The London &South Eastmountaineer
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The London & South East Mountaineer A mini-guide for climbers, hill walkers and mountaineers based in the London & South East area. With over 100 walls and clubs at your fingertips, it is time to get active! PRODUCED BY VERTEBRATE GRAPHICS, SHEFFIELD. VG343 SHEFFIELD. GRAPHICS, VERTEBRATE PRODUCED BY BMC Participation Statement The BMC recognises that climbing, hill walking and mountaineering are activities with a danger of personal injury or death. Participants in these activities should be aware of and accept these risks and be responsible for their own actions and involvement. BRITISH MOUNTAINEERING COUNCIL 177–179 BURTON ROAD, MANCHESTER M20 2BB i The London & South Contents East Mountaineer A mini-guide for climbers, hill walkers and mountaineers based in the London & South East area. Taking your First The London & South East Mountaineer What is the BMC? ........................................................................ 4 mini-guide has been compiled to point Join us ........................................................................................................ 5 Steps you in the right direction when it comes Join a club ............................................................................................ 7 Whilst London isn’t known for its to getting involved in climbing, hill Climbing indoors ........................................................................ 12 abundance of mountains and crags, walking and mountaineering, and it just so happens that you’re probably contains information about mountain- Moving outdoors ......................................................................... 20 in one of the best places for getting eering clubs, climbing walls, moving Planning for adventure ..................................................... 21 started in the whole country. outdoors, local and regional training Access & conservation ........................................................ 22 courses, example days out, and advice Further guidance ........................................................................ 23 Getting out on rock and into the hills on where to go for more information. Example days out ...................................................................... 23 and mountains from London may require The Chilterns ................................................................................ 24 commitment, but the region boasts the The most important thing to remember highest concentration of artificial whatever your outdoor adventure will The South Downs ..................................................................... 25 climbing facilities in the country, ranging be is to have fun and stay safe. Southern Sandstone ............................................................ 26 from open access bouldering in Swanage . 27 Elizabeth Holley – BMC Regional Westminster to state-of-the-art indoor North Wales ................................................................................... 28 climbing facilities. Wherever you live Development Officer (London & South East) c/o The Castle Climbing Centre, The Lake District ....................................................................... 29 within the London & South East area, Green Lanes, London N4 2HA. The Cairngorms ......................................................................... 31 you can jump on the train, travel by car t 0208 211 1078 Training, qualifications & funding ..................... 32 or even cycle to some of the most famous m 07779 124 980 climbing crags and walking destinations e [email protected] Climbing competitions this country has to offer. Copyright© 2015 British Mountaineering Council. & Further information .......................................................... 34 COVER IMAGE: LLANBERIS, NORTH WALES – NORTH LONDON MOUNTAINEERING CLUB. PHOTO BY: ELIZABETH HOLLEY What is the BMC? Join us Since 1944 the British Mountaineering Regional Development As well as supporting the work we do Keeping in touch Council (BMC) has been working hard Since 2012 the BMC has appointed three on your behalf, if you join the BMC Keep up to date with the latest climbing, on behalf of climbers, hill walkers and Regional Development Officers in key you also get a great range of personal walking and mountaineering news mountaineers, promoting your interests areas of the country. Their role is to benefits including: through the BMC website, our monthly and protecting your freedom to enjoy develop opportunities for people email newsletter and our social media. your activities. The BMC: making the transition from indoor • £10m Civil Liability Insurance climbing to the outdoors, and support and £10k Personal Accident www.thebmc.co.uk/newsletters • promotes and advises