2022 Membership Year

Intro

Whilst the evenings may be darkening there’s certainly not anything dark about this time of year. Mountaineering Ireland has once again allowed early sign up so that you get more bang for your buck. Likewise, Belfast Climbing Club has matched that offer and if you sign up now you’ll get 1 year, 1 month and 7 days for the price of 12 months 0 days (expiries on 31/10/2022). Bargain. As the honest chap I am, I didn’t calculate that, I had to google it.

If that sounds better than a buy one get one free on a family pack of Tayto and you just want to sign up, click the button below. If you’re unsure and want more details? Read on.

SIGN ME UP!

What’s in it for you?

Well, aside from the free belays, banter and copious uses of the word ‘nice’, ‘go on’ and ‘you’ve got this’ whilst you’re twisting your hips in ways you never felt possible, we feel that we’ve quite a lot to offer:

Belfast Climbing Club Benefits

• Access to a large (we had the strongest member count ever this year!), varied and friendly community of climbers of all abilities and backgrounds

• Belfast Climbing Club branded clothing (and umbrellas, if you want, I got one)

• You joining us on our, various, exciting trips

• Access to Henry’s Cottage in the Mournes at a discounted rate for members (£5 pmpn)

• Member only WhatsApp group

• A club backed by an enthusiastic member first committee (look at those smiles!)

• Stickers for your car, helmet, notebook, you name it

Mountaineering Ireland Benefits

• The Irish Mountain Log, delivered by post to your home address

• Discounts in all good outdoor shops and a variety of other related retailers

• Civil Liability and Limited Personal Accident cover insurance policy

• A personalised membership card

• A committed staff team to provide advice and information

• Access to training schemes and awards for hillwalkers and climbers

• Access to Mountaineering Ireland Training Grant schemes

• More here

So, what’s the craic?

We have three membership types on offer, so if you have your own insurance we have a spot for you! They are:

All In

This membership type comprises all of the benefits outlined above, best of both worlds if you will, from Belfast Climbing Club and Mountaineering Ireland. We’ll even do all of the hard work for you, we’ll complete your affiliation with Mountaineering Ireland on your behalf.

Existing MI

Ah, you’ve already signed up with another club with Mountaineering Ireland? Don’t worry, even if we’re not you’re number one we’d still love you to be a part of our community. With this membership type you’re already a part of Mountaineering Ireland thus we’ll sign you up as a direct Belfast Climbing Club member so that you can avail of our benefits and link your MI account with BCC!

Bring Your Own

So you already have insurance that you want to make the most of but still want to be a part of Belfast Climbing Club? Well, you can! If you have insurance with a recognised external mountaineering body such as AAC or BMC etc then why don’t you sign up?

Let’s talk money

Belfast Climbing Club’s membership fee is £10 and dependent on the membership type applicable to you and your age will vary the price you pay. The information below outlines the ins and outs. Unfortunately due to Pound/Euro fluctuations, prices are subject to change for All In membership type.

Type	Age	Belfast Climbing Club	Mountaineering Ireland	Total
All In	Under 23	£10	£18.45	£28.45
	Over 23		£31.50	£41.50
Existing MI	Under 23		N/A	£10
	Over 23
Bring Your Own	Under 23
	Over 23

Please note that we can only accept memberships from individuals over the age of 18. Not to worry, we have a sister club, Belfast Youth Climbing Club, and they can be contacted here.

You drive a hard bargain but I’m in!

Awesome, that’s exactly what we like to hear! Head on over to join.belfastclimbingclub.co.uk and follow the prompts. The form will guide you and dependent on your answers it’ll direct you to the membership type that’s suitable for you. That’s all there is to it, we’ll take care of the rest.

Interested in knowing the nitty gritty? Here’s the process in the fine detail.

Once you sign up we will be notified that you want to become a member (yay!) and to standby for your payment

1. You will receive an email confirming how much you owe and the details by which to transfer your payment

2. Once your payment has been received, for your membership type, we will:

   • All in

     • Add your details to the Mountaineering Ireland member portal

     • Transfer the portion relating to the affiliation cost of your membership to Mountaineering Ireland

     • Once your membership card is received post it out to you

   • Existing MI

     • Add you as an associate member to BCC in the Mountaineering Ireland member portal

   • Bring your own

     • Verify the membership evidence you provided as part of your registration

3. Update your membership outlining you’re the best Belfast Climbing Club member

I’m still unsure

Not to worry, don’t hesitate to reach out on membership@belfastclimbingclub.co.uk.

