Hiking Club

NEW MEMBERSHIP: Quick Links (Click to expand)

Our Events (click here):

Every Sat/Sun (Half-day events, e.g. 0900-1500) - Fun, social, and beginner-friendly "Discoverer (DS) Walks 👣".
Every Sun/Sat (Full-day events, e.g. 0800-1700) - Adventurous and challenging "Explorer (XP) Hikes 🥾".
Every week (various times) - Socials 🎉: pub nights, games nights, seasonal events, and tons more!
Every term (multi-night) - Trips 🏔️: England, Wales, Scotland, and even the rest of Europe!
Every year (throughout) - Incredible memories 🥰, stunning views 🤩, and amazing people 😎!

Quick Links

FAQs - Please read our FAQs to see if we've already explained what you're looking for!
MEMBERSHIP OPTIONS - Check out our memberships and get yours now!!
Events Programme - See a compact list of all our past and future events!
Smart Calendar download - Automatically add all of our events to your mobile calendar app!
Feedback Form - Share all your ideas and thoughts!
Instagram Page - Follow us on Instagram to stay up to date with all our club events!
Alumni/non-UCL student info - The SU's page about how to get visiting/affiliate membership.

If our summary above isn't enough info for you, read on to find out all about our club and what we get up to!!

CLICK HERE for Members-Only Info and WhatsApp Chat Invite 🔗

We are UCL Hiking Club!! We are the biggest club at UCL with now nearly 2,000+ members this academic year already!! Every weekend, we organise walks 👣 and hikes 🥾 across the English countryside 🌳 to suit all levels of experience.

Whether you're a complete beginner or seasoned pro, UCL Hiking Club offers unending opportunity to get outdoors and get moving. Our regular weekend trips offer everyone the chance to roam the local forests, fields, and coasts of the East/South East UK, whilst our termly multi-night residential trips allow us to travel much further, including the rest of Europe ✈️!

"BUT WHERE DO YOU HIKE IN LONDON?" - Asked by everyone.

Trick question! We actually don't do much of that! Every weekend our hikers will meet around 8-10am at a London train/tube station and travel to a destination on the outskirts of London or in the wider East/South East of the UK. Our most popular weekend destinations last year included: Seven Sisters (Eastbourne), Dover, Brighton, Oxford, and Cambridge!

OUR MISSION:

Our mission as a club is to help people to get involved in hiking and exploring the outdoors. We want to encourage people to take that extra step, to push their potential further, and to hike that extra mile (or 1.6 kilometres).

OUR ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS:

We are an incredibly active club and we always have a massive range of events in our club calendar. Last year we ran over 85 events across the full academic year!! Here's what we've got lined up for this year:

Walks 👣/ Hikes 🥾 - Every Weekend (Walks 👣 = half-day || Hikes 🥾= full-day)

Walks 👣/ Hikes 🥾 in and around the East/South East and also the outskirts of London. Our weekend hikes are led and coordinated by our Walk Leaders: our incredible team of volunteer members who are first-aid trained ⛑️, map-trained 🗺️, and ready for any hiking crossroads 🪧 (figurative and literal).

What are the weekend walks/hikes like? 🌳

In the morning, we meet at a designated meeting point within a London train station. Look out for Walk Leaders wearing red hats, you can’t miss them! Everyone will then board the train together and travel to the hike destination. If there’s a lot of people you may be in a different carriage to Walk Leaders, so make sure to get off at the right station! At the destination the Walk Leaders will give a quick briefing announcement, and then the hike begins! The hike officially ends once the walk is complete, and people are free to explore the town or head back to London in their own time.

Are the walks/hikes difficult? ⚖️

UCL Hiking Club offers two types of hike every weekend, which are directly linked to our two membership options (Discoverer (DS) vs Explorer (XP)):

Discoverer (DS) Walks 👣 – Typically between 10–20 km, taken at a comfortable and friendly pace. Discoverer walks are designed to be 🟢 Beginner or 🔵 Moderate level: fun, sociable, and beginner-friendly. They usually last 3–6 hours with time for breaks, giving everyone a chance to get outdoors and explore the countryside without needing lots of experience, speed, or fitness.

