Trip Leader Info
Draft 3 by Randy Banis (#167)
2/17/08Reviewed & Revised by Hovik Mossessi (#603)2/17/08

Responsibilities & Tips

NOTE: These tips are provided in this draft form to assist trip leaders in planning their upcoming SCLR events. This document has not been reviewed and approved by the Board of Directors but has been OK'ed for posting with this disclaimer. If you have questions or comments about these tips please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

A. Before the Trip

1. Pick the dates
Although occasionally suggested trip dates may conflict with other trips or events, in most cases the Trip Leader sets the date. 2. Choose routes and set a difficulty rating (Easy/Moderate/Difficult)
The routes to be taken are determined by the Trip Leader. Accordingly, a difficulty rating of either "Easy", "Moderate", or "Difficult" is assigned by the Trip Leader. Although subjective, below is a sample guide for ratings:

Easy - stock Land Rover, beginner drivers
Moderate - clearance modifications recommended, i.e. rock sliders, remove air dams & steps, skid plates & diff guards; drivers should have off road driving experience
Difficult - clearance & traction modifications, i.e. lifts & oversized tires, lockers, /winch; experienced drivers only

3. Set minimum vehicle requirements
In most cases this will not be necessary. However, some trips require vehicle modifications, often only minor, in order to successfully and safely complete the trip. See above for examples of advanced vehicle requirements. 4. Suggest, and possibly arrange, accommodations
In most cases, when overnight stays are required the Trip Leader should suggest either a town or specific lodging based either on experience or a quick internet search. In rare occasions, when lodging is extremely limited, the trip leader may actually coordinate room reservations, and even assignments if necessary. However, in most cases it is most desirable to suggest lodging alternatives and allow participants to make their own arrangements. 5. Create trip sheet or itinerary
Trip Leaders need to create an itinerary that can be put on a trip sheet that will assist trip participants with planning. We suggest that your trip information be written using Microsoft Word then emailed to the Webmaster at " This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ". It will be forwarded to someone to create the actual Trip Sheet web page. Here is a list of some of the information that you might want to include:

Your Name
Your Email Address

Trip Info

Trip Location (ie. White Mtns, Anza Borrego)
Date of Event
Trip Leader(s)
Maximum Number of Vehicles (optional)
Warnings & Updates (optional)
Are Pets OK?

Vehicle & Driver Info

Driver Experience Recommendations - Anyone or Advanced or Expert
Early Rovers - Stock or Modified Only
Discoveries - Stock or Modified Only
Range Rovers - Stock or Modified Only
Range Rover Sport – Stock or Modified Only
LR3 – Stock or Modified
Defenders - Stock or Modified Only
Freelanders (LR2) - Yes or No
Vehicle Restrictions
Special Info for Drivers & Vehicles

Location & Travel Info

Meeting Location
Distance From Los Angeles (and other locations)
Directions
Recommended Early Arrivals Lodging (optional)
Recommended 1st Night Lodging
Recommended 2nd Night Lodging
Recommended Additional Nights Lodging (if necessary)
Meal Summary (ie. meals in restaurant vs. on the trail)
Radio Recommendations (type; channel)

Itinerary

Itinerary - Day One
Itinerary - Day Two
Itinerary - Day Three and Beyond (if necessary)
Background Links (optional)

Contact Info

Contact Name
Contact Email (if different from above)
Contact Phone
2nd Contact Name (optional)
2nd Contact Email (optional)
Additional Information & Comments

