In reply to Rob Dyer, BMC: Southampton University Mountaineering Club Fresher's Meets:
This year we will have two fresher's meets, on the 8-10 and 15-17 of October. On both occasions we will go to Stanage Edge, and try to spread out a bit. Each weekend we expect to take around 45 people.
Last year the club had some bad press on UKC (which turned out I think to be a case of misidentification) and we are very keen to make sure we live up to the very high standards of the climbing community for this type of event.
Freshers meets are inevitable. We are taking loads of people to one crag. We are splitting up the group over two weekends to minimise the numbers, but taking fewer people would not make sense financially. We will make a concerted effort to leave the crag cleaner than we find it, in accordance with the ethics of our club, and will largely climb as groups of three, with one person teaching two freshers. If you turn up at the crag, please do come chat with us! If there is a route you want to do and it is busy, we will try to make it free as soon as possible, but obviously there is a higher chance than usual of having to wait.
As usual with freshers meets, it may well be that the best way to ensure the best day of climbing is to try and avoid the group. It is a sad and unavoidable truth that these events put a lot of strain on the crag capacity. Remember this is a once-a-year event, and that although there are downsides, I personally believe that fresher's meets are a good thing for climbing overall. I will go even further and say that if you are having a problem with either of these meets, I would love to talk with you and see how we can solve any issues you may be having! Please do ring me on 07724484642 if you have any issues on the day. I will be at the crag during both weekends doing my best to encourage the ethics that make climbing in the UK such a positive experience. If you have a problem, let's try to sort it immediately so you can get on with your climbing!