UBMC is a society which offers students the chance to enjoy trad/sport rock climbing, bouldering and mountaineering. They offer an equally impressive social calendar with events running fortnightly. The club welcomes new and experienced climbers and provides gear, training and plenty of enthusiasm and encouragement. Whether you are an experienced rock-climber looking for new challenges or a first-timer who wants to learn and try climbing both indoors and outdoors, UBMC is a large, highly active club at the University of Birmingham, who can provide opportunities for students to undertake mountaineering-related activities. The club is very proud of its friendly, welcoming atmosphere and members are only too happy to help people get started.
Be sure to like and follow us on facebook as that's where we will have all announcements about the events we run!
More Info
Weekly events
We meet regularly for bouldering at Depot on Monday evenings and roped climbing at Redpoint every Wednesday. To get involved, like our Facebook page (this is where all information from the club can be found) and folow our Instagram.
Perks
A reminder of the perks of joining the club:
- Access to cheap club trips to many locations including: Wales, Scotland, the Lakes, Dorset, the Peak and Pembrokeshire
- All gear provided for free to borrow!
- Subsidised access to the Midland Association of Mountaineers (M.A.M.)
- Subsidised training costs for First Aid qualifications, Rope Works Course, Winter Skills Courses and many more...
- Free advice and encouragement from experienced members of the club, including rope climbing teaching sessions at Redpoint.
- The opportunity to join our team where you receive weekly training and have the option to travel to many competitions with us
- Social events every other Wednesday that include trampoline parks, film nights, pub crawls and usually end at snobs!
- Discounted shopping trips for climbing gear: 20% off at Cotswold Outdoor and 10% off many other outdoor shops including Rock On in Redpoint!
- Insurance with the British Mountaineering Council*
* We’d like to use this opportunity to remind all our members of what is (and isn’t) covered by our club insurance, so that you can have the best possible climbing experience. As UBMC is a club affiliated to the British Mountaineering Council (BMC), all its members are automatically registered to the BMC Combined Liability Insurance. Whether you are climbing on a club trip or individually, this insurance policy covers you for public and member-to-member liability claims. You can read more about our BMC club insurance policy here: https://www.thebmc.co.uk/members-liability-insurance
Currently the Combined Liability Insurance with the BMC does not cover members for personal liability insurance and so it is important to note that Personal Accident cover is not provided as part of our affiliate membership. However, the BMC can provide Personal Accident cover on an individual basis, so if you would like any support with regard to acquiring personal insurance independently, please let one of our committee members know and we can point you in the right direction.
If you have any other questions or concerns regarding insurance with UBMC, please feel free to contact us: ubmc@guild.bham.ac.uk
Joining
How to join:
Joining the club can be done through the guild website. For only £45 you get membership for the entire academic year! After purchasing membership, please email secretary@ubmc.co.uk - by joining the society, membership data is passed to the BMC (British Mountaineering Council) who provide insurance.
History
Founded in 1932, UBMC has a long and interesting history with over 90 years of climbing tradition to its name. Several routes across the country were established by pioneers who were members of this very club.
In the early days of UBMC an affiliation developed with the Midland Association of Mountaineers who were a local climbing club and are still very active to this day. The nickname "The Stoats" was given to UBMC by the MAM when one member noted that the way UBMC climbers stuck to the rock was very "stoat-like." The name has stuck and ever since then, UBMC members have been referred to as stoats, for better or worse!
On graduating from Birmingham many stoats join the MAM to keep climbing with friends they have made but also return to UBMC trips as "old gits" to show us how it should be done. Sometimes they also show us how it should not be done.