Rocky Mountain Chapter - Colorado

Get Outdoors Rules

In order to participate on one of the Sierra Club's outings, you will need to sign a liability waiver:

• Liability Waiver in PDF Format
• Lliability Waiver in MS Word Format
• Online Form For Leaders To Submit A Trip Proposal

The Chapter's Executive Committee has approved modifications and updates to these rules at their 01-22-00, 04-15-01, 10-13-01 quarterly meetings.  You may also want to visit our Leaders page to reach someone for more detailed information.

Outings Rules
Rocky Mountain Chapter (RMC)

Definition of a Sierra Club Outing:

A Sierra Club Outing is a sanctioned Sierra Club activity in which a significant component is to take participants into the out-of-doors, including, but not limited to, activities, whether local, regional, national, or international, whose success and safety is dependent upon the leadership ability and emergency performance of qualified Sierra Club leaders directly responsible for the group.  Sierra Club Outings involve leading participants to destinations in groups, especially to places where professional emergency assistance cannot be promptly obtained.  An activity shall have at least two of the following three elements to be considered a Sierra Club Outing:

          *    Group management
          *    Remoteness
          *    Responsibility for safety

Otherwise the activity is considered to be a conducted, Sierra Club social, conservation or public affairs activity.  All Sierra Club Outings shall follow all applicable Sierra Club policies and all outings related policies set by the Outdoor Activities Governance Committee (OAGC), OAGC subcommittees and affiliated regional/local outing programs.

Rules:

1. To be considered official, RMC Chapter, Section and Group outings must meet all of the following:
   1. Be approved by the Chapter's Outings Chair.
      
   2. Be published, in advance, on either the RMC's Calendar of Events page or Outings web page, in the RMC's Peak & Prairie (P&P) publication, or in one of the Chapter's Section or Group newsletters.
      
   3. Contain a minimum of four participants, one of which is the leader.
      
   4. If the outing is only published in a Section or Group newsletter, it must also be submitted in advance to a designated representative of the Outings Committee for entry into the RMC's on-line Calendar of Events page.  Groups and sections are also encouraged, but not required, to list all outings on their Group or Section web sites.
      

2. At a minimum, a leader of any RMC Chapter, Section or Group outing must:
   1. Be a Sierra Club (Club) member in good standing (unless otherwise specified, non-leader participants are not required to be members).
      
   2. Be at least 18 years of age.
      
   3. Possess a current Red Cross, or equivalent, First Aid certification (Additional training may be required depending on the type, location and duration of the outing).
      
   4. Have successfully completed at least one other RMC Chapter, Section or Group outing, of a similar nature, as a co-leader.*
      
   5. Carry, or have access to, a First Aid kit appropriate for that particular outing or activity.
      
   6. Carry, or have access to, a suitable version of the "Ten Essentials."
      
   7. Be familiar with the route - scouting it beforehand, if necessary.
      
   8. Maintain a sign-in sheet of that outing's participants.
      

3. The trip or outing will begin and end at the "trailhead."  The trailhead is defined as the point in time when the leaders and participants initially meet to begin the activity.

   Although the Club encourages conservation practices, it's leaders can not organize or coordinate car-pooling or ride-sharing.  Therefore, car-pooling of any kind will remain a private arrangement at the sole risk of the driver and passengers.

   Leaders can suggest car-pooling as a transportation alternative in addition to encouraging riders to reimburse drivers (The suggested mileage reimbursement rate will be periodically published in the P & P by the RMC's Outings Chair).

4. No person under the age of 14 is allowed on an outing unless accompanied by a parent or guardian.  No one between the ages of 14 and 18 is allowed on an outing without written parental or guardian consent.

5. Pets are authorized only on outings that are pre-advertised as "Pets-Permitted" in areas that allow them.  Exceptions can be made for guide animals.

6. Nominal fees for outings can be required of participants with rates differing between members and non-members.

7. The outing's leader reserves the right to disqualify any participant, from that outing, for good cause.

8. The Chapter's Outings Chair reserves the right to disqualify any leader, from any outing, for good cause.

9. Joint Outings.
   1. RMC outings rules will apply when an RMC Chapter, Section, or Group entity sponsors a joint outing with non-RMC and non-Sierra Club organizations. All participants will be advised that the outing is being led by an RMC Chapter, Section, or Group entity at that RMC outings rules apply.
   2. When the joint outing is being sponsored by a non-RMC or non-Sierra Club organization, participants will be advised that the RMC is not leading the outing and is therefore not responsible for the activity.

Note: At times the National Sierra Club website will ask you to create a simple username and password before continuing on...

• Click Here to download a copy of the Sierra Club's Outings Leader Handbook

• Click Here for information on reporting accidents and incidents

• Click Here for outings forms, books and documents that are used by the Rocky Mountain Chapter.

• Click Here for information on CORSAR,
  The Colorado Outdoor Recreation Search and Rescue Card - Don't leave home without it!

• Click Here for a copy of our liability and waiver form in PDF format.

• Click Here for a copy of our liability and waiver form in MS Word format.

Back to our main Get Outdoors page...

Outings Chair: Jacob Morgan

Assistant Outings Chair: Gary Matthews

Member of Peak to Peak Trail and Wilderness Links

Last update:
September 26, 2003