The Ipswich Mountaineering Club is a group of outdoors-minded people, mostly based in and around Ipswich, Suffolk. Our members include people interested in all aspects of climbing, mountaineering, hill walking, and mountain biking. In addition this we occasionally do caving, skiing, orienteering, run half-marathons, leap tall buildings, etc ...
Suffolk is not the ideal place to take part in these activities so we have to travel, and club members help each other out by sharing the organization and travelling arrangements. To aid this our members can use a membership-wide emailing list, and have access to the 'members only' pages of our website which includes information about Nosh&Kip - a list of recommended places to stay and eat, an online forums, and contact details for all our members. The IMC has group membership of the Youth Hostel Association which enables us to use the 230 Youth Hostels in England and Wales, and a network of 4,500 Youth Hostels in 60 countries worldwide. Our members are also able to read the club newsletter, which is published every quarter. Articles from the newsletter are made available online for non-members to read, so that they can see the wide range of activities that we're involved in. Membership of the IMC includes affiliate membership of the British Mountaineering Council (BMC) with the advantages of its insurance scheme.
Our club is active throughout the year, with a programme of events planned well in advance. In addition, during the summer months something happens nearly every weekend, with smaller groups of members arranging impromptu trips away. This means that if you want to head for the hills there is usually a group you can join-in with. During the winter season we organize social events, including slide shows that are given by our members.
Most members of the Ipswich Mountaineering Club (IMC) are not qualified climbing instructors, so we do not formally teach new members how to climb; there are many excellent commercial organizations that do this, and we can give advice and make recommendations about who to contact. Courses for both children and adults are run at our local climbing walls at Stowmarket leisure centre and Copleston school in Ipswich (also see this article). The principal climbing instructor at the Copleston wall is an active member of the IMC, and is also one of our youth representatives.
In spring the IMC do organize a special 'beginners weekend', usually camping somewhere in the Peak District. On this weekend our more experienced climbers team-up with less experienced members to introduce them to outside climbing and to pass on some of what they know. On this trip we also provide climbing equipment (helmet, harness, etc.) so that new members can give outdoor climbing a try before having to buy gear themselves. A similar 'follow-on' trip is held in the autumn, with newer members teaming-up with more experienced climbers, but on this occasion no equipment is provided.
The best way to meet IMC members, and perhaps start learning to climb, would be to go along to one of our local climbing walls on a Monday or Wednesday evening (throughout the year), where you will usually find a member of the IMC. We have a regular club evening on the first Wednesday of each month at the climbing wall at the Copleston Centre, which is the sports hall attached to Copleston School on Foxhall Road, on the east side of Ipswich. If you don't know where this is then have a look on Google Maps or at this map. People start to arrive about 7.00 pm. Just come along and say hello.
Another way to meet us is to come along to one of our social events. These are usually held in the bar at the Copleston Centre. If any social events are planned (usually only during the winter months) then they are listed on our meetings page.
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