About Us
The Reading Mountaineering club is a group of people who share an interest in mountain activities, including climbing, walking and skiing (telemark and ski-touring as well as downhill). The range of interests and abilities is quite wide, with most people doing a mixture of walking, climbing and skiing depending on the weather and the season.
The club has a lively atmosphere with plenty of sharp witted banter flying about, although it would be fair to warn you that the jokes are terrible! It can be a good way to meet like minded people and members of the club do organise climbing holidays and trips amongst themselves in addition to the monthly club meets.
Monthly trips are made to areas such as the Lakes, North Wales, the Peak district, the Gower, Pembrokeshire, Cornwall etc. either camping or staying in huts for a weekend - longer trips (up to a week) are also organised amongst members e.g. to Scotland.
Members also arrange between themselves skiing trips to the Alps and "hot-rock" trip to France or Spain in early autumn.
Generally, on midweek evenings throughout the year we visit local indoor climbing walls. During the winter months, visits are often made at the weekend to places slightly further afield such as Bristol or Birmingham.
We hold regular social events throughout the year such as beer and skittles, barbecues, visits to films/slideshows/restaurants (especially curry houses) etc.
The annual dinner meet is held in October and is the premier social event of the year!
This is held in a hotel in a location selected for both climbers and walkers and most people choose bed and breakfast, although cheaper accommodation is normally available as well. People climb and walk as usual on Saturday and Sunday but on the Saturday night we have a "posh" meal and provide our own entertainment.
If you are interested in joining the club or want to find out more then please see the Contact Us page.
Walking
A number of people in the club have realised the ambition of a lifetime
and have trekked in the greater ranges of the world - the Himalayas,
the Karakorum and the Andes. Some of these trips have included the
ascent of so-called "trekking-peaks" such as Mera Peak and
the Chulus in Nepal and Aconcagua in Argentina.
If you are thinking about a trek and/or climb in the near future then
check out the following sites ...
SAIS Avalanche Information
Classic Asia Travels & Tours - treks in Nepal, Bhutan, India, Pakistan and Tibet
Andes Expeditions - trekking,climbing, mountaineering and skiing in South America
Exodus Travels
Explore Worldwide
Jagged Globe
International School of Mountaineering, Switzerland
KE Adventure Travel - Worldwide Adventure Trekking, Climbing and Biking Holidays
Extreme Expeditions - alpine paragliding, thermalling and XC courses and instruction in the Alpes de Haute Provence, France
Martin Moran Mountaineering
New Zealand Alpine Guides
Mountains of Ecuador - climbing, trekking and white-water rafting holidays
Himalayan Kingdoms
Nepal Mountain Trekking - based in Kathmandu
Golden Hill Travel - specialists in small group treks and tours in Nepal, India, Tibet, Bhutan and Peru.
Safe Journeys - a small specialist UK company,organising trekking in Nepal, Peru and walking holidays in Scotland
SummitClimb.com - trekking and climbing expeditions to the big peaks e.g. Ama Dablam
Footprint Adventures - worldwide adventure trips
Walking Holidays and Climbing Courses in Wales
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Skiing
A number of people in the club are keen downhill skiers but an increasing number are taking to the Nordic variety and going away on holidays and courses specifically tailored for telemark and/or cross-country skiing. In addition, there is a growing group of enthusiasts for the art of snowboarding. The links below should be of some interest to the skiing fraternity, especially those into Telemark skiing. The Telemark Ski Company Telemark Skiing Injury Study Site Eagle Ski Club - see Links page for an exhaustive list of ski-related sites Ski Bum News ! - news, discounts, links etc.GONEboarding - the UK Snowboarding Community - articles, events, sno'mates (!)
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RMC Modus Operandi (or how we work)
1. Be aware of the BMC's participation statement:
"The BMC recognises that climbing and mountaineering are activities
with a danger of personal injury or death. Participants in these
activities should be aware of and accept these risks and be responsible
for their own actions and involvement."
Also, take heed of the famous quote by Edward Whymper "Climb if
you will, but remember that courage and strength are naught without
prudence and that a momentary negligence may destroy the happiness
of a lifetime. Do nothing in haste: Look well to each step: And
from the beginning think what may be the end.
