APPLICATION TO LEAD AN AMC MAJOR EXCURSION
(Use the F1 key to summon help for most fields)
(Forms and General Information: http://snebulos.mit.edu/orgs/amc/ )
1. SUMMARY INFORMATION
A) Trip Title:
Bike Prague & The Best of Bohemia
B)
C)
D)
E)
Mike Barry
Phil Mecagni
9/11-21 2008
Bike Touring
Leader:
Co-Leader(s):
Dates:
Type of Trip:
Total # of days: 11
F) Participants: (not counting leaders) Minimum: 8 Maximum: 12
Advertised Cost: $1800* based upon current conservative exchange rate of 18 Ckr
to the dollar and 1.5 dollars to the Euro.
2. TRIP DETAILS
A) Executive Summary: Sagged bicycle tour of the undiscovered, historic and bucolic
southern Bohemian countryside and towns via marked bikeways and back roads.
Moderate distances will allow for exploration of the centuries of history from the
Middle Ages to the fall of communism. The trip will start and end in Prague with
train travel to and from our bike tour in Bohemia.
B) Brief outline of trip and trip activities.
 Fly in/out of Prague
 Tour Prague
 Train to Telc, rental bikes are delivered, stay in Telc 2 nights
 Bike tour to Cesky Krumlov (2 nights) over 5 days via Slavonice, Jindrichuv Hradec
(1 night), Ceske Budejovice (1 night)
 Rental bikes picked up in Cesky Krumlov, then take train to Prague
 One overnight in Prague, then fly back to US
 Participants can continue on their own from Prague
C) Accommodations: Please describe your plans for accommodation(s).
We will stay in tourist hotels/pensions/guest houses with 2 persons per room, though
some lodging may need to be multi-person shared. WC/showers will be mix of shared &
private. Rooms will be booked in advance by internet/fax/phone from lists picked up
from town info centers during scouting trip.
D) Meals: Please describe your plans for meals.
 Breakfast-continental supplied by hotels (coffee, tea, rolls/bread, cheese, meat,
jam, cereal). If lodging does not provide, the trip will provide it at a local café.
E) Permits: Does the trip require special permits (required on all U.S. federal lands?
NO, just International Drivers License for leaders.
F) Equipment: Does the trip require special/technical equipment?
No, none other than rental bikes and simple tools.
G) Pre-trip activities: Do you plan to get your group together before the major
excursion for an activity or social event?
Yes, participants will be invited to attend one of the leaders rides in August.
H) Conservation/Education/Recreation:: Given that the AMC Mission Statement is as
follows
Founded in 1876, the Appalachian Mountain Club is America's oldest conservation and
recreation organization. We promote the protection, enjoyment, and wise use of the
mountains, rivers, and trails of the Appalachian region. We believe that the mountains and
rivers have an intrinsic worth and also provide recreational opportunity, spiritual renewal,
and ecological and economic health for the region. We encourage people to enjoy and
appreciate the natural world because we believe that successful conservation depends on
this experience. We fulfill our mission through the three interconnecting pillars of the AMC:
conservation, education, and recreation
How will this major excursion meet this mission of conservation, education, and
recreation? For examples, please see <http://snebulos.mit.edu/orgs/amc/mission/>
 Recreation: Trip is a point to point bike tour.
 Education:
o Learn about Czech efforts to create recreation-based, sustainable
tourism by setting up bike routes and trekking routes.
o Learn about cultural history of the Czech people from the middles ages
through the 20th century and communism.
o Learn about economic recovery and development since communism
and social policy.
 Conservation
o See how traditional land uses are being fostered and supported side by
side with economic development.
o Learn about nationwide mass transit network
o Explore and see sustainable forestry as we bike through it.
o Explore centuries old fish ponds and taste the delicious, sustainable
results.
I) Outfitters: Will this trip require an outfitter?
No, just bike rentals.
Name: n/a
Safety record: n/a
Liability insurance: n/a
Emergency response: n/a
3. LEADER INFORMATION
A) Contact Information:
Leader:
Mike Barry
32 Kilsythe Rd.
Arlington, MA 02476
(home) 617.257.2251
(work) 617.918.1344
(e-mail) mikebarry657@mac.com
Co-Leader:
Phil Mecagni
150 Pond St
Woodville, MA, 01784
(home) 508.435.5172
(work) none
(e-mail) pmecagni@hotmail.com
B) First Aid Training
To lead a Major Excursion, you must have current CPR and Wilderness First Aid
(WFA) or its equivalent at the time of your trip.
