UKC

As proposed. The club system developed over the last 150 years has had its day.

Unless the clubs actually try to engage with new climbers, a younger population, rather than be content with becoming OAP clubs with comfy huts.

Discuss.

In reply to Andy Say:

I've recently returned to climbing after a hiatus, when I climbed back at college/university. The thought of joining a club hasn't even occurred to me, with the likes of Facebook and this very forum I'm never short of a partner for the day.

In reply to Andy Say:



Couldn't agree more. And it's not just younger climbers, it's also about actually climbing with new members. Been in two clubs. Both were just an excuse for established 'pairings' to climb together in a club. Nothing to do with finding new partners and helping them develop.

Mind you maybe they just didn't want to climb with me.......

In reply to Andy Say:

Discuss ? how many clubs do you personally know ? The two I know in Cambridge fit non of your stereotypes (one of them being a University club so almost by definition it has a young membership)

In reply to GrahamD:


A few


Not sure that Uni clubs actually fit into my main point. Sure they are all young and keen. But where do they go after Uni?

In reply to Andy Say:

Have you heard of meetup.com? They're taking up a huge amount of "dabblers". The kind of people who would've joined a club before, for maybe 1-2 years and then left to go onto a new hobby. As well as the people who would never have joined a club in the first place. It's a pretty big phenomenon, and possibly in a few years most people who are new to walking would've come through meetup.com meets.

In reply to Andy Say:
A club approach may be indicative of the members it holds within its ranks.

I joined St Helens MC about in Mar 15 because I wanted to start to learn to climb outdoors (trad) as my prev experience 18mths was in a wall toproping with my brother.

I approached St Helens and was welcomed in and within a few local wall meets was introduced to many members of the club. I got to get outside with people with in some cases 40+ years experience and some newer people like me.

So my social group started expanding. We still organise meets for members to come along and to be fair of the membership it is only a small proportion who attend.

We do have a hut and i've had a great 18 months and so while still learning and expanding myself I'm keen to return this accomodation and welcome to new people to the sport.

Do I need the club now?. Truthfully probably not..because I now have a good group of friends (via the club) who I can climb regularly with -ranging in membership length from short term like me, all the way to 10-15yrs.

But I feel like I owe the club something for the welcome and tutorship - and I want to start passing that back to new members.

A club is there for the purpose you need them for. Just like any club really.

In reply to Andy Say:

I don't have a problem being in a club for the comfy huts, they're great. And that reminds me I must chase up that bloke about the Climbers' Club huts.

In reply to Andy Say:

Would definitely be in a club but the local ones have almost exclusively weekend meets which doesn't work for me. Summer midweek meets are after work affairs when I would be thinking of climbing all day. Maybe I will start a shift workers club. Weekend meets not allowed. Any takers?