Welcome to the Brunel 20s and 30s Walking Group. Based in the Bristol and Bath area, we're a friendly group for young(ish) adults, from the newcomer to recreational walking through to experienced hill walkers. Our programme offers around 120 walks a year, ranging from 4 mile ambles through to testing 17 mile up and downers in the Brecons. Each walk is led by a volunteer leader and almost all have been pre-walked.

The Group was set up in 1999 and continues to grow having now grown beyond 220 members, the majority of whom walk with us regularly. As well as frequent walks, our programme also contains a number of weekends away, social evenings, pub nights, meals out at local restaurants, a monthly cinema evening, regular visits to local theatres, and many more besides. The meeting points for all walks are in Bristol and are mostly accessible using public transport from Bristol City Centre.

If you're deciding on your first walk, there are a wide array of walks every month for you to choose between. The Group offers a whole range of walks, suited to those who have done little before, to those who are accomplished hill walkers or trekkers. Do browse our website, pick a suitable walk and come along, you're unlikely to be the only new face! We offer 'new members walks' from time to time, which are specifically aimed at those coming along for the first time, but you can start with any walk on the programme and on almost any 1 or 2 boot walk there is likely to be someone else who is turning up for the first time.

We suggest you're sensible in choosing your first walk (else your legs might ache a bit the next day!) and that you have the right gear for the walk you're joining - there's almost always some mud to be found - so walking boots are recommended for all walks, and are absolutely necessary for hill walks as it can get particularly boggy or rocky. Waterproofs and no jeans are other key points. And a good lunch plus plenty of liquid.

If you're browsing this site with the idea of getting out walking with a Bristol or Bath based group/club, then have a look at our 'Join Us' and 'Before Walking' pages, then come along and try out a couple of walks.

If you've already been on a couple of walks and have decided you'd like to join the group, then someone may have put a membership form in your hand - alternatively you can join on-line via our Join Us page.

And if you're outside our Group's age range, why not try one of these other local groups.

If you're a group member you should be receiving a monthly newsletter and the programme. Because we keep your email address confidential by sending out all our mail as "bcc" (blind copy) then sometimes providers like hotmail direct what we send into your 'junk mail' (or equivalent) folder. It's best to make sure that brunelwalkinggroup@hotmail.com is registered in your account as a "safe sender", then you'll always get to see our latest news.

We also get a few 'bounce-back' messages every time we send the newsletter out - so if you didn't get the newsletter, please also make sure we have your up-to-date email address.

A couple of people have said that when they navigate between programme pages on this site they see some months from the last programme (Jan-Apr) rather than the new one.  If you have the same issue, you can remedy it simply by going to the appropriate page and clicking Refresh (or press F5).  We've endeavoured to fix it from our end, so if it does persist, do let us know.

Just in case you haven't checked recently, a reminder that Liz's walk that was originally scheduled for this weekend (13th July) has been postponed a week to the 20th.  There is still a 9 mile 1 boot walk taking in Winchcombe and Sudeley Castle.

On the 20th you now have a choice of a 2 boot and a 2+ boot walk - a perfect opportunity to try a walk a little longer than normal?

The Christmas weekend away will be at Golant YHA from Thursday 11 through Sunday 14 December.  Very close to Fowey (in Cornwall), it offers an array of coastal and riverside walks, as well as a town that's great at that time of year. 

To reserve your space, on a first come, first served basis, please contact Philip T on 0117 969 1395.  The cost is £42, which includes the group meal, and is payable by mid-September.  Early booking is advised.

The one thing missing from our otherwise comprehensive programme this year has been a spring weekend away doing some coastal walking in Devon, Cornwall or Pembrokeshire.  Always fantastic fun in the past, catering for all grades of walkers, we'd like to make sure it's part of next year's calendar.  To do this, we'd like to get a whole hostel booked up for sometime from next April to June, be it one of the bank holidays or simply a two day trip. 

What we need is an organiser or two - if you would be willing to volunteer (you don't need to take the whole task on yourself), please contact us.  That would enable us to get a hostel booked good and early.

Duncan has refined the plan for a week of walking in Scotland, starting 27th September. Based in the area around Lochearnhead, 40 miles north of Glasgow, this week offers lots of great walking.  More details on the Weekends page. Just 1 place remaining.

Firstly, a huge thanks to everyone who has offered a walk or social for the Summer Programme, and to Mel for prompting everyone and pulling it all together.  We can all now plan our summers around all these lovely walks!

Once again, there's loads on offer

• 28 weekend walks, covering the usual range of 1 to 3 boot walks
• 13 evening walks - that's almost one every week, a great way to spend a summer evening; and
• A bunch of social events from picnics to bike rides