Q: How do I join the club?
Q: What gear do I need?
Q: Where can I buy gear in Cork?
Q: I haven't climbed before, what should I expect?
Q: I'm not an experienced climber/walker, how difficult is it?
Q: Who is allowed to take part in club activities?
Q: How high are the mountains you climb?
Q: How much does it cost to become part of the club?
Q: What's the social side of the club like?
Q: What events does the club do during the year, aside from the climbing wall and sunday hikes?
Q: Where is Gaol Cross, and where is The Gateway Pub?
Q: How do I order a Club Hoodie or T-shirt?
Q: Why the Skull and Crossbones?
Q: I've taken a bunch of photos or movies on one of the Hikes, how do I get them up on the website?
Q: I've written up a story on a Hike I did. Can I get it online?
Q: How do I get on the club's Committee?
Q: Who has voting rights at the AGM?
Q: How do I join the club?
A: You don't need to join, just turn up! Come along to Gaol Cross on any sunday morning, or to the climbing wall on any Monday or Wednesday, and take part.
Q: What gear do I need?
A: For the climbing wall, just loose clothes (T-shirt, tracksuit pants) and everything else is provided. For the sunday Hikes, a complete list is here. You don't need all the items on that list, but VERY IMPORTANT things are:
DO NOT WEAR RUNNERS OR JEANS!!
A Waterproof jacket
Mountain Boots
Thick socks
A change of clothes
A Packed lunch
Lots of water (2+ litres)
Q: Where can I buy gear in Cork?
A: Some of the outdoor shops our members often shop in are:
And if you tell the cashier that you're with the UCC mountaineering club, you'll get a 10% discount on any mountaineering-related purchases!
Q: I haven't climbed before, what should I expect?
A: Hillwalking in Ireland has been described as "walking on wet carpet" - no matter where or when you come, it will be wet, muddy and cold. In addition, occasionally there will be high winds, snow & fog (err what our PRO meant was that the weather usually lovely but there's an occasional bit of drizzle). If you're still not sure if you like the sound of it do remember we can justify drinking liters of hot alcoholic beverages after walks as well as consume kilos of chocolate on walks)
Q: I'm not an experienced climber/walker, how difficult is it?
A: Every time we go climbing or walking, there are always new people in the group! Don't worry, you won't be on your own. And the leaders of the walking group, or the instructors at the wall, will always be there to make sure you're getting on well, and having a good time. In particular, we expect large numbers of new people at the start of each term and have shorter options on those hikes to ease you in to the routine. Likewise, some of the later walks of the second term in particular are longer and not suitable for complete beginners but will be advertised as such.
Q: Who is allowed to take part in club activities?
A: ALL UCC students and staff members are allowed and welcome whether they be Irish, European, visiting Americans, Erasmus, Postgrad, whatever. If you want to bering along a visitor who is not involved with UCC you should make them aware that the club insurance only covers UCC students and so we advise anyone who come along with us who isn't a student to become a member of MCI or make their own insurance arrangements.
Q: How high are the mountains you climb?
A: Ireland's highest mountain is Carrauntoohil, at 1040m, which we climb each year at least once. The peaks we climb range from that height down to ~650m. However the height of the mountains is not so much an issue as the difficulty of the individual route, and the weather conditions at the time.
Q: How much does it cost to become part of the club?
A: Joining this club, as with all UCC clubs, is free. If somebody tries to charge you, report it! The bus on sundays costs €6. (It is heavily subsidised by UCC, its very cheap!) The climbing wall is free, just show your student/staff ID as you enter. For extra trips, such as the weekends away, the price varies, but is usually around €40. You can buy club Hoodies and T-shirts, when available, for around €30 and €10 respectively. These are optional of course! Good quality gear can be very expensive, but for a beginner, you should be able to get some decent waterproofs and boots for €100. Feel free to ask our experienced members about what gear to get, also be nice to us and we'll tell you how to get a 10% discount.
Q: What's the social side of the club like?
A: In comparison to many UCC clubs, we have a very active social side! On wednesdays after the climbing wall we usually go for a few drinks in The Gateway Bar on Barrack St, followed by clubbing in Freakscene or one of the other venues around the city. After the Sunday hikes, we always spend some time in one of the Pubs in Killarney, or whatever's the biggest town on our way home.
Q: What events does the club do during the year, aside from the climbing wall and sunday hikes?
A: Quite a few, actually! We send members to events in the Irish Bouldering League, which is run over the winter in 5 venues around the country. We have two big weekends away, one in November and one in February. During Rag Week we traditionally abseil off the Robert Kane (Science) Building in UCC, the highest building on campus (About 20m high). At the end of each year, at the start of study month, about 20 experienced hikers take a trip away for a week to a more distant location, such as Ben Nevis in Scotland, or Snowdon in Wales. And during the summer, a few intrepid souls travel further afield, to the Alps or the Rockies, for some real hardcore climbing!
Q: Where is Gaol Cross, and where is The Gateway Pub?
A: Gaol Cross is on Western road, it's the first junction after you leave the Western Star pub, heading towards the City. If you're on campus, walk through the arch in the North Wing of the main Quad, and turn left, and follow the road towards Western road.
To get to The Gateway, you can just follow the group that leaves the Mardyke after the climbing wall. Otherwise, just walk down Barrack street towards town until you see it, on the city side of the street.
Q: How do I order a Club Hoodie or T-shirt?
A: Usually there is quite a high demand for these, and some sizes sell out quickly, so act fast! Anyway, after we order the gear from our supplier Kukri, a message will be placed on the Website, and you can e-mail us to reserve your desired item & size.
Q: Why the Skull and Crossbones?
A: The Skull and Crossbones logo is the official sports emblem of UCC and every team wears it proudly. When the University was first founded in the 1840's, Medicine was one of the original 3 faculties and one of the largest. Medical students were prominent in various sports and many college teams adopted the Skull and Crossbones as a bit of an in-joke. They then found the Jolly Roger was a useful way to intimidate the opposition and the logo stuck.
Q: I've taken a bunch of photos or movies on one of the Hikes, how do I get them up on the website?
A: Email them in to our club webmaster at uccmountaineering@gmail.com. We're always glad to show off our latest & greatest! If you have a slow connection & don't want to spend forever emailing your photos, you can also put them on a CD-RW and hand them to our P.R.O. or other committee member. We'll get the CD-RW back to you soon.
Q: I've written up a story on a Hike I did. Can I get it online?
A: Go right ahead! We'd be glad to hear your re-telling of the day, and for posterity we'll put it up on the "this year" section of the website. Email in your story and it'll go online.
Q: How do I get on the club's Committee?
A; If it's the start of the year, and it's your first year in the club, you can apply for a post as a first year Rep. We elect two each year, usually one male and one female. First year reps are chosen at the first weekend away of the year, in November, so get in contact with one of the Committee members before then to get your name in!
Q: Who has voting rights at the AGM?
A: Consult the constitution for more details on the AGM. Any UCC student or staff member who has attended three events during the year gets to vote at the AGM. A sunday hike counts as one event, a trip to the climbing wall counts as one third of an event (up to a maximum of 6 trips), and a weekend away counts as one event.
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