Here are the questions we get asked most often — answered up front, honestly, and with the Sole Mates spirit.

Why do Annual Members get priority access to move off the waiting list after the registration deadline?

Short answer: efficiency.

After the registration deadline, there isn’t much time to fill last-minute open spots. Annual Members have shown they’re committed, reliable, and eager to join whenever possible.

For our volunteer organisers, it’s far easier to fill a last-minute opening with someone who has a strong record of actually showing up. This keeps the admin manageable and the hikes full.

Why is the Sole Mates WhatsApp group limited to Annual Members?

This group is where we chat directly with our most active members — the people who have paid their Annual Membership Fee and participate regularly.

Every January, we reset the list and only keep the people who have renewed. Once you pay your AMF for the year, we pop you right back in.

Why are the hike-specific WhatsApp groups so tightly controlled?

A few important reasons:

1. Traceability:

We only add people who are on the Meetup attendee list, because Meetup is our official registration platform. That makes everyone traceable and accountable.

2. Responsibility:

The organisers are responsible for keeping the chat respectful and appropriate. We can’t take that risk with strangers or people we cannot trace.

3. Photo Sharing:

Hike groups often share photos that only make sense to people who were there. Taken out of context, some photos could be misinterpreted.

For this reason, only actual attendees stay in the hike group. We remove anyone who doesn’t show up.

For public posts (Meetup/Facebook), we filter photos carefully and never post anything compromising.

Why is my attendance status on Meetup so important?

Because permits are limited, and because showing up matters.

We aren’t the kind of group where 40 people click “Going” and only 10 arrive. That behaviour blocks others from joining, wastes permits, and creates unnecessary admin for our volunteer organisers.

Your attendance status tells us:

• who to expect,

• who we’re waiting for, and

• whether you’re safe if you’re late or missing.

It’s about fairness and safety.

Why do we take attendance?

Safety, plain and simple.

If someone gets lost or something happens, we need to know:

• exactly who started the hike with us,

• who was in which group (Rabbit or Tortoise), and

• whether everyone who started also finished.

Our Rabbits and Tortoises system keeps group sizes manageable, and our Group Leaders make sure nobody gets left behind. Attendance is a crucial part of that.

Why are Late Cancellations and No-Shows such a big deal?

Because every empty spot could have been filled by someone else.

If you cancel late (after the deadline) or don’t show up at all:

• you block another hiker from joining,

• you waste a limited permit,

• and you create last-minute admin for organisers.

So yes — we track Late Cancellations and No-Shows, and repeated issues can lead to blacklisting.
If you click Going, it should mean you’re actually going.

Why are we so punctual?

Out of respect — and also because the African sun is ruthless.

People who made the effort to wake up early and arrive on time shouldn’t have to stand around waiting in the heat because others didn’t plan well.

We start hiking at the time listed.
We expect everyone to arrive before that time, ready to go.

The heat doesn’t wait. Neither do we.

Sole Mates reserves the right to adjust these policies whenever necessary to keep the group safe, fair, and running smoothly.