What we do
We arrange meets for members to participate in a wide variety of outdoor activities, usually lasting for a weekend, but with a couple of week-long ones as well, usually including one held overseas. Some events, because of their nature, are pretty specific to a particular activity, but most are multi-activity so that everyone is able to find something to do that appeals. Activities include:
- Walking and Mountaineering. This is a popular activity and caters for all levels of competency and fitness with groups selecting their own routes. Novices are welcome to join with parties led by more experienced leaders. Just about any hilly region of the UK is likely to be a target, whilst it's also a fairly frequent activity on overseas trips too.
- Climbing. The club has many keen climbers in its membership, grading themselves anywhere between about E6 and belay-bunny. Trips to real crags are complemented by climbing-wall sessions. Recent meets have included slate in the Lake District, gritstone in Derbyshire, limestone in Yorkshire and granite in Cornwall. Some members do chalk in the classroom, but then that's their job!
- Water sports. We've done dinghy sailing, sea-going yachting, windsurfing, canoeing, white-water-rafting and body-boarding. And some of our other trips get pretty wet too, especially if the heavens open when you're halfway up a climb!
- Skiing. Members usually organise at least one skiing holiday each year, usually to somewhere in the Alps and graded according to the team and conditions.
- Cycling. The club has some keen cyclists of both the road and mountain species.
- Canyoning & Gill Scrambling. Very popular activities particularly during the summer months.
- Via Ferrata. A real favorite, especially on the club's overseas expeditions. Routes range from real ascents of stunning Dolomitic peaks to the more contrived sport climbs popular in the alps, pyrennees or nowadays in the UK even.
- Extreme Ironing. OK, so we haven't actually done any of this. Yet!
- Drinking. The club is very "pubby" with many meets base-camped in or close to a suitable drinking establishment. In fact, some members are purely "social" and simply enjoy the chance to get away to somewhere a bit different for the weekend.