What we’re about
Welcome to Sheffield Mountaineering. We are a long established and very friendly group for people who enjoy exploring mountains and hills in the UK without being solely focused on rock climbing (although we do plenty of that too). Being based in Sheffield we take full advantage of the Peak District as well as making regular trips away to Snowdonia, the Lake District, the Scottish Highlands and the great mountain ranges of mainland Europe.
Our main activities include scrambling, rock climbing, winter climbing, hiking, caving, abseiling and indoor climbing. We cater for all levels of ability and experience so whether you’re a seasoned Alpinist, just a hill walker looking to move on to something a bit more adventurous or anything in between, you have come to the right place. All our outings take place under the guidance of an experienced mountain leader.
Membership of our group is absolutely free but at each of our events we do appreciate donations of £2.00 per person towards our substantial MeetUp fees and other operating costs. We do not wish to make any profit from our mission of facilitating mountain outings for like minded people under professional level guidance but if those benefiting from our activities can help out with our expenses in some small way it is always very welcome. Please see the notes below and hope to hear from you soon....
Important Notes:
This Meet Up group provides an informal means of meeting fellow mountain enthusiasts and enjoying what the great outdoors has to offer. Although there is always an element of knowledge sharing, it is not a Club or Training/Coaching group and therefore members of the group should not expect to receive any special training or instruction. While mountain safety is always our number one priority, at the end of the day as with any other voluntary activities, you remain responsible for your own Health, Safety and Well Being. For any of the Meet Up activities, please ensure you are comfortable with what you are doing and that you are fully informed of the risks. Any doubts at all then please ask. The group does not have any insurance and cannot accept responsibility for the actions of its members.
Please note the following BMC Participation Statement:
"The BMC recognises that climbing, hill walking and mountaineering are
activities with a danger of personal injury or death. Participants in these
activities should be aware of and accept these risks and be responsible for
their own actions and involvement."
IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
THIS IS NOT A WALKING EVENT. It will involve mountaineering at high altitude with an element of technical difficulty. Previous via ferrata experience is NOT essential but you will need a head for heights and scrambling skills. We won’t be doing anything desperately hard but this will still be a definite step up from the kind of activities we typically do as a group in UK mountains.
You must come properly equipped. To do via ferratas you will need to bring a climbing harness, helmet, via ferrata lanyard and a couple of slings and carabiners. For any high altitude scrambling and hiking you will need an ice axe.
The Dolomites
Meet at: Pizzeria Lo Sfizio, Piaz de Ramon 32, 38035 Moena TN, Italy. The plan is to meet socially for a couple of hours on the evening of Saturday 21st June before beginning the week’s activities the following morning. We will be leaving to travel home on the morning of Saturday 28th June. Some of us will be driving and car sharing though of course others may prefer to fly. The nearest international airports are Verona, Venezia and Innsbruck. Details of various travel arrangements will appear in the comments section nearer the time.
Forming the ancient natural frontier between Italy and Austria, The Dolomites are considered by many to be the most visually stunning mountains anywhere in the world. The sight of their lofty, spire like jagged pinnacles soaring skywards and stretching into the distance as far as the eye can see is truly breathtaking. Needless to say the possibilities for adventure in these magnificent mountains are endless.
Our plan is to enjoy a few big mountain days exploring some of the many dramatic peaks and ridges in the region without entering into the realms of serious Alpine mountaineering. The Dolomites are of course the home of the via ferrata and this activity will be an integral part of the trip. There will also be plenty opportunity to do some scrambling and hiking. Either way the objective is to reach high altitude mountain summits in the 2,500 to 3,000 metre range. We will be looking at peaks such as Sassolungo, Monzoni, Latermar, Cima Bocche, Sass De Putia, Torre Exna, Col Di Liana, Piccolo Lagazuoi, and Spiz Di Tariciogn to name a few.
Other pursuits such as rock climbing will also be on offer along with anything else you might fancy in this spectacular landscape. Feel free to do what ever you want on any given day. If necessary we will split into smaller groups/pairs so everybody gets the chance to do something they are happy with.
Photos from our previous trip to the Italian Dolomites can be seen here:
https://www.meetup.com/sheffield-mountaineering-rock-climbing-meet/photos/34655798/
Difficulty: Via ferrata of easy and moderate grades, scrambling and hiking at high altitude.
Experience Required: Some previous big mountain scrambling or rock climbing experience in the UK with our group is an essential requirement for anybody who wants to come on this trip.
Maps: Tabacco 05 Val Gardena – Alpe Di Siusi, Tabacco 06 Val Di Fassa, Tabacco 07 Alta Badia, Arrabba – Marmolada, all 1:25,000 scale.
Guidebooks: Via Ferratas Of The Italian Dolomites: Vol 1 North, Central and East ranges; Via Ferratas Of The Italian Dolomites: Vol 2 Southern Dolomites; Day Walks in the Dolomites, all published by Cicerone.