Leader:
CPR: 5/2006
WFA: 4/2006
Other: none
Co-Leader:
CPR: current, exact date unknown
WFA: current, exact date unknown
Other:
If CPR and/or WFA certifications will expire before your trip starts, describe
your plans for re-certification:
L: Both certs to be re-taken spring/summer 2008
CL: Status not know as CL is currently on an ME in Tuscany, CL will be current
and status to be reported later.
C) Leader Experience and Training
New Leaders: If you are a new leader or co-leader, you must have submitted the form
“Application to Become a Major Excursions Leader”.
Experienced Major Excursions Leaders: Please list below the last three trips you
have led for the AMC including destination, type of trip (backpacking, skiing, etc.),
dates, and number of participants. Feel free to list additional trips you have led,
particularly if they demonstrate experience related to the trip you are proposing.
1. Bike Tuscany Sep/Oct 2006, 10 participants
2. Quebec City Skiing Feb 2007, 06, 05, 04, 03, 02, 35-42 participants
3. Bike Portsmouth-Bar Harbor Sept 2005, 20 participants
4. Various chapter bike weekends and ski trips since 1998.
D) Scouting:
Have you or your co-leader led this trip before or traveled in the area? Yes, both
scouted this trip together in 9/2007.
E) Special Experience:
Are any special skills or experience on the part of the participants required? No,
must be able to bike.50 miles in hilly terrain at 12 mph & be able to perform simple
maintenance, such as fix flat tires, make adjustments etc.
F) Couples:
Do the Leader and Co-leader have a significant personal relationship?
No.
4. RISK ASSESSMENT
Please assess the risks/hazards of your trip. Carefully consider each area of risk and
how it may affect your trip with specific potential hazards. Then, devise a plan to
attempt to prevent each hazard and to respond to it if it becomes necessary.
A) Climate/Terrain
Potential Hazards: Hilly terrain, headwinds, steep windy roads with possible rough
patches and dirt surfaces, potential hypothermic conditions due to the season if it rains.
Response: Screen off unsuitable riders,; as this is an intermediate level trip.
Participants will be provided with a required gear list. Plan to keep the group generally
together, perhaps splitting into a faster and slower group with re-groupings every few
turns. Will brief riders on conditions.
B) Foreign Countries
Potential Hazards: Language/communication issues, petty crime/thievery, especially
in Prague, local customs and cultural differences.
Response: Will provide detailed information to participants on current “tourist
scams” per recent guidebooks and our experience on the scouting trip. L and CL can
speak basic “tourist-survival” level German as a back-up language for non-English
speakers. L plans to take a Czech audio course to learn some basic vocabulary and
phrases. Please note that the Czech Republic is a western EU nation that is rapidly
recovering from communist stagnation. Violent crime is rare, but pick pocketing & scams
in Prague are common as noted above.
C) Transportation
Potential Hazards: Train & subway schedules and safety, driving safety with the sag
van, airport rendez-vous and transport to hotels
Response:
In general as noted above, the Czech Republic is a EU nation and infrastructure has
recovered from the communism era and is as safe as in Western Europe. Train schedules
and fares have been confirmed in advance by personal verification on the scouting trip
and via the web site for Czech Railways (they have an English and German page). Per
the scouting trip, driving in the Czech Republic seems comparable as in the US; both L
and CL will have valid International Driver’s licenses for use in event of a problem. We
have also driven most of the route and have detailed maps obtained in country. The travel
from airport to Prague is via a bus and subway and has been scoped out. We will
facilitate participants arrival to Prague within a 2-4 hour window and escourt them to the
hotel in Prague and on the return.
D) Participants
Potential Hazards: Medical issues, behavior, capability.
Response:
Medical issues to be addressed through screening and use of the medical form,
participants will be advised to bring medications with them. Behavior and capability
issues will be addressed by screening and setting of expectations right from the start in
the trip listing and proposal and through further information provided to the participants.
E) Other
Potential Hazards: None.
Response: n/a
5. EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN
Please describe your plans for dealing with emergencies. Please use as much detail
as possible and attach additional sheets if necessary.
F) Emergency Communication
Leaders will have quad band GSM cell phones, one is email capable. Full cell service
was verified on the scouting trip. The Czeck Republic is still shifting to the EU
mandated 112 all emergency service (like 911). Current numbers are 155-ambulance,
150-Fire, and 158-National Police, 156-Municipal Police. Calling 112 works from
GSM cell phones in country (and all of the EU).
G) Evacuation
Evacuation will have several options; the leaders will determine the exact method if
needed. By sag van an evacuee could be driven to Prague within about 3-4 hours from
anywhere on the trip, but this could greatly impact the group. By sag van an evacuee
would be within about 1-2 hours of a larger town with frequent train service to Prague.