Explorer (XP) Hikes 🥾 – Typically between 15–30 km, taken at a steady and determined pace. Explorer hikes are usually graded 🔵 Moderate, 🔴 Challenging, or ⚫ Difficult, with longer distances, more varied terrain, and more creative routes. They can last 5–9 hours depending on the group. Explorer hikes give experienced hikers the chance to push themselves technically and physically while also building confidence for tougher routes and residential trips.

We grade all our hikes using a colour-coded difficulty system (🟢 Beginner through to ⚫⚫ Extreme) based on distance, elevation, and terrain. Most of our weekend hikes fall in the 🟢 or 🔵 range, making them accessible to most members. On residential trips, you’ll often have the chance to take on more challenging 🔴, ⚫, or even ⚫⚫ routes for those wanting a real adventure.

Hike Difficulty Grading (Full Scale):

🟢 Green – Beginner
Short, gentle walks on easy terrain (5–15 km, low elevation). Perfect for first-timers and anyone wanting a relaxed introduction to hiking.

🔵 Blue – Moderate
Moderate distance or slightly more uneven ground (15–25 km, rolling hills, varied terrain). Great for those who’ve done a couple of hikes and are ready for the next step.

🔴 Red – Challenging
Challenging routes with longer distances (20–30 km), bigger climbs, or sustained hills. Best suited to hikers with good fitness and some prior experience.

⚫ Black – Difficult
Demanding residential hikes with mountain terrain, technical sections, or long days (30–40 km). Previous hiking experience is essential.

⚫⚫ Double Black – Extreme
Rare, “epic” challenges such as marathon-length days, exposed mountain ridges, or multi-day treks with tough conditions. Only suitable for highly experienced and well-prepared hikers.

How do the tickets work? 🎟️

The number of tickets for all our walk/hike events are limited, as this depends on the number of Walk Leaders attending in order to keep things safe and under control. In the past, our largest hikes have been 250+ hikers, whilst our smallest hikes have been around 5-10 hikers. A typical hike during term-time might be 20-50 hikers.

For safety and insurance purposes, we require anyone attending a hike to have 'purchased' a FREE hike event ticket through the SU website. Tickets and full details for each of these hike events can be found at the bottom of this page in our "What's on?" Calendar or in our club's own Smart Calendar!

Does it cost money? 💰

Walk/Hike event tickets on the SU website are always FREE (unless it's a charity fundraiser hike). However, you will need to purchase your own train travel tickets. We will always give full details of the cheapest available tickets for each hike. These are typically between £5-20 when bought with a 16-25 Railcard (You are eligible if you're aged 16-25, or over the age of 26 and in full-time education).

If you're worried about these costs adding up, UCL offers a Participation Fund of up to £500 per academic year to help you out. Alternatively, if you'd like the club to give you FREE train travel for ALL our hikes: consider becoming a Walk Leader now!

Socials 🎉 - Every Week

Regular weekly socials 🎉 where we mix things up! Last year we did:

Indoor socials: Board/card game nights, movie nights, murder mysteries, Mario Kart nights, Xmas dinner, and even karaoke!
Outdoor socials: Pizza nights, dodgeball, pub nights, scavenger hunts, Xmas markets, and even an aqua park day trip!

All our upcoming Socials can be found in our "What's on?" Calendar or in our club's own Smart Calendar!

Residential Trips 🏞️ - Every Term

Residential trips 🏞️ to an incredible range of locations around the UK and rest of Europe. Expect 4-6 trips this year with 20-60 hikers per trip! In the past we've gone to:

In England: Dartmoor, Exmoor, the Lake District, the Peak District, and the Yorkshire Dales!
In the rest of the UK: Aviemore (Scotland), Arran (Scotland), Snowdonia (Wales), Pembrokeshire (Wales), and the Mourne Mountains (Northern Ireland)!
In the rest of Europe: France, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia!

