Meets
Climbing and Mountaineering
Meets normally include weekend meets at our own hut, or other clubs huts, camping meets for climbing or walking (usually in the Summer), extended meets in Scotland, the Alps, or other regions, and local evening rock climbing meets. The club also schedules Working Weekends for repairs and improvements to the Club Hut.
St.Helens is conveniently situated close to the motorway network and is just one and a half hours drive from popular rock climbing venues in the Lake District, North Wales and the Peak District. Cheshire sandstone (including Frodsham, Helsby and Pex Hill) and Lancashire grit (including Brownstones, Wilton and the Rivington quarries) are also close enough for an evening's climbing or a short winter's day.
The members elect a committee who arrange the programme of meets for the year. Club meet details and venues are printed on the membership card issued to all members. The venues are a reflection of suggestions from the club members.
In addition to the official meets, many members arrange their own informal meets most weekends. These are arranged by e-mail, in the pub or at the indoor climbing meet. If you are interested in coming along, just ask.
Some meets are specifically designated as beginners' meets and the club arranges for the more experienced members to be available to supervise novices. If you are interested in joining the club and would like to attend one of the meets then please contact enquiries@sthelensmc.org.uk.
Pub Meet
The Abbey Hotel, Hard Lane, Dentons Green, St Helens is the traditional meeting place for the club and has been used to host committee meetings and other official functions. The Club meets there regularly on Wednesday evenings at around 9.30pm. Members find this a useful venue to make arrangements for the organised meets, or to arrange their own informal meets, and enjoy a drink and a chat.
In the summer, if the weather is suitable, the Abbey Hotel meet, is occasionally combined with an early evening session of climbing and bouldering at Pex Hill Quarry in Cronton near Widnes.
New and prospective members are welcome to attend but please contact the Chairman to check that a meeting is planned and that somebody will be expecting you.
Indoor Climbing
Since we have a price concession on Monday evenings, our indoor climbing meet is at the North West Face climbing wall, in Warrington(on the A49 near Tesco), every Monday evening from 7pm onwards (except bank holidays and other seasonal holidays). Attending this meet is the quickest and simplest way for prospective members to meet us and to have a go at climbing. Enquire at the desk at the North West Face and the staff will introduce you.
Training for climbing is hard work so we also visit one of the local hostelries for some refreshment after our exertions.
Rambles
The club also runs a series of rambles on the first Sunday of each month. These are usually around 8 to 12 miles and include a stop for a pub lunch. Past venues have included the Lancashire moors, the Pennines and even the Wirral.
Meets List
Please note that there may have been changes to the meets list since the publication of the membership card. The information presented here, on this page, is currently the most up to date available.
Additional information for non-members is made available on the club's public profile on Facebook.
How To Attend A Meet
All members, prospective members, and guests of the club, are asked to contact the meet coordinator if you wish to attend a meet. The coordinator's contact details(including phone numbers) are published on the club membership card and their email addresses(where applicable) are also linked in the meets list below.
Non-members who wish to attend a meet where the coordinator does not have e-mail should contact enquiries@sthelensmc.org.uk stating which meet they wish to attend and their own address and contact telephone number.
The meets list for 2012 is below. Members may be asked to attend hut meets to assist with the fitting out of the new hut. The hut is now available for use by members and the site remains open for camping.
| 2012 Meets List | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Date | Venue/Activity | Coordinator |
| January | Sun 8th | Walking - Parbold More details… |
Les Berry |
| 27 - 29th | Hut Meet - Bethesda, North Wales | Trevor Jones / Gareth Rowlands | |
| February | Sun 5th | Walking - Lyme Park, the Gritstone Trail and Bollington More details… |
Les Berry |
| 24 - 26th | Winter Climbing - Scotland More details… |
Steve Fletcher (email) | |
| March | Sun 4th | Walking - The Cat and Fiddle to Wildboarclough More details… |
Ken Fyles (email) |
| 9 - 11th | Club Hut Meet - The Martin Brookman Hut, The Lakes | Trevor Jones | |
| Annual Dinner Weekend Meet Fri 23rd to Sun 25th March 2012 - The Royal Oak, Betws-y-Coed | |||
| Fri 23rd | Drinks - The Royal Oak | Andy Gee (email) | |
| Sat 24th | Walking - Snowdonia | Ken Fyles (email) | |
| Sat 24th | Annual Dinner - The Royal Oak, Betws-y-Coed More details… |
Steve Fletcher (email) | |
| Sun 25th | Climbing - Tremadoc | Will Simm (email) | |
| Sat 31st | Beginners' Climbing - Windgather | Derek Hatch / Andy Gee (email) | |
| April | Sun 1st | Walking - Nick O'Pendle, Pendle Hill to Barley | Ken Fyles (email) |
| Wed 11th | Evening Climbing - Pex Hill | Will Simm | |
| Sat 21st | Beginners' Gritstone Climbing More details… |
Andy Gee (email) | |
| May | 4 - 7th | Camping - Southern Sea Cliffs More details… |
Andy Gee (email) |
| Wed 23rd | Evening Climbing - Helsby | Will Simm | |
| 25 - 27th | Club Hut Meet - The Martin Brookman Hut, The Lakes | Gareth Rowlands | |
| June | 1st - 5th | Club Hut Official Opening - The Martin Brookman Hut, The Lakes - Jubilee Double Bank Holiday Weekend |
Trevor Jones (email) |
| 8 - 10th | Joint Merseyside Clubs Meet, RLH Hut, Langdale | Ken Fyles | |
| Wed 13th | Evening Climbing - Wilton | Will Simm | |
| Sun 24th | Climbing - Chew Valley | Will Simm | |
| July | 6 - 8th | Hut Meet - Bethesda, North Wales | Trevor Jones |
| Sat 28th | Climbing - Houghton Quarry, Lancashire | Graham Calderbank | |
| August | 3rd - 5th | Club Hut Meet - The Martin Brookman Hut, The Lakes | Dave Lunt |
| 24 - 27th | Bank Holiday Camping - Mid-Wales | Graham Calderbank | |
| September | Sun 2nd | Walking - Hayfield, Kinder Scout to Snake Inn | Ken Fyles (email) |
| 7 - 9th | Camping - Northumberland | Dave Lunt | |
| 21st - 23rd | Camping - Rhoscolyn, Anglesey | Andy Gee | |
| October | Tue 2nd | Annual General Meeting - St. Helens Police Club | Trevor Jones |
| Sun 7th | Walking - Clwydian Hills, Penyclodiau | Roger Sager (email) | |
| Sun 14th | Climbing - Swindale, Cumbria | Derek Hatch | |
| Sun 21st | Bouldering - Thorn Crag | Will Simm (email) | |
| 26 - 28th | Club Hut Meet - The Martin Brookman Hut, The Lakes | Gareth Rowlands | |
| November | Sun 4th | Walking - Hollingworth Lake and Blackstone Edge | Ken Fyles (email) |
| 16 - 18th | Club Hut Meet - The Martin Brookman Hut, The Lakes | Trevor Jones | |
| December | Sun 2nd | Walking - Coppull and the Yarrow Valley | Ian Craven |
| 7 - 9th | Club Hut Meet - The Martin Brookman Hut, The Lakes | Steve Fletcher | |
| Sat 15th | Christmas Drinks | Andy Gee | |
Previous year's meets lists are still available in the Meets Archive.