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.

Brunel Group weekends away are always extremely popular.  So much so that they now have their own page on the website - thoughtfully titled 'Weekends'.

And the good news is that we're planning some!!  Just beyond the scope of our current programme is a trip to the Gower that Neil is organising for early September - however the booking deadline is 23 May, so you need to act now to book your place. Also Duncan (caving) is thinking of organising a Scotland self catering cottage(s) week in September probably around the Fort William/Glencoe area. Spaces/accomodation are limited so contact him at captaincavebear[@]hotmail.com to express your interest.

Of course it would be great to get away to coast or countryside before then on a summer weekend.  However, so far no one has come forward with any offers of such weekends for this Summer Programme :-(.  So, we're seeking volunteers!!  If you are interested in organising (or helping organise) a weekend away, be it in a hostel or camping, please let us know asap.  It's not that difficult and there's plenty of advice available.  Lots of other people will be very grateful!

We're also turning out minds to the hugely popular Christmas weekend, and are after your thoughts on where we should go and some folks to help organise it.  All the details are on the 'Weekends' page.

If you were thinking about doing the BBMC on 18 May, but haven't acted, then it is now too late as entries have closed.  If you are entered and want to do it with us then please drop a note to the group account telling us you'll be doing it, and we'll come up with the co-ordinated plan.

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

Open the new programme in May and, amongst many options, you can enjoy Bluebell walks, and some good distance but less hilly 2+ boot walks, plus take the 1-booters trip to the top of the Black Mountains.

I thought it about time to give the front page of the website a light refresh, hence the differences you see before you.

The content remains the same, however the introduction to the Group - which remains static, aimed at the first time visitor - has been put in the sidebar, opening up some more space for the news of what's going on in the Group and for a slightly larger 'picture of the week' - the things most of you look at more regularly.

If it doesn't work on your browser, or you simply do or don't like it, you're welcome to let me (Dean) know.  Doubtless it will evolve with use...