Participating in meets is what the club is all about. Meets are run by members, for members.
The club thrives by having members take an active interest in the meets that are run. To volunteer to steward a meet, or to suggest a new meet, please contact our meets secretary. The FAQ page offers advice on what to expect on a meet and guidelines for organising meets. Remember that if you have spotted potential for a new meet, the chances are high that others will also be interested!
To subscribe to the meets calendar on your smartphone, please use the URL: https://www.londonmountaineeringclub.com/icalendar/view_all
Useful Links:
2 more spaces available.
https://www.portlandbunkhouse.com/
Sport Climbing in Portland
Staying at the Portland Bunkhouse https://www.portlandbunkhouse.com/
£20 pppn.
We can't offer refunds in the event of cancellation. But if you need to cancel and someone takes your place they can reimburse you directly.
A Whatsapp group for the meet will be added to the community in due course. A link can't be added here for data security reasons.
More12 spaces have been booked by the Cambridge Climbing and Caving Club.
The 4 loft spaces remain available for members.
Celebrate Guy Fawks night at the club hut in Eryri.
We'll either go to a local fireworks display on the Saturday evening. Or if there's enough interest, we could put on our own display at the hut with participants chipping in to cover the cost of the fireworks.
A Whatsapp group for the meet will be added to the LMC Whatsapp Community so that participants can add themselves. A link to it cannot be added here for data security reasons.
MoreA long weekend of bolt clipping in the sunshine.
We will be going to Calpe again staying at Villa Solpadel which is a short walk from the town centre (similar to Villa Perles). Most rooms are twins so booking will be on the basis of sharing a twin and it sleeps 16 people. The villa has a small pool too if weather permits!
Flights to Alicante are plentiful from a number of London airports. In order to co-ordinate car-shares, suggested approximate flights: Arrive Friday night, leave Wednesday night.
UPDATE (26-Aug) - We are maintaining a reserve list for this meet (currently 4 people) and we may expand the meet if the reserve list grows sufficiently large (circa 8-10 people). Please contact the meet steward directly to be added to the reserve list.
MoreChance to sharpen your map reading and navigation skills - both by day and night. Suitable for novice navigators and wizard-like wanderers. This year with new helpers - and new ideas!
We will to focus on using maps, and then go out on the hill to practice navigation. We will all make use of traditional navigation (using a compass, the map and looking around!), and also discuss use of GPS-based devices.
Bookings open on 1 September, and will be limited to ten participants. We will organise a communal meal on the Saturday night (I'll be looking for a volunteer co-ordinator). The meet fees include an extra amount to pay for the communal meal.
Refunds in the case of participants cancelling are at discretion of meet steward.
MoreCome and spend a long weekend climbing unpronounceable hills in indifferent weather - the annual Winter Munro Meet.
Bring maps, axe, crampons, warm clothes and your sense of adventure.
8 spaces are booked at the SMC's Raeburn Hut in Laggan. It’s well situated for the Cairngorms, the Drumochter Munros and the Creag Meagaidh range.
Hut fees are £20 pppn (£60 total) and are payable on sign-up.
To book on, please contact me and I’ll send more info and a payment link. This is being done to avoid no-shows, which happened last year and prevented others joining.
A whatsapp group for the meet will be added to the community in due course.
MoreThis meet is recommended for experienced winter walkers and wild campers only.
Winter backpacking in the Cairngorms
Braemar - Aviemore, 60km, tent and bothy accommodation.
Flight to Aberdeen, return by day train.
A Whatsapp group for the meet has been added to the LMC Whatsapp Community so that participants can add themselves.
MoreTake advantage of the post Christmas bank holidays with a week's winter climbing and walking in the Northern Cairngorms.
NB: there is no Caledonian sleeper until Sunday 28/12, and none on New Year’s Eve either. There are day trains and flights to Inverness.
We’ll be staying at the Aviemore Youth Hostel which is warm, clean and spacious and arguably has the best drying room in the UK!