6. Periodically review RSVP's in online Clubhouse for questions & comments, number of RSVP's

You should stay abreast of your RSVP's by periodically logging into the Clubhouse to check your RSVP's. First, you'll want to create your own RSVP for the trip so that it appears in your online RSVP Info area. Because you are the trip leader, a link will appear with the RSVP summary allowing you to view RSVP's for the trip. The RSVP list includes all members who have set up their own RSVP in the online Clubhouse. It lists their email address and membership status, and provides a text input box for you to store notes to yourself, such as nonmember RSVP's. At the bottom of the RSVP list is a link to view an emergency contact list for your RSVP's, and a link to an email broadcast tool that allows you to easily send email messages to your RSVP's. This is especially handy to create excitement about the trip or to update participants on changes or new information. If your trip has a limit, you can see when your trip has reached it's maximum. At that point, you can inform the Webmaster who can close further RSVP's for your trip. Immediately prior to your trip, be sure to print both the RSVP list and the emergency contact list and take it with you. 7. Review membership status per Clubhouse RSVP list
Club rules state that members must renew by June 30th or they loose eligibility to participate in trips. If your trip is in the first half of the year, you can generally disregard the membership status flags of "paid" and "unpaid". However, during the second half of the year, nonmembers should be contacted and prompted to renew as a condition of participating in the trip. 8. Provide information in response to inquiries
Prior to the trip you may receive emails from prospective participants that need to be responded to. Also, online RSVP's may contain questions or comments that also may need to be responded to before the trip. If you are not to be the contact person for this kind of trip information, be sure to specify who is on your trip sheet. 9. Personally assess route conditions either via pre-running or info from reliable sources

It is important for trip leaders to gain some familiarity with the routes for the trip. Usually this is done via a pre-run a week or two before the trip. In some cases you may prefer and enjoy doing this yourself. Others, however, prefer to wisely have company. It is usually easy to recruit a pre-running partner via the Roverboard message board. But if you wish to conduct a pre-run and do not receive a response to your post, please let the Webmaster know and the club officers can work to help you find a partner. Pre-runs should be done fairly close to the date of the trip as rainstorms and snowfall just prior to a trip can drastically alter trail conditions. 10. Optional: Gather information about points of interest to be encountered
Although participants will expect the trip leader to be a competent trail guide, you are not expected to be a "tour" guide. However, participants do enjoy any information you can pass on regarding points of interest along the way. Any time spent researching tidbits of knowledge will be appreciated by participants, but is not necessary. 11. Nonmember participation
The club has a formal policy for nonmember participation on trips. Subject to the consent of trip leaders, many SCLR trips and events are open to a limited number of prospective members. Prospective members are individuals who possess a demonstrable interest in the club's activities and mission, which are centered around the Land Rover badge. Examples of such interest include current or recent ownership of a Land Rover, employment or hobbies around Land Rovers, or active participation in the 4x4 community. Prospective members may attend only one SCLR event as a nonmember (excepting events that allow nonmembers via a registration fee). To participate in additional trips and events, prospective members will be required to join the SCLR. Trip leaders may invite nonmembers as guests or guides. Also, club officers, with the consent of trip leaders, may invite special guests, such as members of Cal4WD, other Land Rover clubs, and vendors. Also, trip leaders may accommodate a single or small group of nonmember vehicles encountered in the field that request to join along in the interest of safety. If you know in advance that a prospective member will be attending, you should download and print a liability waiver from the Clubhouse's Trip Leader area. 12. Non-Rover participants
By and large, SCLR members share the expectation that the viewscape should be of predominantly Land Rovers during club trips. Because our expertise and experience center around our Land Rovers, we may not be appropriate judges of the capabilities of other makes of vehicles, and this could affect the safety and quality of experience of trip participants. Furthermore, Southern California is blessed with an extraordinary array of unique and active 4x4 clubs, and non-Land Rovers have ample opportunity to share the trail with other 4x4 enthusiasts. Similarly, SCLR encourages its own members to consider participating in other such regional, state and national 4x4 clubs and associations. Therefore, trip leaders and club officers are encouraged to limit rather, than exclude, the participation of non-Land Rovers on club trips, balancing the needs of outreach and goodwill with quality of experience and reasonable risk.

