become a hike leader

At ComeHike, we are incredibly proud of our hike leaders. They are the backbone of our club, bringing years of experience, trail wisdom, and a massive dose of energy to every single outing.

It is a voluntary role, which means every one of our leaders is out there simply because they love the mountains and love the community. As the saying goes, not all heroes wear capes—some wear hiking boots!

Our hike leaders at the annual calendar building session

It takes one to spot one!

It has been a long-standing practice at ComeHike for our current leaders to keep an eye out for hikers who show the right skills, confidence, and leadership potential on our trails.

Have you got what it takes?

If you have a passion for the outdoors and want to step up, we want to hear from you! You don't have to figure it out alone - we offer a fantastic, hands-on onboarding process to help you learn the ropes and get to know exactly how we do things.

Don't feel that you need a large repertoire of hikes before becoming a hike leader. Most leaders start with just a few routes that they know well and gradually expand their repertoire as their confidence and experience grow.

Want to test the waters? Be a guest hike leader!

If you aren't ready to join the team permanently but want to share your expertise, you are more than welcome to lead on a guest or freelance basis.

How it works: You bring your unique trail knowledge, and we will make sure a current ComeHike leader joins you on the day to handle the club logistics.
Why we love it: This is incredibly helpful if you know trails that aren't currently on our calendar. It broadens our horizons and lets you share your favourite hidden gems—a true win-win situation!

The perks: ComeHike hike leader benefits

Leading hikes takes time and dedication. When you become a hike leader, you qualify for some excellent club benefits:

Free annual subscription: Lead a minimum of four hikes per year (or 2x day hikes + 1x overnight hike), and your annual club subscription is waived. You will be deemed a fully paid-up member for the year! Hiking couples lead the equivalent of two leaders' hike requirements combined to both qualify.
Waived hiking fees: Leaders can divide the total cost of a hike (including their fee) by the number of participants to waive their own hiking fee (excludes transport, accommodation, and park fees).
Multi-day perks: For multi-day hikes with no base fee (like medleys), leaders can divide their total accommodation cost (excluding travel) among the hikers.
No admin fees: Hike leaders are exempt from paying club admin fees on overnight hikes.

Please note: Hike Leaders may not receive outside remuneration, discounts, or free items from any external organisation, company, or individual for organising a club activity.

What makes a great ComeHike leader?

We look for a specific mix of trail smarts and people skills. We believe a great leader is:

Confident yet self-aware – Knows the trails but is always aware of their own limitations.
Flexible – Ready and willing to adapt plans quickly if the weather, terrain, or circumstances change.
Responsible – Puts group safety above everything else, easily distinguishing between what is simply "difficult" and what is genuinely "dangerous."
Humble – Prepared to admit a mistake on the trail and treat it as a valuable learning experience.
People-centred – Sincerely interested in every member of the group, always remembering that everyone has different physical abilities and paces.
A lover of nature – Passionate about the environment and eager to share that love with others.

Ready to lace up and lead?

If you are excited about the idea of guiding others and joining our dynamic team of volunteers, we would love to chat!

Get in touch with our Hike Leader Coordinator, Helen Gosnell, at helen@ctgos.com for more information on how to get started.