Winter Climbing
The Cairngorms, and in particular the Northern Corries, are the most popular early season winter climbing venue in Scotland and are often in condition this time of year.
The venue is ideal for novices and seasoned climbers alike with many classic routes across all grades.
Winter Walking
The Cairngorms boast many excellent winter walks and are home to 55 Munroes and numerous bothies.
Accommodation and booking
We’ll be staying at the Aviemore Youth Hostel https://www.hostellingscotland.org.uk/hostels/aviemore/
As well as booking onto the meet we ask participants to book themselves a bed in a dorm room at the hostel. They can do this either online at the website above, or by calling 01479 810345.
We’ve agreed with the hostel that they’ll try and put LMC members in the same rooms so please mention that you’re with the LMC if you book by phone. If you book online, follow this up with an email to aviemore@hostellingscotland.org.uk mentioning that you’re with the LMC.
Please book early to avoid disappointment as the hostel does book up in the winter, especially on weekends. Booking via a 3rd party website is not recommended as this will make it more difficult for the hostel to keep the group together.
At the time of writing a bed in a dorm room at the hostel was £26.50 per night.
Cancellation
The cancelation terms for people booking individually, directly with the hostel, are very generous and are the main reason we’re asking people to self-book their accommodation. Participants can cancel independently up until 12 noon on the day before they’re due to arrive and receive a 90% refund. This could be for any reason including if participants feel the weather or snow conditions are likely to make winter climbing/walking impossible.
Travel
Aviemore is roughly a 10 hour drive from London, but having a car on the meet is not strictly necessary as much of the winter climbing and walking can be accessed by public transport, short taxi rides, and even hitch hiking!
There are direct day trains from London.
Prerequisites
The cairngorms are a great venue for winter climbers and walkers of all levels, including novices. But we recommend that anyone that’s completely new to either of these activities do a course beforehand to familiarise themselves with the winter specific skills they need. A weekend course in the Cairngorms or Western Highlands should be sufficient. For winter climbing, summer trad climbing is also a very helpful (arguably essential) grounding.
Guidebooks
Winter Climbing – Scottish Winter Climbs (SMC)
Winter Walking - The Cairngorms & North-East Scotland (SMC) or https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/ is pretty comprehensive and free.
Cogne – One of the World’s Best Ice Climbing Venues
Located in the heart of Gran Paradiso National Park in northern Italy, Cogne offers easy access to dozens of single- and multi-pitch routes across all grades, with generally reliable ice conditions and stable weather.
This meet is suitable for both experienced climbers and those with at least some prior ice or technical winter climbing experience. Ideally, participants will have completed an introductory course with a qualified guide.
That said, climbers will get much more out of the trip if they’re comfortable leading multi-pitch trad routes and have general winter mountaineering experience.
Beyond the ice climbing, the area also offers excellent opportunities for skiing—piste, cross-country, and ski mountaineering.
Some of us may also attempt a summit between 3,000–4,000 metres, which would involve an overnight stay in a winter room of a mountain refuge. These are unmanned but provide shelter, beds, and blankets—offering refuge from snow and wind. This will suit those with winter mountaineering experience and familiarity with snowshoeing or skiing. Possible objectives include:
- Gran Paradiso (4,061m)
- Gran Serra (3,552m)
- Punta Rossa della Grivola (3,630m)
Accommodation
The club has booked 18 spaces at Residence Château Royal, https://www.residencechateauroyal.com/en, located in the centre of Cogne. We’ll be staying in four apartments: three for four people each and one larger flat for six.
Cost: £275 per person for 8 nights.
Accommodation will be allocated in order of booking. Members are welcome to swap among themselves afterwards. Full payment is required on sign-up and accommodation fees are non-refundable. However, if you need to cancel your place, you're welcome to try and find someone to replace you (or if the meet fills up, there may be a waiting list to draw from).
