How can I join the WhatsApp groups?
Click either link: Undergrads Postgrads
Where can I buy club membership?
You can buy a membership here.
What equipment do I need?
For your first indoor session:
- Comfortable clothes
- Rent climbing shoes at the climbing gym
To boulder:
- Climbing shoes
- Chalk bag / liquid chalk
To rope climb:
- Harness
- Belay device
Club members can borrow harnesses, ropes and belay devices from the club stores.
I’ve never climbed before, which indoor session should I come to?
Bouldering is a great way to start climbing! Come to WestWay on Wednesdays, or Ravenswall on Monday.
How can I get updates about club activities / trips ?
Join the WhatsApp groups, or subscribe to the mailing list here
What are the different types of climbing?
- Free climbing: the climber uses only natural rock features to make upwards progress.
- Aid climbing: the climber places equipment in the wall, and then pulls himself upwards with this equipment.
Free climbing exists in many forms:
- Bouldering: no ropes, crash pads to land on
- Top roping: roped, one person belays the climber using a rope fixed through the top of the wall.
- Lead: roped, the climber clips the rope into the wall as they climb up.
- Sport: outdoor lead climbing. The climber places quickdraws on bolts fixed in the rock, and clips his rope to the quickdraws.
- Trad (traditional): outdoor lead climbing, but (generally) without fixed gear in the wall. The climber places nuts, hexes and cams (+ more exotic gear) in the rock and clips his rope in.
- Winter: trad climbing, with ice axes and crampons in cold environments.
- Alpine: light and fast winter climbing, used for larger objectives where speed is key.
- Big Wall: multi-day ascents, can be done as free or aid climbing.
What equipment is available to borrow from the club stores?
Current members can borrow the following (non-exhaustive list):
- Harness
- Belay device
- Bouldering pads
- Guidebooks (mostly outdated, check the IC library for newer RockFax guidebooks)
- Quickdraws (sport and trad)
- Single ropes (gym length and outdoor lengths)
- Half ropes
- Triple-rated ropes
- Dry treated winter ropes
- Helmets
- Trad equipment (nuts, hexes, cams, nut keys)
- Aid climbing equipment
- Hauling equipment (Pro-traxion, micro-traxion)
- Portaledges (standard and inflatable)
- Clip sticks (ultra-compact and long)
- Ice axes (mostly technical)
- Ice screws
- Winter climbing boots (not recommended)
- Snow pickets
- Snow shovel
- Emergency shelters
- Tents (many, from 2 to 16 person)
- Sleeping bags + mats (at your risk and peril)
- Stoves (compact stoves, jetboil, large dual-hob stoves)
- Camping crockery
Buying climbing equipment
The club generally organises 1 or 2 gear orders per year for club members, which give access to heavily discounted equipment/climbing shoes.
Until then, good deals can be found on entry level shoes / harnesses / belay devices from the following websites:
- Decathlon (everyone’s first pair of climbing shoes)
- Alpinetrek
- Rock Run
- Banana Fingers
- Climber’s Shop/Joe brown
- Cotswold Outdoor
- Absolute Snow