How Sole Circles Work!

Sole Sister Ramblers is a global community that connects and empowers women in midlife and beyond.

Sole Circles are how our global community of Ramblers connects for in-person Rambles. Our Ramblers are located worldwide and host Sole Circles in many countries and cities you can join while at home or traveling.

Sole Circles are member-led.

Any member can lead a Ramble in a Sole Circle.

Ramblers can lead a Ramble for any activity they enjoy —including walks, hikes, pickleball, bike rides, yoga, book clubs, games nights, visiting galleries and farmer markets, and social activities like pool parties and picnics.

If you can dream it, you can Ramble it!

Ramblers who want to lead a Ramble use our Ramble Announcement Guidelines to write and post a Ramble. Then, Sole Circle members sign up for posted Rambles using our copy-paste-sign-up-send system.

Every Sole Circle has two WhatsApp groups.

The first group is the Rambling Group, which you can recognize because it has a colored logo. This group is for posting and signing up for Rambles and for moderators' messages about how our Sole Circles work and how to participate in the global SSR community.

The second group is the Chatting Group, which you can recognize because it has a black logo. In this group, you can introduce yourself, ask questions, socialize, organize logistics for Rambles, post photographs after a Ramble, and brainstorm Ramble ideas.

Having one WhatsApp group for posting and signing up for Rambles and another for chatting makes it easier to find and sign up for Rambles.

Ramble leaders can limit the number of Ramblers joining a Ramble they are leading.

Ramble leaders can limit the number of Participants who can sign up for their Ramble for any reason—whether it be safety on a trail, space in a coffee shop, or a preference for a smaller group.

Not all Rambles need to be accessible or appealing to all Ramblers.

Ramble leaders outline the difficulty, distance, or other factors that help other Ramblers decide if the Ramble suits them on the Ramble Announcement.

We once had a Ramble only for advanced scuba divers and another one for those recovering from an injury or using a cane or wheelchair. Sole Circles thrive when a diverse range of Rambles are posted!

Please review and adjust your notifications!

Our Sole Circles are busy places, and there will be A LOT of notifications!

Also, our moderators are globally distributed in different time zones, so you might receive alerts at oddball hours.

Additionally, new group members cannot see the messages posted before they arrive, so we must repeat onboarding messages every time we add new Ramblers.

How do I find Ramblers who want to Ramble simultaneously and in the same area as me?

The best way to find Ramblers who want to Ramble at the same time, place, pace, or activity as you are to lead and post a Ramble and see who signs up.

The other option is brainstorming ideas in your Sole Circle chatting group (black logo) to discover who is interested in Rambling like you want to.

Why WhatsApp?

We started this community in a Facebook Group. However, it was not the ideal platform for connecting our members in person.

Facebook groups only show posts to some members (not all), causing many to miss Ramble Announcements. Managing Facebook Groups is also very time-consuming; we need separate groups for each Sole Circle and do not have this capacity.

We also tried Facebook Events, but only admins can create events, and they can be hard to find in the app.

We explored other options and tested platforms like Meetup, Eventbrite, Discord, and Strava, but found them to be lacking essential features or too costly. Most importantly, none of these platforms enables group members to post a Ramble, and we are member-led, so this is a crucial feature.

We chose WhatsApp for its worldwide availability and free access.

We are building a global network of Sole Circles, enabling our Sole Sisters to connect at home or while traveling. In almost four years since we started SSR, we have found that this is the best system currently available and that once a Circle is established, it works well.

We dream of building our own app one day!

Moderators are here to help!

Your Circle moderator will visit once a day to admit new Ramblers and answer questions. You can also private message your moderator with any questions or feedback you may have.

You can also email us at hellorambler@solesisterramblers.com with your questions and ideas.

Also, note that reading the answers to our most frequently asked questions on our website will enhance your experience with this group.

Learn more  > Sole Circle FAQs