What You Need Before Joining a Ptarmigan Hillwalking and Mountaineering Club Outing

You need some prior hill-walking experience, a full set of personal hill kit (including waterproofs, food and drink, first aid, whistle, map and compass that you know how to use), and — in winter — extra clothing plus ice axe and crampons. You do not need to commit to membership first: potential new members start as guests with no obligation. The club is Edinburgh-based and runs a monthly Sunday bus to the Highlands, occasionally to the Borders or the Lake District.

Experience: what "some experience" means in practice

The club welcomes potential new members "who have some experience of hill walking." A typical day out is described as a six-hour day in the hills, so you should be comfortable being out for that length of time and moving over rough ground at your own pace.

You do not need to be a navigator or climber to start. The club explicitly says it does not "lead" walks or provide formal tuition, but the bus convener can advise on routes and on who to walk with, and experienced members are generally happy to pass on advice. Groups of at least two or three people are recorded for each day's routes.

Equipment checklist

The club frames this as the kit needed "to enjoy a typical six-hour day in the hills" — the emphasis is on being self-sufficient rather than on technical gear beyond the list.

Skills: navigation and winter readiness

Two skills are stated directly: map-and-compass use ("know how to use them") and, in winter, the ability to use ice axe and crampons safely, since these are "often essential for safety" rather than optional extras.

The club encourages all members to acquire and refresh basic mountaineering skills. As a Mountaineering Scotland affiliated club, members are entitled to discounts on formal weekend and week courses in summer and winter mountaineering at Glenmore Lodge near Aviemore — useful if you want structured training rather than informal advice from other members.

How the bus format affects what you need

The monthly Sunday bus gives you freedom to do your own route at your own pace, and you can leave and rejoin the bus at any point along the way. That opens up through routes and variations that are harder to arrange by car, and someone else handles the driving.

The practical consequence: you are responsible for your own route choice, navigation and kit for the day, while the convener keeps a record of the day's routes and groups. If you are unsure what suits you, ask the convener before the trip.

Joining as a guest: the actual steps

1. Check your experience and kit against the lists above — particularly map-and-compass competence and winter gear if it is a winter meet.
2. Email Bookings to book a place on a bus. This is the stated route for booking; general questions go to Enquiries.
3. Attend as a guest with no commitment. New members start this way, so you can test whether the club's pace and style suit you.
4. Decide on membership afterwards if the format works for you.

Common sticking points

• No formal instruction on the day. If you cannot yet navigate with map and compass, plan to build that skill before relying on a winter or remote outing — the club offers advice, not tuition.
• Winter is a step up. Ice axe and crampons are "often essential" in winter, so a summer guest trip is the easier first outing.
• You choose your own route. The bus does not set a single group walk; you need to be able to judge what is reasonable for you and stay with at least one or two others.
• Booking is by email. There is no stated online booking system, so allow time for a reply before the Sunday meet.

A note on the wider club

Members span a wide range of ages, abilities and interests — from hill-running and serious climbing to low-level walking, geology, bird-watching and botany — and several have completed the Munros, Corbetts and Grahams. The monthly newsletter suggests a variety of walking routes. The club also has a friendly link with the separate Highways Hillwalking Club, also Edinburgh-based: each lists the other's trips (Ptarmigan usually the first Sunday, Highways usually the second), and members of one are welcome on the other's trips — a useful extra option once you have joined.