What are the residentials like?

Residentials are an insane opportunity to see some of the best outdoor locations across the UK and Europe! Every residential is always wildly different to the last, but always in the best way possible!

So what happens on a residential trip?

For each residential, the club will (typically) exclusively hire an entire hostel for anywhere between 2-6 nights. For example on our November 2024 residential we exclusively hired YHA Windemere for 50 people for 3 nights. We had the entire place to ourselves!

If the hostel is hired for e.g. 3 nights, this allows us to do 2 full days of hiking, followed by lots of time in the evenings to relax, have dinner, play games, and get to know everyone else whilst staying warm and cosy inside the hostel.

A typical residential could look like the following:

Day 0:
1. Travelling to the hostel. Sometimes we will arrange for private hire of coaches to take us directly to the destination, other times we will give you lots of information about the best way to get there yourself and meet us at the destination. We always do lots of research into the best travel options, and if we will always advise the cheapest and fastest options.
2. Evening at the hostel. The club will provide all food, groceries, and snacks for the duration of the trip. We will cook for ourselves using the self-catering kitchens usually available. We will have a rota of chores including cleaning and cooking for the duration of our stay! After dinner, we'll do a safety briefing to explain to everyone what the plan for the following days are, including hiking routes and group allocation.
Day 1 & 2:
1. Wake up bright and early. Have breakfast and prepare packed lunches for the day.
2. Set out for a long day hike. We'll have a few route options that everyone has chosen between the night before. Residential hikes may be very long days out, sometimes leaving 6-8am and arriving only 4-8pm, depending on which difficulty hike you choose to attend that day.
3. Return from hike in the evening. All groups eventually arrive back at the hostel. Groups that arrive earliest will begin preparing dinner for everyone else on the trip.
4. Evening socials. After dinner, everyone will have lots of time to relax and socialise in the common rooms of the hostel. We'll always try to bring our club games collection, but we always encourage people to bring their own cards/games and anything else they can think of.
Last day:
1. Clean up the hostel. On the last day we'll wake up early and clean up the hostel using the rota of chores to spread the work evenly. If there is any leftover food, we'll try to find a local foodbank to donate to!
2. Pack up and leave. Once the hostel in cleaned up, everyone needs to be packed up and leave the hostel before the check out time (e.g. 10am).
3. Travel home. If the club has arranged travel to/from the hostel, then everyone will be travelling together (e.g. by private hire coach). Otherwise, everyone is free to travel home or explore the area!

How do the tickets work? How much do they cost?

(Check back soon!)

What/where/when is the next residential trip?

(Check back soon!)

Camping trips 🏕️ - Every Term

Camping trips 🏕️ to a fun range of locations around the UK. Expect a whole bunch this year with 10-20 hikers per trip!

There's no pressure to attend every event! In fact, we run so many events throughout the year that its largely impossible to attend everything!

UCL Hiking Club offers an incredible opportunity to get outdoors and explore the UK! We recommend setting yourself some goals to attend a hike perhaps: once a week, once a month, or at least once a term! You are also incredibly welcome to turn up to any of our socials! We run a wide range of different social events, so there's bound to be something worth showing up to! Check out our upcoming events in our "What's on?" Calendar or in our club's own Smart Calendar!

MEMBERSHIP OPTIONS:

We have 3 membership options to help everyone find what works for them:

Taster Membership - FREE

Our Taster membership is designed to give anyone an opportunity to try out UCL Hiking Club!!

Taster members can join us on all our hikes and socials during our official taster periods: September 15th–October 12th + January 1st–18th).
Taster members will also be granted access to a dedicated Taster Members WhatsApp group chat, where they can ask questions and be kept updated on Taster events.
At the end of the taster period, taster members can upgrade to either of the full membership options, based on their confidence and experience level!!

