If you're looking for backpacking, canyoneering, mountaineering, serious day hikes, and other advanced trips, look no further.

What makes us different from other LA Hiking Groups?

1. A focus on advanced events, with day hikes of at least 10 miles a day, weekend backpacking, camping, and technical canyoneering too. You won't see any easy hikes, cookouts, or social events here.
2. Four season hiking - In the winter we'll actively seek out snow for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, winter camping, and winter hiking.
3. Strictly limited event sizes (no 50 or 100 person RSVP lists)
4. Smaller overall group size - I'm not sure how I will manage this, but I'd rather have 300 active members then 1,500 people who come once a year.
5. Geographically focused on West LA, Santa Monica, etc, so we can car pool on long drives. (I'm not going to kick anyone out over this, but I do plan on having most day hikes on this side of LA.)

If you'd like to join us:

1. Remember that you are responsible for their your own safety. Stay within your skill and experience level.
   
   • Most day hikes are suitable for any fit individual with some prior hiking experience. You must know roughly what mileage, elevation, and pace you can do comfortably, and what gear (clothing, water, layers) you need across a wide range of conditions. Although we will try to stay together as a group, we can not wait for slow hikers. Most hikes do not have a sweeper, so everyone should be comfortable hiking alone.
     
   • Group Pace: Our general group pace on "intermediate" hikes is about 3 mph on the flat or 1200ft of elevation gain per hour. If you're a generally fit person (you hit the gym a couple times a week, or play on a sports team, etc) you'll find that pace a solid workout.
   • Some events do require prior experience, specialized gear, and/or technical skills. These include winter hiking, backpacking, canyoneering, and advanced hikes. If you're new to a particular activity, make sure you contact the event organizer. It is often possible to accommodate less experienced members, but not always.
2. Be reasonably recognizable in your main profile picture - have it show your face reasonably clearly so I can remember who's who and we can find each other at events.
3. Honor your RSVPs - Meetup.com kills a puppy every time there is a no-show. So please, honor your RSVPs, for the puppies.