on good local clubs and climbing walls. You can Disability Insurance practice, facilities, training find out what they have been up to • Access to BMC Travel and Activity www.facebook.com/ and equipment; and what they are planning in your local Insurance BritishMountaineeringCouncil area by visiting: www.thebmc.co.uk/ • Summit magazine delivered • negotiates access improvements London-and-SE-mountaineer to your door quarterly www.twitter.com/Team_BMC and promotes cliff and mountain • Discounts at over 700 outdoor shops conservation; • Discounts in the BMC online shop Get involved • Discounted magazines subscriptions Volunteers are vital to the BMC. To help • supports events and specialist • Discounted entry to BMC events us carry out our diverse work, we have programmes including youth • Travel and accommodation discounts a network of over 600 volunteers. Each and excellence; BMC regional area has a committee who Joining is easy, and if you join online by spearhead the work of the BMC. To find • provides services and information Direct Debit you can benefit from 50% out more about what positions are for members. off your first year’s membership. available, how the BMC invests in its volunteers and the regional areas visit: Visit www.thebmc.co.uk/membership or call the Membership Services Team www.thebmc.co.uk/volunteering-for- on 0161 445 6111 the-bmc You could also become a member by joining a BMC affiliated club – to find out more see ‘Join a club’ (page 7). ELIZABETH HOLLEY – BMC REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT OFFICER 4 The London & South East Mountaineer What is the BMC? 5 Join a club Joining a club is a great way of getting Local clubs involved in the outdoors, regardless of Alton Mountaineering Club* your skills and experience. They can help Aylesbury Climbing Club support the transition from indoor www.acc.org.uk climbing to the outdoors, and you can get Bart’s & The London Alpine Club informal instruction, meet like-minded www.blalpineclub.wordpress.com people, have a go at different things Basingstoke Climbing Club without having to invest in all the gear, www.sportscentre.org.uk/clubs/ gain access to club huts, and find a source climbing-wall.html of partners and information. See: Battle Climbing Club www.thebmc.co.uk/why-join-a-club www.battlesportscentre.com/ adult_clubs.html There are more than 300 climbing, Bedford Mountaineering Club hill walking and mountaineering clubs www.bedfordmc.org.uk affiliated to the BMC throughout England CORNWALL – THE LONDON MOUNTAINEERING CLUB. PHOTO: ELIZABETH HOLLEY HOLLEY ELIZABETH PHOTO: CLUB. MOUNTAINEERING LONDON – THE CORNWALL Brighton University & Wales. A complete list of all BMC Mountaineering Club* affiliated clubs can be downloaded Brunel University Climbing Club from: www.thebmc.co.uk/club-list www.brunelclimbing.com Cambridge Climbing & Caving Club BMC affiliated club members get access www.thecccc.org.uk to most of the same membership Cambridge University Hillwalking Club benefits as individual members. www.cuhwc.org.uk Cambridge University The BMC also runs club-specific training Mountaineering Club courses including First Aid, navigation, www.cumc.soc.srcf.net self-rescue, winter skills and child Chelmsford Mountaineering Club protection training. For more information, www.the-cmc.co.uk visit: www.thebmc.co.uk/ club-training-courses-2015 Clare RATS (Clare College) www-rats.clare.cam.ac.uk/ Join a club 7 Join a club continued… Cliffhangers Climbing Club Highdown Hillwalking & Marylebone Mountaineering Club Peterborough Hospitals Walking Club* www.cliffhangers.org Mountaineering Club www.themmc.org.uk www.highdownhmc.org.uk Peterborough Mountaineering Club Colchester Climbing Club Milton Keynes Mountaineering Club www.peterboroughmc.co.uk www.colchesterclimbingclub.org.uk Hillingdon Mountaineering Club www.mkmountaineering.org www.hmc-climbing.co.uk Plumpton College Cragrates Mountaineering Club MPMC Ltd* Mountaineering Club www.homestead.com Ibex Mountain & Hill Walking Club www.plumpton.ac.uk www.ibexmc.co.uk Newbury Mountain Club www.newburymountainclub.org.uk Croydon Mountaineering Club Reading Mountaineering Club www.thecmc.org.uk ICAS Climbing Club www.facebook.com/ICASClimbingClub Nimrod Mountaineering Club* www.readingmountaineeringclub.org.uk Dacorum Adventure Group Norfolk Hillwalking Club www.dag4hills.org.uk Imperial College Union Outdoors Club Reading University www.imperialcollegeunion.org/ www.norfolkhillwalkingclub.co.uk Mountaineering Club East Grinstead Climbing Club activities/a-to-z/116 North Kingston Hillwalking Club www.rumc.co.uk www.eastgrinsteadclimbingclub.co.uk Ipswich Mountaineering Club www.nkhc.co.uk Romsey Climbers Edge Outdoor Club* www.ipswich-m-c.co.uk North London Mountaineering Club www.romseyclimbers.org.uk www.nlmc.co.uk ELC Hill Walking Club*