Climbers' Club
Encyclopedia
The Climbers' Club is the senior rock-climbing club in Wales and England (outside the Lake District). It was founded in 1898 and publishes guidebooks in the main climbing areas in Wales and Southern England. It also owns several climbing huts in these areas.
's and Wales
' earliest attempt to formally organize and bring together those who were active in participating and developing the "new" sport of rock climbing
.
In 1870, C. E. Mathews founded the Society of Welsh Rabbits, which was a loose association of climbers who were largely English. By 1897, members of the Society saw a need for something more formal, and forty met at the Café Monico in London to discuss forming a new Club.
Originally perceived as merely a dining club, meeting once a year in London, one-third of the original members were also affiliated with the venerable Alpine Club
- generally more conservative and populated largely by alpinists who had little regard for climbing in Great Britain, except as training for the Alps. The first president, C. E. Mathews, was, himself, a pillar of the AC, but supported this new adventurous but parochial initiative. Not without the wry criticism so fashionable at the time, however, as the arch-conservative mountaineer Douglas Freshfield
punned:
Early history
The Club developed from EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
's and Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
' earliest attempt to formally organize and bring together those who were active in participating and developing the "new" sport of rock climbing
Rock climbing
Rock climbing also lightly called 'The Gravity Game', is a sport in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route without falling...
.
In 1870, C. E. Mathews founded the Society of Welsh Rabbits, which was a loose association of climbers who were largely English. By 1897, members of the Society saw a need for something more formal, and forty met at the Café Monico in London to discuss forming a new Club.
Originally perceived as merely a dining club, meeting once a year in London, one-third of the original members were also affiliated with the venerable Alpine Club
Alpine Club (UK)
The Alpine Club was founded in London in 1857 and was probably the world's first mountaineering club. It is UK mountaineering's acknowledged 'senior club'.-History:...
- generally more conservative and populated largely by alpinists who had little regard for climbing in Great Britain, except as training for the Alps. The first president, C. E. Mathews, was, himself, a pillar of the AC, but supported this new adventurous but parochial initiative. Not without the wry criticism so fashionable at the time, however, as the arch-conservative mountaineer Douglas Freshfield
Douglas Freshfield
Douglas William Freshfield was a British lawyer, mountaineer and author, who edited the Alpine Journal from 1872 to 1880...
punned:
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- Why is it to the Alpine Club
- Our C. E. M. no longer keeps?
- Why should he found - himself as hub –
- A Climbers' Club for chimney sweeps.
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See also
Other UK Mountaineering 'Senior Clubs'- Alpine ClubAlpine Club (UK)The Alpine Club was founded in London in 1857 and was probably the world's first mountaineering club. It is UK mountaineering's acknowledged 'senior club'.-History:...
- Fell and Rock Climbing Club
- The Rucksack ClubThe Rucksack ClubThe Rucksack Club was founded in Manchester in 1902 and has a current membership of well over 400 men and women. According to the Rules, "The objects of the Club are to facilitate walking tours, cave explorations and mountaineering in the British Isles and elsewhere, and bring into fellowship men...
- Scottish Mountaineering ClubScottish Mountaineering ClubThe Scottish Mountaineering Club is Scotland's second oldest mountaineering club. Founded in 1889, in Glasgow, the private club, with about 400 members, publishes guidebooks and runs a list of Munroists.-History:At the time of the club's founding there were a number of experienced Alpinists...
- The Wayfarers' ClubThe Wayfarers' ClubThe Wayfarers' Club is a senior mountaineering club founded in the United Kingdom over a hundred years ago. Rule number 1 in the club's handbook stated that the object of the club's existence was to:...