We are primarily a volkswalking club, but at times may offer swimming, skating, biking, snow shoeing, and cross country skiing.  We sponsor several types of walking events each year to share our historical landmarks, beautiful parks and neighborhoods, and many interesting communities.  Events are not competitive and times are not kept.

• Hosted Walks: are 1 or 2 day walking events with specific start and end times, which can be done at your own pace.
• Map Guided Walks: are Year-round or Seasonal walks using maps and written instructions during daylight hours most days of the week.  You can walk at your own time and pace.
• Wednesday Walks: are group walks starting at one of the many map guided walks in the Portland/Vancouver area followed by lunch at a neighborhood restaurant.

Most walks are 10k (6.2 miles) with 5k (3.1 miles) options.  Each walk has a starting point where you sign-in for the walk, stamp your achievement books, and pickup a map with instructions.  If you are tracking your achievements (credit walker) there is a nominal fee for each walk.  If you are not tracking your achievements (non-credit walker) the walks are free but donations are accepted.

Each walk is rated to help determine the difficulty of the walk, trails are evaluated by a five point rating system.  Some clubs will use “+” and “-“ to further define the difficulty of the trail, for example: a 1+ indicates that it is between a 1 and 2 rating.

• Level 5: a very difficult walk with many steep hills, & very rough terrain.
• Level 4: a difficult walk, portions with steep hills and rough terrain
• Level 3: a moderate walk with more hills (than Level 2) and uneven terrain
• Level 2: a relatively easy walk with short or not as steep hills and (perhaps) some uneven terrain
• Level 1: an easy walk on pavement or sidewalks with no significant hills

Volkssporting is a great addition to your regular fitness routine.  It's a great way to explore new places, in your own community or communities all over the world.  It's also a great way to meet new friends and hang out with old friends.  The promise of fitness gets you started but the friends keep you coming back for more.

For an extra challenge, credit walkers can get special event program books where they can earn credit for completing AVA walks that fit special classifications, for example, All 50 State Capitals and Washington, D.C. or Authors & Literary Landmarks.  We have indicated the special classifications that each of our walks qualify for to the best of our knowledge.

• Click here for a summary of all the Special Event Program Challenges and when they expire.
• If you want more detailed information go to www.ava.org/Special%20Event%20Programs/programs.htm.

In the Portland – Vancouver metro area there is normally a hosted walking event(s) by some club every weekend.  There are also more than 50 Year-Round events that can be walked at any time.  Every Wednesday a small group does one of the YRE’s and then goes to lunch after the walk.  All are welcome to attend.  You can find these events at www.walkoregon.org.

We are a member of the Evergreen State Volkssport Association (ESVA), the American Volkssport Association (AVA), and the Internationaler Volkssport Verband (IVV), the international parent organization.