Embrace Adventure with the Climbing Society

On the 8th of February, Saturday at 3 pm, UWE Students and the Student Life Team were joined by the UWE Climbing Club hosting a 3-hour guided intro to bouldering at TCA Mothership.

Aimed at beginners with experienced climbers from the club to help and provide advice, the session was a blast - we had plenty of brand-new climbers and beginners joining us. We spent the first two hours learning basic climbing techniques and exploring the gym with the Club - and spent the last hour climbing freely around the gym from the competition wall to regular boulders.

Many students stayed on after the booked three hours, with quite a few staying on until early evening to explore and try out what the club offered. After the event, many students shared that they intended to return or see what the club offered.

Discover the thrill of climbing 🧗‍♀️

The UWE Climbing Club welcomes students of all skill levels, from complete beginners to seasoned climbers, with the opportunity to get coached by professionals, compete at competitions, climb outdoors and to meet new friends. Whether you are looking for friends, a new fitness challenge or the opportunity to broaden your experiences at university the climbing club offers something for everyone.

The club runs 3 to 4 outdoor trips every year, from South Wales to the Peaks district, with ambitions to go outside of the UK for more climbing. We run 2 weekly sessions at Frenchay Campus, two discounted sessions at TCA Church & Mothership, and occasional outdoor climbs around Bristol with other members. If you would like to check us out, check this link!

Getting involved 🪨

Getting involved with Climbing is easy! Here’s some ways to join in on the fun:

• Attend a Taster Session: UWE Offers a MOVE session at the gym for free- any students can try out roped climbing completely for free on the Frenchay Campus with qualified instructors! But be quick- there are only 9 spaces, and they go quickly! (Check out the UWE Sport app and the MOVE Program!)
• Look at local gyms! UWE isn’t the only place you can look for climbing; there are a plethora of gyms around Bristol, and many of them offer inclusive climbing nights for you to find your community!
• Join the Club! UWE’s climbing club holds sessions where we train you from a complete beginner to a seasoned climber within the year and give you the opportunity to get some official qualifications in climbing!

Hi, my name’s Lee, if you were part of the event, you probably saw me helping out, giving some advice and messing around a little on the wall. I’ve been part of the Climbing Club for just under three years now, and I’m the current treasurer for the Club. I’ve competed at BUCS and am in the process of getting qualified to be an official coach.

Before coming to UWE, my climbing experience was limited at best, I’d not done any sports in a few years due to an injury- and I was drifting around societies. I started with going to the MOVE sessions every week, then three times a week, and eventually I joined the club. Once I’d joined the club, I found myself at home, I was happy, I found friends and I’ve continued those friendships, although some of my friends have graduated.

If you think that climbing might be a good sport for you, or if you just want to find a friendly group- I could not recommend joining the club enough. Apart from my friends and Uni- it’s given me something to strive for, and after recovering from my injury this year, I’m aiming to go straight back into competition climbing.

If you think climbing isn’t for you- a fear of heights, or you don’t think you’re sporty enough- that’s fine, I try not to look down too. Give the MOVE sessions ago, the instructor Darren is great, and if it’s not for you- go check out other clubs! (I’ve heard Calisthenics is great)

If you were a part of this event and haven’t given feedback, please do! Positive feedback allows us to keep events like these running, and if enough people are interested, we can run more of these sessions!