Formal Hiking Clubs vs Hiking Boards

[TFR]

The thread about young people doing less camping and other discussions I have had off board has made me wonder if there has been a shift in the way people hike as groups.

Before the Internet, beginning hikers could not communicate with a large number of other hikers and therefore would have to join a formal hiking club, (such as the ADK, but this is not about the ADK, so please keep this general), in order to go hiking with a group of people. Eventually, you could form a network of hiking associates / friends and start hiking apart from the club. But you probably still stayed in the club.

Now with the Internet, we have VFTT, RocksOnTop, ADKForum, ADKHP, etc. We can post a hike or read about hikes and join a group this way.

There are several pros and cons that came out of my discussions and thoughts:

- An 'internet hike' may not have a true 'leader', whereas formal club hikes usually do. I 'organized' a hike to the Santononi's last Winter that was essentially leaderless. This may have been part of the reason no one summitted! In Winter, the concept of a leader is especially important.

- The person may save money by not joining a formal club, but in turn, the club may not have the resources it used to have to represent the hiking community to government agencies, or other policy makers.

- Clubs can only lead so many hikes a year.

- Larger hikes tend to go the speed of the slowest hiker and can lead to frustration on the part of faster hikers, or the whole group failing to summit.

- However, generally, there is safety in numbers, and experienced hike leaders can help the group get to the summit in the most efficient manner.

- And ratings hikes (a club feature), can help hikers decide if they are right for a particular hike, even if they "need the peak".

- Internet hikes can be more dynamically arranged, and take factors such as weather into account better than a formal hiking club can. Typically, when a formal hike is cancelled, it is not made up. But an informal hiking group can just decide to go next weekend.

- However, having a schedule of several month's hikes in advance can lead to better individual planning of one's own life. If a hike is cancelled, "The mountain will always be there".

OK, you get the idea. I realize I am preaching to one particular chior here, but how do you feel about formal hiking clubs, vs 'internet hiking'? And I'm not saying it has to be one or the other, you can of course do both (as I do).

[stoopid]

Having done ADK Club hikes, internet hikes, and hiked solo I'd have to say internet hikes are my favorite for the pros you mentioned above. ADK Club hikes are/were fun, but for a while I didn't have Saturdays off (when they usually plan the hikes) so I've learned to adapt to using the other means to meet hikers. Now that I hike primarily with my GF the circle gets even smaller and easier to manage cancellations, changes, and we summit most of the time despite obsticles.

I've met a lot of great people on the internet too! :) On a few of the ADK Club hikes I met some personalities I'd rather not have spent 8 hours with, but also some good people (so I grouped more with them of course :p ).

[hawk]

Different strokes for different folks!!

I'm sure either method works fine and their is no particular advantage in the long run of one over the other.

It's like peakbagging versus backpacking. Therre are people who prefer one or the other for personal preference and then there are those who enjoy both equally.

Clubs tend to be more organized and structured and the members pretty much all in favor of the same type of thing.

Stuff done on th internet tends to be more of a "pickup" type thing and more spontaneous.

I favor the latter because I am not as "social" as many other people. I want to know everyone I am hiking with or at the very least had a choice in my hiking partners. Thats neither right or wrong, better or worse, it's just my personal choice. There are people on the forums whom I know i would not want to hike, or socialize with. It's not that they are good or bad, it's just that i know that we will clash and it will take awy from everyones enjoyment of the hike.

Regardless of the method, if it gets people out into the outdoors, and even as important, teaches them safety and respect, then t's a positive thing.

[lumberzac]

I posted this on VFTT as well.

I guess between the two, I prefer internet hikes (although my main preference is hiking with my friends I've know most of my life). Considering I’ve been on quite a few of those and have never been on any club sponsored hikes. When you hike with people from a forum, you can get a feel as to what they are like from what they post, something you don’t get from a “sponsored” hike. Another thing that turns me of to “sponsored” hike is they tend to have (or at lest look like they do) larger groups of people. I feel most comfortable when hiking in a small group (4 people or less).

[stoopid]

I feel most comfortable when hiking in a small group (4 people or less).

Redhawk and Zac added this point which I forgot to make, but wanted to acknowledge that one of my cons with club hikes are/were their group size. Too many people sometimes, and sometimes they get spread out too far.

[AlpineSummit]

In my humble opinion, the entire group should be able to fit into one car.
Anything else is a bit large for me, altho there have been exceptions at times.
But as someone very wise once said: 'it's all good'
Hike ON