If you're just starting in the outdoors, new to an area, or simply looking for company on trips, a walking group can be an attractive alternative to the more traditional walking or mountaineering club. It's a simple idea: you pay only for the trips you attend, leave planning and leading to organisers, and then just enjoy the day with whoever else has come along. This sociable, informal model is well suited to the social media age, and walking groups are flourishing across the UK. To find out more we spoke to founder Gary Bebb, and some other members of Go London, a popular group ​that has been going for around three years.

UKH: What is the difference between a walking group such as yours, and a more formal walking or mountaineering club?

Gary: There's no paid membership for a group, you just pay for the events you want to attend. It's very accessible and flexible: as a group we run weekly events on the doorstep so you don't necessarily have to commit to whole weekends. Our pre-planned hikes have a designated leader to report to if you are new, whereas in mountaineering clubs as a new member you go away for a weekend and hope that someone may be willing to take you out for the day.

What gave you the idea to start the group?

I love hiking and I like to see people enjoying themselves. I could see that London needed a well-organised hiking/outdoor group with varied quality hikes to new destinations. There are some fantastic locations in the South East that rival the beauty of anywhere in Britain.

"I don't think I would hike on my own, I would find it too daunting/ boring and I would have too many doubts about whether I could navigate it all by myself. I really enjoy the social aspect of the walks, and it helps to keep you going when you know other people are there with you on the same journey. Sharing the experiences of seeing a beautiful sight or sharing in a joke or conversation is also fun and keeps spirits up. I've made friends through the walks and this makes life much sweeter and richer!" Sofie Sabina Malik, Go London member

How many members do you have?

The total group membership is around 5000 members but only 1000 or so are active. Some of them may only attend one or two events a year while others are regular attendees.

What attracts people to join a group such as yours?

A group is a good intro to hiking and the outdoors for people who have never done it before. As a member, walks are organised for you and supervised by qualified and experienced leaders: all you have to do is RSVP and turn up. It's pretty good value: at GoLondon for example it's £6 per person for the walk, plus the train fare. We nearly always travel by train from central London, and this makes it very easy for members to attend. There's also discounted group travel. Many Londoners like to escape at weekends, as it is such a fast-paced, intense and crowded city to live in, and membership of a group gives you a chance. We try to offer a good variety of quality walks, so hopefully members will end up seeing places they've not been before, and learn something about the history. All the info on a trip can be set out in advance so people can easily see what they'll be doing. And then of course you'll be meeting new people; it's social and fun!

"I get a nice long walk without having to think about where I'm going or where I'm going to stop for lunch. I also enjoy the social aspect and the pub stop and dinner at the end of the walk. Gary sets a fun atmosphere from the start which really helps the group to integrate. There is a great mix of nationalities and personalities which also helps. I also get the occasional blister and sore knee!" Go London member Gary Doyle

Would it be fair to say that the whole setup relies on the internet and social media? Could a walking group such as Go London have functioned as effectively before things like Facebook, Paypal, and the Meetup site?

I had a number of people follow me over from when I was active in a BMC affiliated club, but yes, we rely on social media - mainly our presence on the Meetup site. Facebook is less important, though we do have a page. Meetup is a third party site that charges people like me a subscription to host events. There are many types of group events on there from dog walkers and theatre goers to beer drinkers: It's basically a portal for people to meet like-minded people.

How does your group work in terms of membership, getting info on trips out to members, and payments for trips?

Members just join on the group page of Meetup, where they can see details of out upcoming meets. There is no commitment; if a member sees an event they like they just hit the RSVP tab, pay in advance on Paypal, and automatic emails then follow confirming they have paid and reminding them they are attending the event.

Do you have people from all walks of life, ages, abilities?

Absolutely! About 60% of membership is people from overseas working and living in London, and the age range is from mid 20s to 60-plus.

"It's a really nice way of connecting with people who have common interests while simultaneously having refreshing and interesting conversations as most of us happen to be from different backgrounds, cultures and places. I like to hear different perspectives on things and have learnt more about the world and people in this way. There's also a sense of shared good will and concern, for example on my first hike which was about 28km I started to feel a bit weak towards the end and one of the ladies came up to me and gave me a chocolate bar as she noticed I was starting to loose the colour in my face! I don't think I had even had a chance to talk to her on the hike but she just helped me as if we were friends. It was a really nice gesture and it helped me feel better." Sofie Sabina Malik

Is it a sociable community - do members form friendships, meet up etc outside of the trips?

It's a very friendly and fun group, after the hikes we have a pub social/ something to eat. Members regularly form friendships and start meeting each other outside of the group, there are regular member to member emails going round inviting people to social events. Some people go on to form relationships

How often do you run trips?

I try to run a hike every weekend, if I can't organize one I have a number of regular members who help out.

Do you enjoy your role in the group, and what does it involve?

I research the hikes, write the descriptions, arrange the train tickets and lead on the day. I love it! I love meeting new people, hiking and organizing, I love visiting new places and introducing people to new experiences.

What sort of places do you visit, and can you give us an idea of the range of difficulties and distances on the walks?

We visit all areas in the southeast of England including the South and North Downs, Chiltern Hills and coastal areas. I try to put on a variety of hikes for different abilities starting at 10 miles/16km on the flat to more challenging hilly hikes up to 14 miles/22km. The walks are graded so people can make a decision before they come. If they have any doubts I recommend they join an easy trip first.

We also run canoeing and kayaking events in London and further afield, as well as weekends away.

A couple of times a year we run trekking holidays: next year we have Tour Du Mont Blanc and I am currently researching Iceland. There is also the occasional social to adventure travel shows, film festivals etc.

"Although its good to walk on your own and enjoy solitude, walking groups are the best way to socialize and meet like minded individuals. Everybody is relaxed and open minded. You get to know people from all parts of the world and get new travel and adventure ideas. Go London is my number one choice because Gary is a loving person and he has loads of anecdotes every time. Belonging to a group also gives you some sort of identity, and a chance to lead walks and get training for it" Go London member Shahzad Ahmed

What kind of numbers do you tend to expect on an organised walk?​

In peak summer season there'll be up to 35 members attending but during the winter it averages around 15.

Assuming that on the typical walks you'll have people of all abilities, what measures do you take to supervise and help the less experienced?

There is a kit list on the page so people know what to bring with them. I have a list of attendees and everyone's phone number. I'm a qualified first aider and summer ML, and I regularly take a headcount and make sure that no one is struggling. We have a lot of regular members who keep an eye on newbies and back mark the group too. Some members have even gone on to do navigation and skills courses, and some are planning to get the lowland leader award so they can take groups out themselves.

All photos copyright Michael Moody​