H) Medical Care
Call 112 and obtain emergency medical treatment just as in the US from a cell phone,
or 155 from land lines. The Czeck Republic is a EU nation with good and improving
medical care. We will never be more than about 40 km from a larger town that will have
a modern hospital.
Before you leave for you trip, you will need to provide a list of participants and their
emergency contacts in case something happens to someone in the field as well as an
itinerary with phone numbers (where available) in case something happens at home.
6. COST INFORMATION
J) What deposits are will be required from airlines, hotels, outfitters, etc. (and when):
Deposits for bike rental & hotels may be required upon booking (our experience has
been that some may not require a deposit; we will insist upon a deposit to guarantee
our bookings). Will book approximately 4-6 months out.
K) What is the latest date for you to cancel and get a full refund? : Varies, will verify
upon booking hotels; typically hotels in this area will only hold a deposit and not
fully charge for the room until arrival or departure.
L) What is the value of the deposit you will require of the participants?
$500
M) What will be your cancellation policy for the participants?
Cancellation/Refund Policy:
Refundable Amounts, if cancellation is received in writing by the dates below, are:
Date of Cancellation
Up thru June 30, 2008
(fees of $1000 paid to date)
July1 thru Aug15, 2008
(fees of $1800 paid to date)
August 16 – Sept 29, 2008
(fees of $1800 paid to date)
Replacement Found
$900
Replacement not found
$500
$1500
$300
$1300
$200
N) Will trip run if minimum participant count not met? No
7. PRIVATE TRIPS
Are you currently (up to and including the time frame of this proposed trip) leading
trips that are “private,” i.e. not sponsored by the AMC?
Yes for the L, not sure about the relevance or how to answer this?
8. AMC OUTDOORS INFORMATION
Please see <http://snebulos.mit.edu/orgs/amc/info/Trip_Notice_Rules.html> for the
current rules and schedule for submitting notices for AMC Outdoors. E-mail both the
long (150 words maximum) and short form (50 word maximum) trip announcements to
goeke@space.mit.edu , preferably in plain text format, at the same time you submit the
trip application. Although the trip notices travel a different route to the Committee, it
helps to have the notices on the web site when the trip is reviewed.
It your trip notice is somewhat preliminary at this time, that’s OK. You have plenty of
opportunity to change it before the publication deadline. If you don’t want to have the
first (long) notice appear at the normal time – see the above referenced rules – include
your special request in the body of the e-mail containing the trip notices.
After you trip is approved, please check your trip announcements as posted on the Major
Excursions web site: http://snebulos.mit.edu/orgs/amc/ ; we cut-and-paste directly from
this site to AMC Outdoors !
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9. TRIP PROPOSAL AND APPROVAL PROCESS
Trips cannot come before the Major Excursions Committee for approval unless the
application is completed and received two weeks prior to MEC meetings for review. The
ME Leader’s web site has the Handbook and all required forms:
http://snebulos.mit.edu/orgs/amc/handbook/ . As a minimum we need:
 This application form
 A detailed trip budget/costing form
In addition the following are helpful during the review process, but need only be
submitted after your proposal is accepted:
 50 and 150 word notices for AMC Outdoors
 Trip prospectus – without application forms
Finally, we need to have on file at Joy Street (again, after proposal acceptance)
 A filled out Confidential Medical Form for leader and co-leader
 Copies of first aid certifications for leader and co-leader
We will accept snail mail applications, but electronic forms are preferred. Please save
and forward your electronic documents with the following naming convention:
Leader’s Last Name, Trip destination, Trip Activity (if applicable), Trip Start date.
For example: Zukroff-New-Zealand-Hiking-12-03-Application.doc
Email should be sent to both of the following two addresses:
Stacia Zukroff, Major Excursions Committee Chair at mecchair@amcboston.org
Heidi Reilly, AMC Travel Programs Coordinator at dturner@outdoors.org
Or, if you unable to send electronically, please mail a single hard copy to:
Darcy Turner, Appalachian Mountain Club
Five Joy Street, Boston, MA 02108
617-523-0655, x356 (voice) 617-367-8878 (FAX)
10. CONCLUSION
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By turning in this proposal, you are agreeing to the following:
I have read the Major Excursions Leader Handbook and I agree to follow all
policies and procedures of the Major Excursions Committee and the Appalachian
Mountain Club in preparing for and conducting my major excursion.
Questions? Contact Stacia Zukroff at mecchair@amcboston.org or 781-648-5503. She
can put you in touch with an experienced MEC mentor who can help you with trip
planning.
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