Meets Info
Signed up for your first weekend meet, and have no clue what you need, or have to do? Hopefully this page puts your mind at ease!
Important Notice
The committee MUST have all your details correct to help things run smoothly, so please ensure your medical and dietary details are correct in your profile and that your mobile number is up to date.
What Should I Bring?
As a minimum, everyone will need to bring:
- Sleeping Bag
- Sleeping Mat
- Warm Clothing, plus spares
- Waterproofs
- Sturdy Shoes (can be trainers or similar, to get to and from the crag)
- Daysack
- Water Bottle (and lunchbox if you have one)
- Money (card preferred) to pay for the meet and any snacks
- Any climbing gear you may already own
- Head Torch (it gets darker a lot quicker than you first imagine when you set off on a climb!)
The club will bring as much gear as is needed for everyone to climb, but please bring your own if you have it. As we head into winter, weekends can be chilly and we advise that for these you bring a hat, gloves and extra warm clothing. It's better to overpack than underpack!
How Does it Work?
Transport
Meets run from Friday evening to Sunday evening. The meeting place is generally Redbrick (in front of SUSU). From here the minibus and cars will be waiting to pick you up. The meeting time will be on the event page. We'll load up and get underway as soon as we can, so please be prompt. If you're running late, then please let the Meet Secs know! We'll make stop at a supermarket on the way to grab food for Saturday night and snacks/drinks for the weekend. We'll try to get to the hut before bedtime... but no promises.
If you're placed in someone's car, the driver should be in touch to sort out arrangements. If there's any confusion then get in touch with the Meet Secs.
Accommodation and Food
Accommodation is usually on the floor of a scout hut. Make sure you've got a sleeping bag and a roll mat. If you haven't got either we can usually find you one to borrow, just ask. The club provides breakfast and lunch (usually porridge and cheese sandwiches) on Saturday and Sunday and a (normally) vegetarian dinner on Saturday night. Otherwise, it's up to you to bring any additional snacks/beers you want. We will account for any special dietary requirements people have, but these must be on your website profile otherwise we won't know!
Climbing/ Mountaineering
On Saturday and Sunday, we'll spend the whole day climbing outside, normally whatever the weather (unless it's raining a lot) and will often leave when it gets dark so bring a headtorch. Needless to say, make sure you've got enough warm clothing and sensible shoes with you, again we can lend you things if you need them. It's always good to have spares of things too in case things get wet. We'll make sure there's enough club gear for everyone to be able to climb. If you need help with things just chat to a committee member and we'll make sure you get the most out of climbing!
Leaving Routine
On the Sunday, everyone chips in clearing out the hut before we all head out to climb for the day. We will normally climb until the evening, and aim to be back in Southampton late Sunday evening. For dinner, we'll stop off at a service station on the way back. Usually we'll drop everyone home when we get back very late, to avoid you walking home in the dark.
Hopefully, this is enough info for your first meet. If you have any more questions, you can get in touch with the Meet Secs at meets@sumc.uk . We look forward to seeing you!