Accommodation: You will need to arrange your own accommodation. We will be based in and around the town of Moena in the Val Di Fassa region. A few of us have already booked an apartment there. There are many holiday apartments in this area along with other options such as chalets and campsites. These can all be found on Booking.com and Laterooms.com or just a general Google search.
If everybody wants to contribute £12.00 towards our substantial Meet Up fees and the additional costs incurred in organising this trip such as maps, guidebooks, printouts etc, that will be great, thanks.
Disclaimer: This is NOT a package holiday or guided tour and there is NO insurance provided. Mountaineering can be a dangerous activity and you attend entirely at your own risk. By signing up and coming to the event, you agree to all of this. We highly recommend that you take out your own insurance.
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- Awesome Walls Indoor Climbing SheffieldAwesome Walls Climbing Centre, Sheffield, Sheffield
***You'll need to be able to belay safely to participate in this meetup
People tend to arrive between 6-7pm, though feel free to arrive at any time. Any problems with finding the group then ask for me (David Reeves).
Come join us for a bit of mid-week climbing fun with top rope & lead climb options. You will need to be registered with Awesome Walls, which includes being able to belay & tie a figure of 8 (see 'New to climbing' below).
Prices: £10 members / £12 non-members (paid to the venue on arrival)
Pricing options: HEREWhat to bring: Climbing shoes, harness, belay plate and rope (if you have one). NOTE: You can hire all these for a fee.
Already a climber: Register with Awesome Walls HERE
New to climbing: Get in touch if you're new to climbing. Awesome Walls also run taster sessions HERE
How to find us: Ask for myself, David Reeves, at reception and they will point you in the right direction
- Try Dry-tooling indoors (using ice axes for climbing with no ice)The Climbing Hub, Bradford
Dry-tooling is climbing sport in itself but also a good way to use ice-climbing techniques to build these skills before heading for some winter climbing. This is a bit of an intro session to and some guidance will be available. This meet is part of the Hub Dry-Tooling Social night at The Climbing Hub, Bradford (about an 1.5 hrs from Sheffield).
What to bring: climbing shoes and helmet. They supply Ice Axes & gear if needed but please bring your own if you have them.
Cost: £10.00 (paid to the venue on arrival). For more pricing HERE
Register at The Climbing hub: You'll need to register with the venue best done beforehand to save time or at the venue. REGISTER HERE
Location: HERE - The Climbing Hub, 10-13 Beckside Business Park, Beckside Rd, Bradford BD7 2BR
See more info from The Climbing Hub about the evening HERE
- Hiking along Burbage Edge and Padley GorgeUpper Burbage Bridge Car Park - Peak District NP, Hope Valley
Route: Burbage Edge, Padley Gorge, Carl’s Wark, Higgar Tor
Meet at: Burbage Bridge car park on the Ringinglow Road, overlooking Burbage North crag. Postcode S32 1BR, OS map reference SK264826. As an environmentally conscious group, we actively encourage car sharing. Further details of car sharing arrangements from Sheffield and elsewhere will appear in the comments section nearer the time.
This pleasant circular hike takes in the contrasting landscapes of wild windswept crags and a lush green wooded valley. Burbage Edge is the second longest of the famous Peak District gritstone edges and as a highly popular rock climbing venue it is also a place that many of us are already very familiar with. This entertaining outing will give us the opportunity to explore the entire 3 km length of the crag as well as taking in the atmospheric tranquillity of Padley Gorge and other interesting features including the site of an ancient fort and a Hollywood film location!
The full day will include an exciting scrambling traverse of Burbage Edge (North and South), then a crossing of the main road and on to the highly picturesque Longshaw Estate, through woods and meadows and round a lake to take us into the spectacular Padley Gorge then back over the road and on up the Burbage Valley to the historic Iron Age hill fort at Carl’s Wark where scenes from the 1987 blockbuster “The Princess Bride” were filmed, then on to the imposing gritstone outcrop of Higgar Tor before returning to the car park via the Burbage North Boulders.
Photos of some of our previous outings to Burbage Edge and Padley Gorge can be seen here:
https://www.meetup.com/sheffield-mountaineering-rock-climbing-meet/photos/33856395/
https://www.meetup.com/Sheffield-Mountaineering-Rock-Climbing-Meet/photos/30977183/
Difficulty: A fair amount of sustained Grade 1 scrambling to begin with before hiking both easy and strenuous for the rest of the day. This will NOT be a gentle stroll along well made footpaths. For more information on scrambling grades see:
https://www.thebmc.co.uk/understanding-scrambling-grades
Experience Required: No previous experience required, all you need is a reasonable level of fitness, sense of adventure and preparation for any weather.
Duration: Approx. 10 km with height gain of approx. 300 metres. Estimated time 5 to 6 hours.
Ordnance Survey Maps: OS 110 Sheffield and Huddersfield, OS 119 Buxton and Matlock 1:50 000 Scale.
As always, if everybody wants to contribute £2.00 towards our Meet Up site fees and other operating costs that will be great, thanks.
