This is: Mountaineering

My societies life in first year was fairly dull- between a couple cultural societies and a social sport, I became friendly with a few people, but wasn’t particularly close with many. About halfway through I picked up bouldering but never got too involved.

Then came second year, and the opportunity to join the utopia of societies that Imperial College Union has to offer. From competitive sports clubs to laid-back hobbyists’ groups to societies for the music-oriented, the choices at Fresher’s Fair were far too many. One stall in particular stood out, however–the Mountaineering Club. Between fortnightly weekend trips to regular weekly meets in London, I was promised what appeared to be a chance to become part of something I already had a keen interest in.

What I hadn’t realised was how quickly I would come to love the community. As it turns out, spending 48 hours with a group of people is a great way to familiarise yourself with them, and as I continued attending the regular meets and socials I came to know the community. Perhaps the biggest highlight of being a part of the club so far was Easter Tour - a week-long escape of climbing in Croatia, a perfect pre-exam season de-stresser with all-day multi-pitch climbing and the occasional drink in the evening.

The club offers everything anyone needs to get involved: with instruction in the taster sessions to less formal skills teaching throughout the year, all experience levels are welcome. In addition to weekend city-breaks, they also host regular socials: from the infamous Roped Pub Crawl at the start of the year to the relaxed weekly cake baking socials, there is ample opportunity to meet others with common interests.

If an escape to the Peak district or a post-climb pint appeals to anyone, check out our Instagram for the latest events calendar: @ic_mountaineering.