Sole Circles are how our global community comes together for in-person rambles.
We host Sole Circles in many countries and cities and you can join as many as you like to connect with like-minded ramblers in your hometown and while traveling.
Sole Sister Ramblers' mission is to connect and empower women in midlife and beyond one ramble at a time.
Everywhere is in rambling distance when you have Sole Sisters!
Sole Circle members lead, and post walks and other activities and the leader describes the skills or accessibility required for each ramble.
The most vibrant circles have multiple rambles posted simultaneously with varied accessibility and types of activities.
For instance, we once had a ramble for advanced scuba divers and another for walks catered to those recovering from an injury or illness or confined to a wheelchair.
We love building and maintaining this community, and it involves many expenses and effort.
Our Sole Circles, Facebook Group, Rambler Cafe blog, and newsletter are free and inclusive, but we can't do it without Rambler support!
That's why we say we're rambler-powered!
Sponsorship is optional, and you can choose an amount that suits you, starting with $5 - the cost of a fancy donut! Paying more enables us to include more women!
https://solesisterramblers.com/collections/sponsorships
Sole Circle members lead the rambles and any member can lead a ramble.
Leaders post Ramble Announcements that provide all the details others need to decide if they want to join.
Multiple rambles can be posted simultaneously, and the most active groups have 3-5 rambles posted at one time.
Sole Circles are open to all who identify as a woman who are 45+ (but we do not check ID).
Our Sole Circle members post so many different types of rambles, including leisurely urban and beachside walks, challenging hikes, pickleball, golf, weekly lunch dates, belly dancing, kayaking, aqua fit, yoga, fitness classes, book clubs, visiting galleries, museums, wineries, exhibits, and festivals.
If you can dream it, you can ramble it!
We host our Sole Circles in WhatsApp and you must download and use WhatsApp to join a Sole Circle and participate in rambles.
We admit new Ramblers to our WhatsApp groups daily, so hang tight. We'll admit you soon.
Please note that you cannot see the messages posted in the WhatsApp groups before you arrive, but a moderator will repost upcoming rambles soon!
Members of Sole Circles decide to lead a ramble and then write and post a Ramble Announcement in their local Sole Circle Rambling Group on WhatsApp.
Leaders use our Ramble Announcement Guidelines to provide all the information their Sole Sisters need to decide whether to sign up and join the ramble.
You have the option to restrict the number of people who can sign up for your ramble, for safety or any other reason.
If you choose to limit the number of participants, you will indicate this on the Ramble Announcement.
You sign up for a ramble in your Rambling Sole Circle (colored logo).
Any rambler can post a Ramble Announcement, and then others sign up by copying the announcement, pasting it in the message box, adding their name to the list of attendees, and sending it.
It is tricky to learn at first but easy once you get the hang of it.
Your circle moderators are there to help!
Sole Circle moderators visit several times daily to delete redundant Ramble Announcements in the Rambling Sole Circles.
We delete these announcements because ramblers sign up for rambles by copying the announcement, pasting it back in the message thread, adding their name to the attendance list and sending it again.
Consequently, the same ramble is often posted multiple times. In busy Circles, there might be up to 5 rambles posted at one time, and each one might be copied over a dozen times.
If we didn’t delete the redundant ones, it would be confusing to find the latest announcements.
If you signed up for a ramble but must cancel, use the sign up system in reverse to remove your name from the Ramble Announcement.
Copy the announcement, paste it in the message box, remove your name and send.
If it is last minute please private message the ramble leader!
Ramblers can join as many Sole Circles as they wish. We aim to establish hundreds of Sole Circles worldwide, so Sole Sisters can connect with like-minded ramblers both at home and during their travels.
Yes, at this time you must have a WhatsApp account to participate in Sole Circles.
It gets busy in our Sole Circles, so we suggest that after you join, you take a moment to set your WhatsApp notifications to your preference.
Note- You can adjust your settings to mute notifications on one group only and set WhatsApp not to download images to your phone or store data.
You can still see the posts in the group after you mute notifications and can unmute at any time.
