OXFORD UNIVERSITY MOUNTAINEERING CLUB

The Club runs climbing trips out of Oxford on the weekends of every term. These will be either day meets, where we head to a relatively nearby crag, or weekend meets, taking up the whole weekend and allowing us to visit the more far flung corners of the country. The plans for the coming term are laid out on the termcard. We try and visit a wide range of climbing destinations across the country every year.

We hire minibuses for comfort and flexibility, but this obviously means places are limited. To book a place on a meet, you will need to come along to the meet sign-up in the Gardener's Arms on the Wednesday night before the trip. The sign-up is also the time to ask for any equipment you might want to borrow. If you are wondering what you will need to take with you, have a look at the check-list of the stuff we recommend.

DAY MEETS

8am Start: The minibus leaves the Keble Road pick-up point at 8am sharp.
Mid-journey break: We generally stop off on route at a service station for a mid-journey break.
Full day's climbing: Once we are at the crag, we'll stay there all day to maximize the amount of climbing.
Head Home: When it gets dark, or when everyone agrees it's time to leave (e.g. the rock is melting because of the rain), we get back in the minibus and head for Oxford.
Evening meal: A stop on the way back often provides a good time to grab something to eat.
Return late: Depending on the time of year (and the traffic!) we tend to arrive back in Oxford sometime between 10 o'clock and midnight.

We try to organise climbing partnerships during the journey (speak up if you feel you're being forgotten).

WEEKEND MEETS

Friday 6pm: The minibus leaves the Keble Road pick-up point at 6pm sharp.
Mid-journey break: We generally stop off on route at a motorway service station for dinner.
Arrive late: It will be fairly late when we arrive at our destination. The first priority is to get our tents up, but we will often head over to the pub for some warmth if there is time.
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Saturday: early start: Saturday morning, we will head straight to the climbing: there will be no time to buy coffee!
Full day's climbing: Once we are at the crag, we'll stay there all day.
Pub dinner: At the end of the day, we'll head to a pub for something to eat.
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Sunday: early start: On Sunday morning we'll have to pack up the tents before heading to the crag.
Full day's climbing: Again, we will stay at the climbing venue all day.
Head Home: Late afternoon, everything goes back in the minibus and we set off home, the exact time depending on the time of year.
Evening meal: A general concensus will be reached as to what to do for dinner.
Return late: As for day meets, we tend to arrive back in Oxford sometime between 10 o'clock and midnight.

What if it rains? you may ask. Well, we get wet. Bring waterproofs! Some masochistic people insist on climbing in the rain. You need not join them; popular alternatives are to go walking, find a local indoor climbing wall, or see if the pubs are open yet.

Most meets involve camping, often arriving at the campsite late on Friday night so it is advisable to have a head-torch to hand! Please bring a sleeping bag and rollmat as the Club has none to borrow. Many of our members have their own tents and tent-space is usually organised at the sign-up on Wednesday evening. For North Wales meets, however, we generally try and get a hut, although sleeping bags and rollmats will still be required!

For weekend meets, you will also need to bring breakfast and lunch (or just snacks) for Saturday and Sunday: there may not be an opportunity to purchase much food once we leave Oxford. A stove is usually unnecessary; dinner on Saturday evening will generally be bought in a pub. Please make sure you have sufficient cash for the weekend as cash machines can be hard to find in climbing venues.

For day meets there is obviously no need to bring camping equipment, but please make sure you have sufficient food to keep yourself going for the whole the day. Dinner will usually be in a pub or cafe on the way home.

On all meets you'll need to make sure that you have the appropriate clothing with you and the Club's committee cannot be responsible for ensuring this! If you are in any doubt, or have never gone away camping for a weekend before, then have a look at the kit list and come along to the pub on Wednesday to have a chat with us: we will always be more than happy to help you out! Also, please bear in mind that climbing is a much colder sport than hill-walking: warm fleeces, hats and gloves are very comforting when you're sitting still outdoors for long periods of time (you'll do this a lot!).

MEET FEES

The cost of meets is dependent on location (see below). All meets are subsidised by the Club, but we must still charge a meet fee to help cover the cost of transport. Please bring a cheque (made payable to 'Oxford University Mountaineering Club') to the pub for the sign-up and give it to the Treasurer or Meets Sec when you add your name to the meet list.

Freshers' Day Meets: £10; Usually the first two meets of Michaelmas Term.
Normal Day Meets: £12; One day climbing trips.
Weekend Meets: £20; Weekend meets to various locations, e.g. Cornwall, North Wales and the Lake District.

Non-members: If there are spare places left for a meet after the sign-up session, non-members are welcome to join us: an extra £7 is added to the meet fee for insurance, although this will be refunded if full membership is obtained thereafter.

Note: The cost of the meets does not include any camping or hut fees that may be required.

This page was last updated on Monday, 08-Oct-2012 22:33:53 BST.

This website was created by Aeron Buchanan and Steve Broadbent. Oxford skyline image adapted from a photograph by Diliff.