UKC

I'm done with clubs now that I have crags on my doorstep, but I was just wondering if any club operates on a meets model of deciding weekend destinations last minute, based on the weather forecast?

My experience of being in a club and anecdotally since, is that the meets list is cast in stone at the AGM for the following year. This model provides plenty of club, but with limited opportunities for outdoor climbing, as it has to be inevitably supplemented with walking, running, mountain biking, tea drinking, indoor climbing, and so on, due to inclement weather at the designated location.

I know that meets are sometimes tied down by accommodation requirements, especially in the winter when folk understandably look for alternatives to camping.

In reply to Mark Collins:

It varies tbh, hut/hostel type accommodation has to be booked well in advance thus you're limited by that - although it's not unheard of for members to drive a significant distance in search of dry rock! or resort to the climbing wall if really desperate. Camping meets can/do change location at the last minute based on the forecast.

In our club most folks that climb also walk, ski, bike or whatever thus there's almost always something possible if the weather isn't ideal. Sometimes the weekends you expect to be rubbish because of the weather are all the more special when it's better than forecast.

Other options for getting out are weeknight cragging if available locally or ad-hoc trips organised between members based on the forecast on non club weekends etc.

For climbing outdoors in the UK a flexible approach is needed.

In reply to Mark Collins:

Interesting question, this.

We only run one official climbing trip a month and tend to pick sensible destinations for the season, so what with winter trips (where you'd probably want accommodation with a roof and hence would have to plan it before you've got a forecast anyway) and trips where the weather is pretty good, and trips where the weather would be crap anywhere, and trips where the weather is iffy but you can drive a bit and found somewhere dry, it doesn't feel like we lose that much by having pre-planned trips.

In between the official trips, we generally have plenty of people going off informally at shorter notice depending on the weather.

Trimming the official meets to an absolute minimum and doing everything informally at short notice is an interesting idea, although it'd require quite a culture shift, and would also run the risk of becoming cliquey and unwelcoming if people just kept going out with their mates and not inviting new members on stuff...

In reply to Mark Collins:

There are several reasons why clubs' programmes are cast in stone. Accommodation usually has to be booked well in advance, sometimes a year or even two years ahead. Also, people like to have dates in their diaries to plan other activities around. Of course, you can't guarantee the weather and sometimes you have to tailor your activities accordingly, but what's so wrong with the alternative activities? Bear in mind that if you are trying to organise more than 2-3 people then it is easier to programme something and cancel if the weather is poor than try to fix it up at the last minute.

However most clubs also run other activities on both a programmed and a more ad hoc basis. My club (Innominata, based in Stockport) as well as monthly weekend meets has a programme of evening climbing (outdoors in summer, indoors in winter), a monthly walk and a monthly climbing day (when we usually go further afield than our local crags). But in addition, members often arrange events amongst themselves, ranging from an evening walk to a day's climbing or even a week's holiday abroad.

I don't understand why having crags on your doorstep is a reason to be 'done with clubs'. There's more to being in a club than sharing transport to distant crags. They offer a great social side and a bigger pool of partners than you're likely to find on your own, which offers more opportunities to take advantage of the weather at the last minute, as well as having a more structured programme.

Having a structured programme can leave you at the mercy of the weather but doesn't rule out unstructured activities at other times. I see it as a strenght of clubs rather than a weakness - I find I get far more done through my club then I ever get around to privately.

In reply to Mark Collins:

The London Mountaineering Club occasionally run a 'chase the sun' (or more appropriately 'avoid the rain') meet. Works quite well from London, where there's always the Portland / Swanage back up if it's rainy up north.

In reply to All:

Apologies for my wording. I wasn't attempting to have a go at clubs, just interested in exploring ideas around this single aspect to weekend meets.

A bit of background, I have been a member of a club and its meets secretary.

Thanks for your replies, there are some aspects you've raised that I had not considered.

In reply to Mark Collins:

Etchachan Club (Aberdeen) used to have one meet per year plus a dinner but still be very active when I lived in Aberdeen

In reply to Mark Collins:

Facebook has been a real boon for us at the Carlisle Club. We have weekly evening meets which are changed regularly depending on the weather. Winter meets with accomodation booked tend to be "set in stone" but most weekend meets this year have been ad hoc affairs where we decide where we are going on a thursday night and then organise meeting places, car shares etc by our facebook page. There are a few luddites who have not signed up, but its them that have missed out. I'm not a huge fan of Facebook, but its the best thing thats happened to our club, also means you can find a partner if you happen to be off during the week - a real godsend for some.