Travel
Fly to Turin or Milan, then hire a car to reach Cogne.
Guidebook
Cogne Selected Climbs – Oxford Alpine Club.
More Info
For a detailed overview of ice climbing in the area, check out:
UKC article – Cogne: Icefall Climbing in the Italian Alps
Coordination
To help you find a climbing partner, share a rental car, and give an overview of everyone’s plans, I will circulate to the attendees a spreadsheet to fill in your itinerary, realistic ice climbing level, and any other relevant info.
Zoom Call – December
I’d also like to propose a Zoom call in December to go over plans, answer any questions, and give everyone a chance to connect before the trip.
A week of winter climbing and winter walking in the Cairngorms.
We’ll be staying at the Aviemore Youth Hostel which is warm, clean and spacious and arguably has the best drying room in the UK!
Winter Climbing
The Cairngorms, and in particular the Northern Corries, are a Scottish winter climbing Mecca with some of the most reliable winter conditions in the Highlands. The venue is ideal for novices and seasoned climbers alike with many classic routes across all grades.
Winter Walking
The Cairngorms boast many excellent winter walks and are home to 55 Munroes and numerous bothies.
Accommodation and booking
We’ll be staying at the Aviemore Youth Hostel https://www.hostellingscotland.org.uk/hostels/aviemore/
As well as booking onto the meet we ask participants to book themselves a bed in a dorm room at the hostel. They can do this either online at the website above, or by calling 01479 810345.
We’ve agreed with the hostel that they’ll try and put LMC members in the same rooms so please mention that you’re with the LMC if you book by phone. If you book online, follow this up with an email to aviemore@hostellingscotland.org.uk mentioning that you’re with the LMC.
Please book early to avoid disappointment as the hostel does book up in the winter, especially on weekends. Booking via a 3rd party website is not recommended as this will make it more difficult for the hostel to keep the group together.
At the time of writing a bed in a dorm room at the hostel was £26.00 per night for weeknights and £28.00 for weekend nights.
Cancellation
The cancelation terms for people booking individually, directly with the hostel, are very generous and are the main reason we’re asking people to self-book their accommodation. Participants can cancel independently up until 12 noon on the day before they’re due to arrive and receive a 90% refund. This could be for any reason including if participants feel the weather or snow conditions are likely to make winter climbing/walking impossible.
Travel
Aviemore is roughly a 10 hour drive from London, but having a car on the meet is not strictly necessary as much of the winter climbing and walking can be accessed by public transport, short taxi rides, and even hitch hiking!
The Caledonian Sleeper operates a direct service from London Euston to Aviemore and seats are very reasonable (especially if bought in pairs with a two together railcard).
There are also direct day trains from London.
Prerequisites
The cairngorms are a great venue for winter climbers and walkers of all levels, including novices. But we recommend that anyone that’s completely new to either of these activities do a course beforehand to familiarise themselves with the winter specific skills they need. A weekend course in the Cairngorms or Western Highlands should be sufficient. For winter climbing, summer trad climbing is also a very helpful (arguably essential) grounding.
Guidebooks
Winter Climbing – Scottish Winter Climbs (SMC)
Winter Walking - The Cairngorms & North-East Scotland (SMC) or https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/ is pretty comprehensive and free.
This meet it best suited to experienced winter climbers.
5 Nights at the CIC hut situated at the foot of the North Face of Ben Nevis. The UK's premier winter climbing crag and home to a huge range of routes including many classics!
The hut is booked from the Sunday to the Friday morning so it's recommended to travel up on the Saturday, stay at the Fort William Backpackers' hostel, and then use Sunday to walk up to the hut with food and gear for the week and ideally do a climb that day as well. Every year there's talk of staying on after the Friday, but in recent memory this has never actually happened. 5 days straight of climbing and staying at the hut is normally enough to sate the rat.
