Span Outdoors

Span is a Sydney based outdoor club with approximately 100 members, and Span welcomes everyone over the age of 18. Span trips cover a wide range of outdoor activities, including bushwalking, road cycling, mountain bike riding, canyoning, kayaking, abseiling, rock climbing and skiing together with regular social activities. Our activities are notified on our website, by email and in a program.

Our trips

All trips are led by volunteers. Span’s program depends on members volunteering to lead trips/social activities. We encourage you to attend a visitor marked activity on our program to meet us. Select a suitable trip and contact the leader, giving details of your recent outdoor experience and any relevant medical conditions to allow the trip leader to decide whether you are suitable to attend the trip.

Trip leaders have the right to refuse anyone considered below the particular standard for that trip or to restrict numbers on the trip. The leader may also refuse those who do not have the necessary equipment / clothing, or those who have no records of trips with the club or relevant medical conditions. The leader's decision is final and will be supported by the Committee. By declining someone the right to attend a particular activity, the leader is not discriminating but making a decision based on the overall safety of the group.

Once you are booked onto a trip (try to book early) meet the group at the designated meeting point as advised by the trip leader. Try to arrive on time to ensure you have time to read, complete and sign the sign on sheet and meet the other participants. The sign on sheet summaries the trip and any risks. It is required by our insurance policies.

Trip leaders are not obliged to wait for latecomers and once the leader is ready the group will move off. On occasion the group will drive (carpool) to the start of the trip. Whilst Span trips are free, if the trip involves car pooling, all trip participants share the costs of petrol and also 20c per km to help with wear and tear on the car being driven. You will pay any other costs such as food, accommodation, train tickets etc yourself.

When you attend trips you are responsible for your own safety. Always carry a first aid kit on every trip and your own medication. We also encourage members to do a first aid course if you don’t have a current first aid certificate. (Span can recommend some courses if you would like). Please also ensure you have all the necessary food, water, warm clothing etc. for a trip – check with the trip leader if you’re not sure what to bring.

Always follow any instructions from the trip leader. Trips can be in isolated areas so you need to carry snacks, water, medication and food for the day and wear comfortable shoes. Please let the trip leader know if you have any injuries, even if it just seems minor. Minor things like blisters can lead to major injuries so it’s important the trip leader knows. Also, at the end of the trip the leader enters any injuries into a trip report for insurance purposes. It is important your injury is entered in case it turns out to be more serious than you initially thought and you need to claim on Span’s insurance policies.

How to Join

Membership of Span costs $40 per financial year. If you Join Span after 1 January, membership cost is a one off $20 until 30 June and the usual annual fee thereafter. Membership is limited to those over the age of 18 years as we do not allow children to attend our activities.

To become a member, complete the membership form and scan and email it to the membership secretary, or if you prefer, complete the online joining form, and pay the fee to our bank account. Once you have done that please advise the membership secretary and treasurer who will update your membership records.

Banking details

Commonwealth Bank 
BSB 062009 
A/C Number 00911184 

Once you are a member

Email list

We have a Span email list and it is definitely recommended you join it so you are advised on last minute trips and other relevant information. Members generally do not abuse the email list so you should not receive junk emails.

Training Weekend

Span holds a training weekend every year in Spring and we encourage all new and current members to attend because it is a great way to meet people and have the opportunity to try out new activities you might not have done before. Details will be in the program.

Leading Trips

Span encourages all members (after a reasonable period of time) to support the program and the club by leading trips/social activities. We prefer if members endeavour to put at least one trip or social activity on the program per year so ensure we have a full program and ongoing involvement of members. You can always ask a more experienced member to co-lead with you. And of course all members are encouraged to put on more if possible.