CLUBS It’s time to
Find Your Adventure
Get in with the outdoor crowd! If you’ve been looking to take your first steps outdoors, on hills, mountains, rock or ice, but you’re lacking some knowledge or a buddy to share the experience with, we can help you find a friendly crowd who will be up for exactly the same kind of adventures as you.
THE TUNBRIDGE WELLS MOUNTAINEERING CLUB (TWMC)
A friendly climbing club of around 80 members spread across Kent, Sussex and Surrey. The club was founded in 1984, welcomes adult climbers of all abilities, and has members in their 20s through to their 60s.
E
very adventure starts with the first step, but the great news is that once you get going on your hiking, camping, bouldering, climbing (or even mountaineering) journey then there’s a whole planet and a lifetime’s worth of
experiences to explore. There are around 300 climbing, hill
walking and mountaineering clubs in England and Wales which are affiliated to the BMC, and there are a whole range to suit different interests. The Rucksack Club has members from across the country that enjoy climbing, walking, mountaineering, biking and running. The Alpine Club is an international mountaineering and expedition club, and there are a whole host of locally based clubs all around the UK. There are also clubs set up for certain groups of people, like the Pinnacle Club for women climbers which recently celebrated its 100 year anniversary. So, whether you’re looking for LGBTQI+ friends, or you’re keen to meet people who are similar to yourself, there will be a club for you. You don’t need to worry about whether
you’re ‘good enough’ to go to a club, they’re set up to welcome new members and they cater for all abilities. You have the chance to learn from more experienced members, find new friends at a similar level of ability, and gain experience together as you go along to more meets. Let’s meet a couple and find out why you should join them or a similar local club:
Why should people join your club? The TWMC is a welcoming and friendly climbing club based on the Kent and East Sussex border, ideally situated for post-work climbs on Southern Sandstone. Each month we host an event focussed on new members to get them involved. We run sport and trad trips to some fantastic locations. You’ll find us making ‘day-raids’ to Swanage, Portland, Avon and the Wye Valley to get our climbing fix. Our weekend adventures to the Peak, Gower, Cornwall and Snowdonia visit crags with both low grade classics, and three-star test pieces, so there’s something for everyone. A growing contingent of us are keen for scrambling, summer alpine, Scottish winter and Norwegian ice; I’m pleased that mountaineering is seeing a post- pandemic revival.
As a medium-sized club we have a
community feel and are small enough that you’ll feel part of something. With 80 members, you will find people that like to climb when and where you do. One of our passions is protecting the fragile local rock. We’ll take time to share best practice with you and promote the Sandstone Code Of Practice.
How easy is it to join your club? We’re open to climbers of all abilities. Come to the wall or crag and you’ll get a warm welcome. If you’re new to climbing, we’ll steer you to some great instructors to get skilled-up first. If you live nearby and already climb, join us to benefit from a bunch of new partners, trips, club evenings, car sharing, skills development and socials. Membership is £25. To enquire, contact us via our website –
www.thetwmc.co.uk – then come for a few climbs to see if we’re a good match before deciding.
58 | CLIMB. WALK. JOIN.
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