Discoverer (DS) Membership - Only £10 for the year

Our Discoverer (DS) membership is designed to give anyone the chance to get into hiking and build up their experience and confidence in hiking and exploring outdoors!!

Discoverer members can access:

One weekend walk (every Saturday/Sunday) designed for Discoverer members, usually graded 🟢 Beginner or 🔵 Moderate. These hikes range 10–20 km (about 3–6 hours of walking plus breaks) and are taken at a comfortable, friendly pace — ideal for new hikers or anyone wanting a relaxed day outdoors.
All our club socials, where all members are encouraged to mix and meet new faces!!
A dedicated members WhatsApp group, where all Discoverer/Explorer events will be advertised and members can ask questions and share their experiences with others.

Discoverer members are also eligible to sign-up for our two biggest residential trips:

November 2025 Residential Trip (Details to be released soon).
[Trip #2 location and date TBC]

Spaces on residential trips are randomly selected (NOT first-come-first-serve) and subject to availability.

P.S. You can always start with a £10 Discoverer Membership and upgrade to a £15 Explorer Membership later by only paying the £5 difference.

Explorer (Advanced) Membership - Only £15 for the year

Our Explorer (Advanced) membership is designed to give emerging and experienced hikers the opportunity to attend moderate and challenging hikes as well as our multi-night residential trips and termly camping trips!!

Explorer members can access:

One weekend hike (every Saturday/Sunday) designed for Explorer members, usually graded 🔵 Moderate, 🔴 Challenging, or ⚫ Advanced. These hikes range 15–30 km and are taken at a steady, determined pace, with more varied routes and terrain for those wanting a challenge.
All Discoverer weekend walks, which are shorter and/or slower paced (🟢 Beginner / 🔵 Moderate). Great if you fancy a lighter hike or a sociable day out.
Our new system for club equipment hire, including access to: tents, maps, bags, first aid kits, and more.
A dedicated members WhatsApp group, where all Discoverer/Explorer events will be advertised and members can ask questions and share their experiences with others.

Explorer members are also eligible to sign-up for all of the following trips:

All residential trips, designed mainly for Explorer members, with routes ranging from 🔴 Challenger to ⚫⚫ Extreme, offering both tough challenges and flexible activity options.
All camping trips, exclusively for Explorer members - 1-3 nights of camping, outdoor cooking, and longer hikes.

Spaces on residential and camping trips are randomly selected (NOT first-come-first-serve) and subject to availability.

P.S. You can always start with a £10 Discoverer Membership and upgrade to a £15 Explorer Membership later by only paying the £5 difference.

Comparison: Discoverer (DS) vs Explorer (XP)

Discoverer (DS) - £10	Explorer (xp) - £15
Access to our main WhatsApp group for all key communications and announcements. Access to all UCL Hiking Club social events throughout the year, subject to ticket availability.	Access to our main WhatsApp group for all key communications and announcements. Access to all UCL Hiking Club social events throughout the year, subject to ticket availability.
"Discoverer" Walks 👣: 10-20km (every weekend)	"Discoverer" Walks 👣: 10-20km (every weekend) "Explorer" Hikes 🥾: 15-30km (every weekend)
Eligible for two specific residential trips: Nov. + TBC.	Eligible for ALL residential trips. (4-6 across the year)
	Eligible for ALL camping trips (2-6 across the year)
	Equipment hire, including: tents, maps, bags, first aid kits, and more.
	More perks incoming!!

HELP US OUT AS A WALK LEADER:

Become a Walk Leader to help lead our weekend hikes and residential trips!! You'll receive first-aid training (with a certificate), map-training, and plenty of experience in organising crowds and helping run our larger residential trips. In return, we offer some pretty irresistible perks!

Basics of being a Walk Leader:

Attend an initial introductory session to cover the basics of leading groups and situational response. We'll teach you all the skills you'll need to know!
Attend 2 training hikes where you'll shadow an experienced Walk Leader who will show you how things work on an actual hike.
No existing map skills or leadership skills required.
Optional: Attend a 1st Aid training session and become 1st Aid certified to help keep our hikes safe!
Turn up to our hikes whenever you can! Help manage crowds, occasionally take the lead with navigation, and wear our UCL Hiking Club bright red cap/beanie.
That's it!