B. During the Trip

1. Be among the first to arrive at meeting spot
The trip leader should be among the first to arrive at the meeting spot each day. If last minute errands need to be run it is best that the trip leader solicit another participant for this. It is important that the trip leader personally introduce themselves and greet each participant, including their passengers. 2. Checks in participants against RSVP list
Trip leaders should check the participants against the printed RSVP list from the Clubhouse. Feel free to inquire about parties who RSVP'ed but are absent as many club members have a buddy or two that may be abreast of their schedule. If there are nonmembers in attendance and you have printed copies of the liability waiver form, you should obtain each driver’s signature in order to better protect the club. 3. Decides, based on info and advice from others, if start time is to be delayed to wait for others
Sometimes there are members on your RSVP list who do not show up at the meeting place on time. It is the sole decision of the trip leader to decide if the group will wait or if they will proceed. If the start time was clearly made available to all it is perfectly acceptable not to make others wait and maintain your schedule. However, often one of the participants will be aware of someone having been right behind them at some point, and therefore, it might be best to wait briefly. 4. Facilitates introductions, conducts safety briefing, and review of itinerary
Trip leaders should conduct a daily drivers meeting just prior to leaving the meeting location. The briefing should consist of a roll call, introductions, and a brief safety talk. Review the itinerary and the level of difficulty so that participants can make one last decision to bow out. Review each participating vehicle to ensure that it meets the minimum requirements of the trip. 5. Sets the order of vehicles, if necessary
Sometimes the trip leader may want to set the order of vehicles. For example, when heavy dust is expected, it is customary to allow convertibles a place closer to the front. Some trip leaders find it helpful to solicit an experienced driver to volunteer for the rear position to ensure the group stays together. 6. Determines breaks and deviations from planned route
The trip leader is responsible for calling periodic breaks, including those for meals. Due to the popularity of manifold cooking, you may want to give participants a 20-30 minute warning before stopping for lunch. Occasionally you or others will be tempted on a detour; such a decision is yours, understanding the impact it will have on your overall schedule. 7. Maintain a safe and enjoyable pace

Be aware of your pace. It can be uncomfortable for drivers to proceed too slow, and possibly dangerous to go too fast. Gage your pace on the make up of your group and try to keep the group together. A popular trail rule is for everyone to keep the vehicle that is behind them in their mirror; if they are not in your view, wait until they are. Following these instructions a group can easily keep together. However, there may be stretches of long, dusty, washboard road that is better traveled with participants stretched out a little. In this case, it is important that the group stops periodically to ensure that all are still together. If you lose radio contact with anyone in the group, you should slow or stop until contact is resumed. 8. Folks going on their own

Occasionally some trip participants will find it necessary to leave the group and go on their own. Unless it is absolutely necessary or arranged in advance, the trip leader should try to discourage those from separating from the group. Explain the safety considerations and work to find a way to meet their needs without compromising the experience for the rest of the group. If this fails, be sure that they understand that you are no longer responsible and will likely be unable to help them in the event they encounter trouble. 9. Optional: Conduct briefings at points of interest

If you have some historical facts or tidbits about points of interest encountered, feel free to conduct briefing along the way.

10. Vehicle Recovery Safety

It is not the de-facto responsibility of the Trip Leader to also direct vehicle recovery efforts. Ultimately, it needs to be the vehicle owner/driver's call decisions affecting the recovery of their vehicle. However, anyone, including the Trip Leader, who is comfortable with their ability to help effect a successful recovery can and should step forward and assist. During winching and other vehicle recovery, one thing a Trip Leader can do is keep in mind the safety of the bystanders. There is not much you can do for the safety of participants in the recovery, other than yell "watch out" or "I don't think that's such a good idea". Bystanders, however, should be kept at a safe distance. They should be cautioned about their position relative to the recovery efforts. The most common is during winching, when bystanders need to be safely positioned behind the vehicles in case a cable, strap or tow hook should break. Bystanders should not be in the path of gravity below a recovery; rather, they should locate themselves above or to the side of the recovery.