2. The club has no equipment to loan to members. If you climb using
someone else’s equipment (e.g. a rope) then the club can take
no responsibility for it. You must satisfy yourself of its suitability
for purpose.
3. The club provides no form of instruction nor does it have qualified
instructors (At any particular time there may be qualified instructors
in the club, however, they will not have got their qualifications
through the club’s activities and we do not maintain any records
of any qualifications that members have.). If anyone offers to teach
you then this will be a private arrangement and you need to assess
for yourself whether or not that person is competent.
4. If you bring children on a meet then you are solely responsible
for the childrens’ welfare, behavior and supervision at all
times. If you give your permission for your children to walk/climb
with other people then that is your choice, however, you are responsible
for assessing the suitability of the person to undertake the chosen
activity. It should be assumed that club members have not undergone
a criminal records bureau check (Some members may have undergone
a criminal records bureau check as a part of their job or other
voluntary activities. The club does not however keep records of
who has undergone such a check).
5. It is the responsibility of club members to assess the suitability
of their potential climbing/walking partners and venues/activities.
6. Whilst the club organises meets we do not organise any activities
on meets. The meet organiser is only responsible for arranging a
campsite/hut, providing directions to meets, coordinating lifts
and taking care of huts and keys. The meet organiser is not in any
way responsible for organising or advising on any activities undertaken
on a club meet, these are organised on an informal basis by members
themselves. It is up to you to ensure that you are capable of undertaking
any activity that you partake in and to assess the suitability of
any climbing/walking partners. If for example you go walking with
someone, you should not assume that they will take care of your
welfare whilst on the walk. If you are new to the club (everyone
was once) and don’t have anyone to climb/walk with then the
meet organiser will be able to tell you who is doing what activities
and introduce you. This should not be taken as an indication that
that person is in any way qualified or suitably experienced to undertake
that activity, you must decide that for yourself. The vast majority
of members have joined the club singly and found new friends and
climbing partners easily.
Simon Chetwynd
Chairman
November 2005
Appendix A – Training providers
As a club the RMC offer no form of instruction. The best method
of acquiring mountaineering and climbing skills is to go on a course.
Course providers are many, some are better than others, some are
cheaper than others.
In our opinion the two premiere mountaineering (walking, climbing,
navigation etc) providers in the UK are Plas-y-Brenin (www.pyb.co.uk)
based in North Wales and Glenmore Lodge (www.glenmorelodge.org.uk)
based in Aviemore in Scotland. From a geographical point of view
Plas-y-Brenin is considerably closer to Reading. There are many
other providers, both individual and organisations. Check out the
qualifications that the instructor(s) hold. The level required depends
on the activity.
Qualifications
ML Mountain Leader
Navigation courses
SPA Single Pitch Award
Basic single pitch climbing and indoor walls. Not qualified
to teach lead climbing
MIA Mountaineering Instructor Award
All aspects of mountaineering and rock climbing in the UK,
including navigation, scrambling, multi pitch rock climbing,
lead climbing. MIAs assess the ML and SPA award holders. Note
that for climbing coaching, MIAs only need to be able to lead
VS although I doubt if there’s anyone with an MIA that
can only lead to VS
MIC Mountaineering Instructor Certificate
Same as MIA but also allowed to teach ice climbing and winter
mountaineering.
Guide
The dogs ********, like a PhD in mountaineering. A guide is
qualified to teach any aspect of mountaineering (and skiing)
anywhere in the world. They assess MIAs and MICs. If you want
alpine instruction then a guide is the only person qualified
to do this and in Alpine countries you have to be a guide to
take clients on glaciers or off piste skiing. As well as offering
courses and instruction, guides also provide personal guiding
services anywhere in the world. If you want climbing coaching
at a level higher than VS (or Scottish III in winter) then a
guide is a better bet than an MIA/MIC. Expect to pay £200+
per day plus expenses.
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Whos who
President : George Hostford
Chairperson : Claire Smart
Treasurer : Rob Smart
Secretary : Laura Ashfield
Meets Secretary : Michael Portelly
Newsletter Editor : Tracey Duncombe
Librarian : Paul Williams 
Social Secretary : Roy Hack
New Members Secretary & Librarian : Peter Charles-Jones
Committee Member(s) : Ross Remnant 
Webmaster : Dave Sanderson
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