Perks of being a Walk Leader (Spoiler: They're good!):

Reimbursed (i.e. FREE) train travel for all weekend hikes that you attend and help lead. Simply send us your train ticket receipts for any hikes you attend and help lead and you'll get your money back within 2ish weeks. This means you essentially get to travel the UK on your weekends for FREE!
Priority status for ALL residential trips!! We typically reserve 25% of spots on our residential trips for Walk Leaders to help keep things running smoothly and safely, so as a Walk Leader you have very high chances of being selected for our residentials.
Walk Leader Socials every term!! Join for exclusive socials and events, including our annual Halloween Night Hike, Christmas Dinner, Mario Kart Night, and more!!

Walk Leader FAQs

What is a Walk Leader? What do they do?

Walk Leaders are member volunteers who help keep our club running by providing route navigation and first-aid experience! As a Walk Leader you'll receive first-aid training (with a certificate), map-training, and plenty of experience in organising crowds and helping run our larger residential trips. In return, we offer some pretty irresistible perks, including

See here to join our Walk Leader team!

Do I need to have a membership as a Walk Leader?

Yes. Everyone involved in UCL Hiking Club needs to have a club membership, including Walk Leaders and Committee.

Please note that if you choose to only get a Discoverer (£10) membership instead of the Explorer (£15) membership, you'll only be able to join our Discoverer Walks 👣 and not our Explorer Hikes 🥾 - this is absolutely fine with us because we still need Walk Leaders on these, but it's something to be aware of! The same applies for residentials, where you'll only be able to join Discoverer-eligible residentials.

P.S. You can always start with a £10 Discoverer Membership and upgrade to a £15 Explorer Membership later by only paying the £5 difference.

I have just signed up as a Walk Leader. What now?

Welcome to the team! We'll reach out to you via email within 1-2 weeks to confirm your acceptance. In this welcome email, we'll also include a link for you to join the Walk Leaders group chat - so don't miss it!

Once you're in the chat, there are a couple things to tick off before you become a full Walk Leader:

You'll need to attend 2 "shadowing" walks/hikes where you'll hike alongside an experienced Walk Leader who will show you how things work on an actual hike. (At least 1 "shadowing" must be on an Explorer (XP) Hike 🥾, unless you are a Discoverer (DS)-only Walk Leader.
You'll need to attend one of several induction sessions (~1 hour) to be given a formal briefing on all the fine details you need to know as a Walk Leader. You'll then need to pass our mini training quiz to show you've been paying attention.
Once you've done both of these, you'll unlock all the Walk Leader perks, including reimbursed (FREE) train travel and priority status for residentials.

How does train/travel reimbursement work? How do I request this?

Once you've completed both your two "shadowing hikes", you be allowed to request reimbursement for train/travel costs for future walks/hikes you do with the club (does not include residential travel 😢). Please note: whilst you can start requesting reimbursement from hike #3 onwards, we will only process this payment once you've attended an induction session and passed the mini training quiz.

Returning Walk Leaders do not need to complete "shadowing hikes", but still must pass the mini training quiz before their travel reimbursements can be processed.

The link to the reimbursement form can be found in the description of the Walk Leader WhatsApp chat. You must request reimbursement within 1 month of the walk/hike. Once you make a request, we will forward this to the SU within 1 week, and they should release the payment within 2 further weeks.

Note: The UCL SU is currently not allowing us to directly reimburse non-UCL accounts. We are working with the SU to find a solution to this. We will update as soon as we know more.

Our sign-up form for becoming a Walk Leader is now open for applications! Once you have applied, we will review and get back to you within 1-2 weeks to confirm your acceptance, at which point you'll be invited to our Walk Leader group chat to receive further updates!

