recreational bushwalking, can be dangerous and undertaking these activities beyond your capabilities or without you having adequate experience, skill, regard to safety, and suitable equipment can result in serious injury or death.
This set of Leader Resources aims to provide you with information which can assist you – as a recreational bushwalker – to undertake your activity safely and with enhanced enjoyment.
Information in the Leader Resources is provided on the basis that, as a person accessing the Manual, you undertake responsibility for assessing the relevance of information provided in the Manual to your circumstances and needs. You use the Leader Resources at your own discretion and risk. You are and remain responsible for the decisions you make, and you will be solely responsible for any damage or loss whatsoever that results from such use,
Bushwalking Victoria, the editors, contributors and creators of the Leader Resources:
- disclaim to the fullest extent permitted by law all guarantees, warranties or representations of acceptable quality and fitness for any purpose, security, reliability, completeness and accuracy of the Manual and any of its contents;
- take no responsibility for any error, omission or defect;
- do not accept liability for any loss, damage, cost or expense you or others might incur as a result of the information provided in the Manual or incorporated into it by reference; and
- are not responsible for the content, availability or performance of external sites linked to the Manual
This set of Leader Resources does not:
- set out requirements or information for commercial operators, or school or youth groups or any other groups with special needs;
- provide competency-based training and associated standards (as these are not relevant to community-based recreational bushwalking);
- provide detailed instructions on use of specific equipment and first aid;
- provide legal advice.