FAQ

FAQ

Who are we?

Swindon Mountaineering Club is a friendly club that caters for a wide range of outdoor pursuits.

Club meets are run most months to various parts of the UK - see the Calendar in the meets page. Club members also organize climbing, mountaineering and skiing trips further afield.

Prospective members are more than welcome. Contact us in advance and we'll look out for you.

What do we do?

As a multi-activity club, members indulge in a range of hill/mountain-oriented activities such as rock climbing (trad, sport and bouldering), mountaineering, hill walking, mountain biking and skiing. Many people in the club participate in other sports besides these, including road running, adventure racing, hiking, kayaking and caving! Beer drinking has also been known now and again... :-)

Where do we go?

Club meets on weekends are usually within 4 to 5 hours drive from Swindon and include trips to the Mendips, Wye Valley, Gower, Peak District, Pembrokeshire, North Wales, Cornwall and The Lakes. In addition we have an annual trip to Scotland for winter mountaineering and usually a summer trip to the Alps for alpine mountaineering.

See meets page for our upcoming meets and our gallery for pictures from previous meets.

How often do you meet and go on meets?

Usually about once a month on planned meets (visiting a crag, going away to North Wales, etc) but other activities crop up at weekends usually dependent upon individual members organising something. This is more frequent in the summer months when the weather is generally better.

Do you visit a climbing wall?

(last updated 5 Nov 2019)

We meet most Tuesday evenings at the Rockstar Climbing Centre in Stratton. You'll typically find us there between 20:00 - 22:00.

Where to find you?

We meet most Tuesday evenings at the Rockstar Climbing Centre in Stratton. You'll typically find us there between 20:00 - 22:00. We also meet every second Tuesday of the month at the Rat Trap pub in Stratton St Margaret at 21:00.

Are you BMC affiliated?

SMC has been affiliated since 1972.

BMC - Membership Services

BMC - Liability Insurance

What are your membership fees?

Follow the link to our Membership page

How do club members communicate

Usually by e-mail, but sometimes by Facebook, text message or even phone!

Do l need to be able to climb?

No

Are there lifts or car sharing possibilities?

Yes. If you need or are able to offer a lift for a meet then you are encouraged to email the members via the members email distribution group, which you will be informed when you become a member.

How many members are there, and what is the approximate age range?

There are currently 40 members (Nov 2019). The ages of members are not known but range from early 20s to late 60s. (and older!)

Is there instruction and equipment available to borrow?

Although we do not have qualified instructors in the club we are able to recommend climbing courses which you can undertake. Some Club Members are willing to take a beginner out but this is at the beginner’s risk. We have some climbing harnesses, belay devices and helmets available for hire. A refundable £10 deposit is required when borrowing item(s).

Can you come along as a trial member/ guest to see what it is like?

Yes, but to partake in club activities a ‘participation form’ requires to be signed acknowledging the risks involved.

Is there a way to add the meets calendar to my Google Calendar?

For instructions how to do this follow the instructions on this link:

http://support.google.com/calendar/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=37100

This is the XML Public Calendar address for you to insert. Note this will not work if you enter it as a webaddress it needs to be used to add it as a webaddress when adding a calendar within Google Calendar.

https://www.google.com/calendar/feeds/mreo629357k18fg1q92u7heuco%40group.calendar.google.com/public/basic