If you have any questions about being a Walk Leader, you can reach out to us here, or also via email or our Instagram!

HOW TO STAY UP-TO-DATE:

Good news!! We have a number of ways you can stay up to date with all of our club events throughout the year!

Events Calendar Options - 1) What's On, 2) Spreadsheet, 3) Calendar.

All of our upcoming and published events will always be accessible in the following 3 places:

SU "What's on?" Calendar (the site you're reading this on) - This is the official way to sign up to all our events, including getting mandatory tickets for hikes and socials.
Events Programme (spreadsheet)- This is a live document that will update as we publish and update events throughout the academic year!! Bookmark this tab in your browser to always stay up-to-date on all our events!!
Smart Calendar (highly recommended) - This is our smart auto-sync calendar that your can download and add to any mobile or desktop calendar app (Google, Apple, Outlook, etc). When you open this link, it should automatically add our club events to your app of choice and it will update throughout the year as we publish new events.

Social Media Platforms - 1) Instagram, 2) WhatsApp, 3) Email

We use the following platforms to make announcements and keep everyone fully informed:

Instagram (@uclhiking) - We'll be posting frequently to promote upcoming events, post recaps, advertise our residential trips, and also occasionally ask our members questions about their experiences in the club!! Follow us here to stay in the loop!!
WhatsApp Community (TASTER CHAT) - We use our WhatsApp chats to send out last minute and on-the-ground communications for our hikes, socials, and residential trips!! Once you grab your membership, you'll receive an email inviting you to join our members-only WhatsApp community. Meanwhile Taster members can join our temporary TASTERS WhatsApp chat to be kept in-the-loop for all our Taster events!!
Email ([email protected]) - We'll always send out any extra important communications (such as residential trip sign-ups) via our club email. Also keep an eye out for our bi-termly newsletter for a quick read of all our upcoming events!!

CLICK HERE for Members-Only Info and WhatsApp Chat Invite 🔗

We also want to hear from you! 🥾✨
Tell us what you enjoy, what could be better, and share your ideas for hikes, socials, and trips. If anything on our website, Instagram or WhatsApp ever feels unclear or confusing, let us know - your feedback helps us make the club even better for everyone. Share your thoughts anonymously here!!

OUR CLUB MAGAZINE:

(Coming soon!! Stay tuned!!)

DISCOUNTS AND SAVINGS:

(Coming soon!! Stay tuned!!)

FAQS:

Membership FAQs

How do I join the club? How much is membership?

You can join the club anytime throughout the year by getting a membership on our SU homepage (here). We have 3 types of membership –

Taster (FREE),
Discoverer (£10),
Explorer (£15).

All differences explained here!

Can I join as UCL Alumni or as a student from another university/institution?

We'd love for you to join!! As a UCL alumni or visiting/affiliate student, you will first need to get a "Visiting or Associate SU Membership" (£40 per year) (read about and apply here) before you can join any UCL clubs. Once you've been accepted, then you can grab a UCL Hiking Club membership on our SU homepage (this page)!

Where can I find (and sign up for) events? Do you do Taster events?

We run MULTIPLE events EVERY week!! Choose your favourite way to stay up to date:

Events Programme – A live spreadsheet of all our events with quick links.
Smart Calendar – Add this to ANY calendar app (Google/Apple/Outlook/other).
"What’s On?" Calendar – View only our events on the SU’s official events calendar.

All our events from 2nd Sept−12th Oct and 10th Jan−25th Jan are FREE Taster events open to anyone with a FREE club Taster Membership! You can grab your Taster membership on our SU Homepage (here).

Do you do social and casual events that aren’t just walks/hikes?

Yes!! We host weekly socials 🎉 - pub nights 🍻🪩, games 🃏🎲, murder mysteries 🗡️🔎, scavenger hunts 🧭🗺️– you name it! See our events here!

Our biggest events are our RESIDENTIAL TRIPS which are always our most memorable events of the year. Follow us on Instagram for our upcoming announcement!