The CIC hut is basic. It has a kitchen, toilets, running water and drying room, but no shower. For details on facilities, and the hut more generally, see https://www.smc.org.uk/huts/cic.
All gear and food needs to be taken up on foot from the Ben Nevis North Face Car Park which takes around 2hrs 30 mins and is a real slog. But once you're there, there are relatively short walk-ins to all the climbs on the North Face.
Early march is typically a good time for ice routes on Ben Nevis so you're likely to get more out of this meet if you're happy on this surface and can climb at least Scottish grade III, but there are enough easier routes to fill a week also. This meet is not recommended for those that favour winter walking as options for that activity are very limited.
The cost of a bed in the hut is £26 p.p.p.n. The full cost of £130 is payable on sign up. Unfortunately due to high demand for the CIC hut in the winter season the Scottish Mountaineering Club cannot offer refunds in the event of cancellation. If you need to cancel your place then please find someone else to take it and transfer you the money.
Guidebook: Scottish Winter Climbs - SMC (available in paperback or to download on the Rockfax app)
Scottish Winter Climbs West - Scottish Mountaineering Club
Travel to Ben Nevis: The drive is about 10 hours from London and can easily be done in a day.
MoreThe Misty Isle beckons for another LMC adventure, our 3rd in a row.
The first 9 beds reserved are now gone, so participants will now have to reserve their own bed at the hostel or find alternative accommodation. There’s also the Glenbrittle Memorial Hut a minute’s drive away, and the Glenbrittle campsite at the end of the valley. Just remember your midge nets!
The youth hostel is well situated with a beach and the famous Fairy Pools nearby, and has parking and a drying room on site.
There will be opportunities for walking into famous sites such as Corrie Lagan, as well as fantastic climbs on the Cioch as well as the Cuillin Ridge itself.
Cost of accommodation is £28 pppn. The full cost (£168) is payable on sign up.
Book early to avoid disappointment - and don’t forget your midge nets!
CANCELLATION TERMS
Although the hostel does offer refunds for individual bookings as long as cancelled 24h or more before arrival, due to the charge this incurs, we strongly recommend finding someone to take your place on the meet instead.
MoreThis meet it best suited to experienced winter climbers.
5 Nights at the CIC hut situated at the foot of the North Face of Ben Nevis. The UK's premier winter climbing crag and home to a huge range of routes including many classics!
The hut is booked from the Sunday to the Friday morning so it's recommended to travel up on the Saturday (15th Feb) and then use Sunday to walk up to the hut with food and gear for the week and ideally do a climb that day as well
The CIC hut is basic. It has a kitchen, toilets, running water and drying room, but no shower. For details on facilities, and the hut more generally, see https://www.smc.org.uk/huts/cic.
All gear and food needs to be taken up on foot from the Ben Nevis North Face Car Park which takes around 2hrs 30 mins and is a real slog. But once you're there, there are relatively short walk-ins to all the climbs on the North Face.
Late Feb is slightly earlier that previous years, however the hut is in high demand and already booked out. This time of year is typically a good time for ice routes on Ben Nevis so you're likely to get more out of this meet if you're happy on this surface and can climb at least Scottish grade III. This meet is not recommended for those that favour winter walking as options for that activity are very limited.
The cost of a bed in the hut is £28 p.p.p.n. The full cost of £140 is payable on sign up. Unfortunately due to high demand for the CIC hut in the winter season the Scottish Mountaineering Club cannot offer refunds in the event of cancellation. If you need to cancel your place then please let the meet steward know asap. They can help find someone else to take your place (who will transfer you the money), though replacements aren't guaranteed and you will be liable for the costs if replacements can't be found.
Guidebook: Scottish Winter Climbs - SMC (available in paperback or to download on the Rockfax app)
Scottish Winter Climbs West - Scottish Mountaineering Club
Travel to Ben Nevis: The drive is about 10 hours from London and can easily be done in a day.
Please reach out to the meet steward (Will Osborn) if you have any questions prior to signing up.
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