About Hereford Mountain Club

Photo - looking up to Blaven, Isle of Skye, May 2010 Tuesday nights at The Swan, Aylestone Hill The club meets at The Swan, Aylestone Hill, Hereford at 8pm on the first Tuesday of the month. It is an opportunity for new members to find out more about the club. Please note: the evening walks programme has now started so there may be a walk on the first Tuesday of the month rather than a meeting at The Swan. For further details see the evening walks page. HMC Committee Following the AGM in November 2011, the current club committee members are: Chair: Rob Soutar Secretary and Treasurer: Janet Shortland Meets Secretary: Ian Carr Evening Walks Co-ordinator: Marjorie Shackleton Social Secretary: Judith Hughes Website: Becks Walder Newsletter: Ian Carr About the club The Hereford Mountain Club (called HMC) was started in 1978 by a group of local friends in Hereford who had a common interest in climbing and walking. Visits were to the local crags and mountains. Gradually the club became more of a hard walking club with some ‘hard nuts’ to crack, with trips into Wales and Scotland being the norm. Today the club is a hill-walking/mountaineering club with trips to Europe, Scotland, England and Wales being accommodated. We try to cater for most people, but see the club as being a venue where all people with an interest in the hills can meet. Club Activities We try to have a week or weekend trip every month with a day walk in between. The advantage of cheap long haul flights has opened up the mountains of Europe to us, notably Spain, Poland, France, Switzerland and Slovenia. We aim to have two organised trips to Scotland every year. In between there are regular trips into Wales and trips to other National Parks such as the Lake District, Peak District and Yorkshire Dales. A club member is responsible for each meet, and they can be contacted about arrangements etc. They will organise accommodation, such as camping, bunkhouses, huts, youth hostel or houses. A meets list is produced every year in the New Year. Social Events On the social side the club tries to arrange local canoe trips, evening talks, ceilidhs, bowling nights and slide shows. Non-members are welcome as well. We are open to any ideas; it is your club. Who can join? The club is open to all. There is no lower age limit, however juniors have to accompany their parents. There is no responsibility taken by the club for any members at any time. At the other end, provided you are fit and healthy, we will welcome you. Where does the club meet? The club meets at the Swan pub, at the bottom of Aylestone Hill in Hereford on a Tuesday night at 8.00pm. The exception to this is in the summer when we have an evening walk on every other Tuesday night at 6.30pm. There is an evening walks meet list circulated to all members. Club Subscription The club is an affiliated to the British Mountaineering Council. We pay our subscriptions to the BMC, and in return we are entitled to certain benefits, notably civil liability cover and access to BMC travel insurance. The club collects a subscription off all members which covers the above and also to contribute to the club kitty, the majority of which is used to pay for hut deposits. Club Committee The club has a committee of six people who meet several times a year to discuss club matters. An annual general meeting is held every year in November at a venue to be announced, when members can voice their concerns. How do I join? If you are interested in joining the club please email us at thehmc@hotmail.co.uk or phone either: Janet Shortland, Interim HMC Secretary on 01531 670042 or Rob Soutar, HMC Chairman on 01432 850448 The British Mountaineering Council