Is there a group chat or community I can join?

Yes! We have a super active WhatsApp community where members chat, share photos, and coordinate their own plans together. You’ll get access once you’ve joined the club! During our Taster Period, we also have a public TASTERS group chat that anyone can join and use to ask questions and stay up-to-date with our Taster events.

CLICK HERE for Members-Only Info and WhatsApp Chat Invite 🔗

Walk/Hike FAQs

Note: You can also find our FAQs on our Instagram page.

Where can I find (and sign up for) events? Do you do Taster events?

We run MULTIPLE events EVERY week!! Choose your favourite way to stay up to date:

Events Programme – A live spreadsheet of all our events with quick links.
Smart Calendar – Add this to ANY calendar app (Google/Apple/Outlook/other).
"What’s On?" Calendar – View only our events on the SU’s official events calendar.

Are your walks/hikes beginner friendly? How difficult are they?

Are your walks/hikes beginner friendly?
Yes! Many of our hikes are graded 🟢 Beginner or 🔵 Moderate, which are perfect for newcomers. These are shorter, gentler routes (often 5–20 km) on easy terrain, designed so anyone can join in with just a basic level of fitness. If you’re new to hiking, our Discoverer (DS) membership is a great way to get started, as it gives you access to these beginner-friendly weekend walks every Saturday and Sunday.

How difficult are they?
We run hikes for all levels, from 🟢 Beginner all the way up to ⚫⚫ Extreme. Our ⚫ Advanced routes usually take place on residential trips and are best suited for members with more experience — these are available through our Explorer membership, which opens up the full range of weekend walks, residentials, and special events. Whatever your ability, there will always be a hike suited to you, and our leaders will help you choose the right level.

Hike Difficulty Grading:

🟢 Green – Beginner
Short, gentle walks on easy terrain (5–15 km, low elevation). Perfect for first-timers and anyone wanting a relaxed introduction to hiking.

🔴 Red – Challenging
Challenging routes with longer distances (20–30 km), bigger climbs, or sustained hills. Best suited to hikers with good fitness and some prior experience.

⚫ Black – Difficult
Demanding residential hikes with mountain terrain, technical sections, or long days (30–40 km). Previous hiking experience is essential.

Please note countryside trails aren’t usually wheelchair accessible. Please reach out to us if you have any concerns!

Where do you walk/hike on weekends?

Most of our hikes are at destinations on the outskirts of London or in the wider East/South East of the UK. Our most popular weekend destinations last year included: Seven Sisters (Eastbourne), Dover, Brighton, Oxford, and Cambridge!

Where do I meet everyone for the walk/hike? How do I get my train tickets?

If you have a ticket for a walk/hike, it’ll include the meeting point, travel details, and train prices! We usually meet at a London station and travel together, but you’re free to make your own way if easier.

Can I attend walks/hikes without a ticket? Can I bring friends/family?

Please don’t attend our walks/hikes without membership (only £10/15) and an event ticket. We need to keep a strict Walk Leader to hiker ratio for safety and crowd control, and this is why we sometimes cap event capacity. For the same reason, you cannot bring along friends or family unless they also have membership and a ticket to the event.

How much do walks/hikes cost? How can I save money?

Walk/Hike event tickets on the SU website are always FREE (unless it's a charity fundraiser hike). However, you will need to purchase your own train travel tickets. We always provide details of the cheapest travel options, including using a 16-25 Railcard.

If you're worried about these costs adding up, UCL offers a Participation Fund of up to £500 per academic year to help you out. Alternatively, if you'd like the club to give you FREE train travel for ALL our hikes: consider becoming a Walk Leader now!

What is a 16-25 Railcard and should I get one?

A 16-25 Railcard can be purchased online and gives you 1/3 off UK train and TFL fares. You’re eligible if you’re aged 16-25, or over 25 and still in full time education. It costs only £35 per year, or £80 for 3 years. It pays off within 3-4 trips, so it’s perfect if you’re joining us on our walks/hikes!