2021 AGM nominations and Constitution Changes

The BCC is due to elect a new committee for the upcoming club year (October 21-September 22). The 2021 AGM date is yet to be confirmed, however it is time to start with nominations.

Please use this link for nominations: https://docs.google.com/.../1nKgarw2RImciR5M8CO3b.../edit...

Who can vote? Any (paying) BCC member can nominate & vote

Who can be nominated? Anyone (although climbing experience is welcome :)). Nominees do not have to be current BCC members (but are expected to be fully paid members when taking on Committee roles).

Can I nominate more people? Absolutely. Nominate as many as you like. You can also nominate yourself (this is more than welcome).

I don't really know what roles are there. There are currently 8 "core" roles plus ordinary committees (the number of these is not restricted)., Have a look here for more info (or just ask me): https://www.belfastclimbingclub.co.uk/committee

All roles are voluntary and require some level of time commitment and enthusiasm. You'll be rewarded with a free access to top belaying partners, unfiltered banter on Discord, and the warm fuzzy feeling you get after a good climbing day out with the BCC. What's not to like!

Constitution Changes:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YiLi3YSRdZKoP5-iuTWouQkztY4vPpsF/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=103013502169131412064&rtpof=true&sd=true
The following link has proposed changes to the BCC constitution (in red at 5.2), which will be voted on at the AGM. These changes are to do with the nomination and voting structure of Committee positions.

Birthday BBQ 2021 Trip report

The BBQ through the eyes of the first (un)official BCC crag dog:

They told me there were pigeons

Ha! I was on an adventure and it was AWESOME! My well trained human put me in the small moving thing which takes me to cool new places and so we went. I looked out the window and there were many interesting things happening, although for some reason I was not allowed to sit at the very front and get cuddles from someone who seemed to be controlling this moving thing. How rude.

Then the moving thing stopped and I heard something about pigeon, but I didn’t see any birds, just a big hill which was really fun to walk up.

On the top of this hill, there were many new humans with strange metal items and for reasons unknown to me, they were climbing up some rocks.

Waiting for the cuddles

She did not seem to like me but I liked her

I was attached to one of these rocks, which was pretty neat as I received many cuddles and one unsuspecting human even gave me her banana when I did the eye trick. Awesome. I heard much clinking and saw that my human was also climbing up this rock, which made me a bit worried so I barked a shouted at her to come back. She came back eventually but then she climbed the same rock again, which confirmed my opinion that humans are strange. There was also another dog but she did not want to be my friends. Anyways, other humans made all of this better with more cuddles.

Humans and their strange interests

My first sleep over

We then walked down the hill and back into the moving thing to a place with a nice garden and many funny smells. My human started a fire and then cooked a lot of food which wasn’t for me, so I decided to have a nap on the blanket and waited for her to wise up and finally feed me. Luckily, she also dropped a sausage on the grass and for some reason (???) did not want to eat that one, so it was handed to me in return for sits. Other humans ate all the food and then consumed some beverages, which made them smell funny and talk loudly. They were all very nice to me so I didn’t mind their loud noises and just used their laps as my human pillow. The humans then built some tiny houses and disappeared inside. I heard some scary noises, so I decided I must protec!!! But they did not like my barking and my human put me into our own little house, which I found very cozy.

I woke up the next day and saw these humans walking around drinking steaming beverages from a cup. They put away their tiny houses and put me back in the moving thing to a place called spellack. I wasn’t sure what spellack was but was hoping it would be food. It was more rocks. My human escaped me in a vertical direction again, so I tried looking for her after wiggling the strange metal thing which held me in place. I tried climbing the same rock as she did but the attached leash and the metal nut shaped item held me back. Sadly a guy called Kyle run back to me and ended my adventure. This Kyle guy (followed by someone they called Jamie) then moved up another rock they called the War horse, but I’ve seen no horses about. Just some sheep. Being bored from the lack of food and horses, I went for a nap in the sun.

No horses about, just these guys Kyle and Jamie talking about some War horse (E4 6a).