Note- our moderators and ramblers are located in different time zones, so you might get alerts at unexpected times.
Also, there will be a lot of extra notifications when we are building a Sole Circle, as ramblers get to know each other, ask questions, and learn how we manage our circles.
Here is a helpful link to help you adjust your notifications!
This community started in a Facebook Group
However, we encountered insurmountable difficulties utilizing this platform to connect our global community for local in-person rambles.
The Facebook algorithm, for instance, only displays group posts to some (not all) members, causing some ramblers to miss out on important Ramble Announcements.
Additionally, the administration of Facebook Groups is demanding. We'd need one for every circle, and we plan to have hundreds.
We also tried using Facebook Events, but creating an event for every ramble was time-consuming and could not be done by non-admins. Also, Facebook Events can be difficult for users to locate within the Facebook app.
More significantly, many women interested in joining our Sole Circles prefer not to use Facebook.
These factors led us to explore other options for organizing our local in-person rambles.
We tested Meetup and a few other platforms, but each had insurmountable drawbacks or expenses.
Looking to the future, we envision a global network of hundreds of Sole Circles, where all our Sole Sisters can join, whether they're at home or traveling.
We chose WhatsApp to get started on this mission (despite its imperfections) because it is the most widely used messaging app globally and is free, ensuring inclusivity for all our members.
We understand WhatsApp has many challenges (ugh, notifications)!
We know it isn’t ideal to have to repeat messages when new ramblers arrive because they cannot see posts from before they joined.
Also, having to resend a Ramble Announcement to sign up for rambles also causes redundant notifications.
However, we are committed to it for now while we are researching other options (like building our own app).
In the meantime, we're using available technology to improve the experience in our Sole Circles.
Your feedback (good and bad) helps us do this, so please keep it coming!
Men, children and young adults are not permitted to attend rambles posted in our Sole Circles.
Sole Sister Ramblers is a global community that connects and empowers women in midlife and beyond.
Our aim is to foster a sense of community among women aged 45+. Women-only spaces provide a special opportunity for women to build friendships and find the specific support and sisterhood that comes with them.
For these reasons, we do not allow men, children, or young adults to participate in the rambles organized in our Sole Circles.
However, we truly hope that the friendships formed in our Sole Circles will extend to all the other people in our Ramblers' lives!
Our Sole Circles are open to all born as or identify as women.
Our focus is women in midlife and beyond, and the women in this group are generally 45+. Our conversation topics and activities are focused on commonalities women in this age group share.
Please approach divisive, sensitive, or controversial topics with extra respect, care, and kindness.
This is a welcoming and inclusive community. Please treat everyone with respect and kindness without judgment.
We encourage you to seek and embrace the magic that emerges from cultivating, renewing, and deepening female friendships in midlife and beyond.
We support and motivate each other's efforts to move our bodies more often while exploring the world with creativity and passion.
We share generously. We have lifetimes of experience, and we hope you'll share yours on your rambles. Ask for support or advice when you need it.
Please read and adhere to this disclaimer before you embark on a ramble.
I understand that every Rambler is responsible for her own personal safety while participating in a ramble, including remaining with the group or alerting someone if leaving the ramble early or falling behind.
It is a good idea (especially for large rambles) to designate a sweep to remain at the back of the pack or to adhere to a buddy system.
I acknowledge that if I have a health issue, it is my responsibility to take appropriate steps to safeguard myself.
I understand that there are inherent risks and that I participate at my own risk, accept these risks, and am responsible for my actions.
I understand that if I want insurance, I must insure myself.
I am responsible for getting the proper instruction and equipment for any activity I participate in.
I assume responsibility for injuries to myself or third parties.
I understand that the Sole Sister Ramblers does not recognize any liability for injury or damage caused to a third party during a ramble.
I understand that if any participant, including myself, helps others, for example, by advising a route or reading a map, that does not incur or imply any responsibility on that participant.
No Sole Circle in your hometown?
We want to to build them around the world!!
If you are reaching out about building a Sole Circle in your hometown, let us know your city and country!