What do I need to pack for a hike? Do I need special equipment?

For weekend hikes you need good waterproof trainers and outdoor trousers that can get muddy. Also pack: lunch, snacks, 1-2L water, raincoat, and a rucksack to carry it all! For residential trips, you’ll always need good hiking boots, and we’ll send a full kit list reminding what else to pack.

Will there be cafes, restaurants, or toilets on the walk/hike?

Typically no. Most our hikes are in the countryside with limited facilities. Always pack yourself food, snacks, and water to last the entire day and please use the toilets at the meeting station or on the train, since many countryside train stations won’t have toilets!

Is there a group chat or community I can join?

I have some feedback or an idea for a hike/social

Accordion content.

General FAQs

Where can I find (and sign up for) events? Do you do Taster events?

We run MULTIPLE events EVERY week!! Choose your favourite way to stay up to date:

Events Programme – A live spreadsheet of all our events with quick links.
Smart Calendar – Add this to ANY calendar app (Google/Apple/Outlook/other).
"What’s On?" Calendar – View only our events on the SU’s official events calendar.

Do you do social and casual events that aren’t just walks/hikes?

Yes!! We host weekly socials 🎉 - pub nights 🍻🪩, games 🃏🎲, murder mysteries 🗡️🔎, scavenger hunts 🧭🗺️– you name it! See our events here!

Our biggest events are our RESIDENTIAL TRIPS which are always our most memorable events of the year. Follow us on Instagram for our upcoming announcement!

Is there a group chat or community I can join?

Do you do bigger trips? Where do you go?

We run 4+ RESIDENTIAL TRIPS each year, both in the UK (past: Lake District, Peak District, Snowdonia, Dartmoor) and abroad (past: France, Poland, Romania, Slovakia!).

Residential trips are subsidised to keep costs affordable (usually £50–£120 for UK trips, always including accommodation and all food). Sign-ups can be competitive, but we always advertise them early and member selection is random, so everyone has a fair chance to get a spot! Keep an eye out for our upcoming announcement of our November 2025 residential trip!! Read more here.

I have some feedback or an idea for a hike/social

Accordion content.

Walk Leader FAQs

What is a Walk Leader? What do they do?

See here to join our Walk Leader team!

Do I need to have a membership as a Walk Leader?

Yes. Everyone involved in UCL Hiking Club needs to have a club membership, including Walk Leaders and Committee.

P.S. You can always start with a £10 Discoverer Membership and upgrade to a £15 Explorer Membership later by only paying the £5 difference.

I have just signed up as a Walk Leader. What now?

Once you're in the chat, there are a couple things to tick off before you become a full Walk Leader:

You'll need to attend 2 "shadowing" walks/hikes where you'll hike alongside an experienced Walk Leader who will show you how things work on an actual hike. (At least 1 "shadowing" must be on an Explorer (XP) Hike 🥾, unless you are a Discoverer (DS) Walk Leader.
You'll need to attend one of several induction sessions (~1 hour) to be given a formal briefing on all the fine details you need to know as a Walk Leader. You'll need to pass our mini training quiz to show you've been paying attention.
Once you've done both of these, you'll unlock all the Walk Leader perks, including reimbursed (FREE) train travel and priority status for residentials.

How does train/travel reimbursement work? How do I request this?

Returning Walk Leaders do not need to complete "shadowing hikes", but still must pass the mini training quiz before their travel reimbursements can be processed.

Note: The UCL SU is currently not allowing us to directly reimburse non-UCL accounts. We are working with the SU to find a solution to this. We will update as soon as we know more.

If you have any other questions about being a Walk Leader, please email us or ask your question in the Members or Walk Leader WhatsApp chats!

If you have any other questions that haven't been answered above, you can email us, ask in our Tasters WhatsApp chat, or ask your question anonymously here (anonymous questions will be answered "out loud" in the Taster WhatsApp chat for everyone to benefit from).