My human then took me home and I slept a lot. Awesome adventure, just hope that next time my human will bring even more snacks and drops more food on the floor.

Boulderworld is back and so it the club time!

We are restarting the regular Tuesday club time in Boulderworld from the 4th May 2021.

The club times take place from 7pm to 10 pm. There will normally be at least one commitee member “hosting” the session, so feel free to come and say socially distanced hello.

A great opportunity to meet other club members and get some input on your climbing technique from your peers.

Sheffield Adventure Film Festival 2021

Sheffield Adventure Film Festival, ShAFF, each year, seeks out the best new adventure films and chooses the best to take ‘On Tour’. This year, they’re on tour online and have stopped by Belfast Climbing Club.

Together, we’re hosting The Best Of Sheffield Adventure Film Festival 2020 which showcases a number of films featuring different adventures, inspiring and reminding us that barriers are there to be broken and divides should be conquered.

Below you will find the trailer and link to purchasing your rental for the movie, note you only have 48 hours to watch the movie once purchased. When renting, not only are you supporting the work of ShAFF, you’re also supporting Belfast Climbing Club. Nice one!

We’d love to know your thoughts and feedback on the movies featured, don’t forget to comment and feedback via info@belfastclimbingclub.co.uk. Which one was your favourite?

Outdoor Partnership

Members of the club can take advantage of heavily discounted courses provided through the Outdoor Partnership. Courses that would normally be quite expensive are available for as little as £20 per-day. There are courses available in climbing, mountain-skills and first-aid.

To take part

1. Have a look at the courses available (click here)

2. Register on the Outdoor Partnership website (click here)

3. Send an email to info@belfastclimbingclub.co.uk, as you will require approval from the committee to take up this offer

Regular Monthly Socials

We are starting regular club socials each month. All welcome!

EVERY 2nd THURSDAY 8pm: club time-ish.

Sadly, we don’t get to see each other at the Ozone wall anymore. So we decided to meet online instead. If you want to hear updates on fellow BCC friends’ lives, join for this fun mid-week chat with climbing ethusiasts. If you are new to the club (or just interested in climbing in Northern Ireland), this is a great way to meet people.

EVERY LAST FRIDAY 8pm: drinks&"organized fun."

If you usually leave the room when the expression "organized fun" is mentioned, do not fear. There will be much improvisation and very disorganized climbing banter involved. The Friday social will be different each month and will include things like talks, quizzes, and possibly even outdoor activities in Belfast. Any suggestions for activies are welcome.

Links to these events will be shared via Club Facebook page and WhatsApp group. Feel free to also contact the club at info@belfastclimbingclub.co.uk and we will send you the details.

BCC AGM

Hi Folks,

We are planning our club AGM for the 8th October. If you would like to take part and help with some of the organising of the club then please come forward and volunteer as a committee member! We are planning on holding this online to ease the complications of social distancing. Close to the date we will send out a link for people to use (it won’t require any software downloads). Voting will be anonymous. Please let us know if you’re interested in coming to give us an idea of numbers.

If you would like to nominate someone or volunteer yourself then please use the form below

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfXimu6p2rOmhEWo6P3RetYqRBHd0gz4rEOpP654JU6DsnxtQ/viewform

The club will also be voting on an amendment to the constitution that brings us up-to-date with our charity status.

Proposed changes to our constitution can be found here

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1491AP2UgFoSSMsYRtzEAA0hZIPGQD8XV_RIuLzN5QVY/edit

And if you would like to see the current list of nominations then please follow the link below

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Q_3DL3oMW2rKrdVxT0ct6IO39AAy8Oet5Y_MnGmXySo/edit?usp=sharing

See you then!

Belfast Climbing Club Committee

BCC on Radio Ulster's Vinny Hurrell Show and upcoming AGM

On Friday 11 September, Kyle, Vicky and Eva were featured on Radio ulster’s Vinny Hurrell show and gave some brilliant answers on why they climb and what they get from the club.

Have a listen here (available until 8 October). You can hear Kyle at 9:12, Vicky at 16:38 and Eva at 40:50.

We will be hosting our AGM online in early October (more details to follow). If you are interested in getting involved in the club, or want to find out more about what that might involve, please get in touch with the current committee. The more the merrier, and it doesn’t take up too much time, and the more voices, ideas and viewpoints we have the better the club ill be.