In the past 12 months places such as the Himalayas, the Andes, Australia and Alaska and many more have been visited by members of the club which was formed 50 years ago by past chairman Mike Jones, from Alberbury, with help from a handful of like-minded friends.
An advert was put into the local paper in 1959 asking for interested chaps to turn up and have a drink and form a mountaineering club.
With some 35 weekend/week meets around the UK and Europe this year, our members range from people in their 20s up to people still active into their 70s, and they are certainly busy – they also walk and climb in the Shropshire hills every Tuesday evening all year round.
Members take in the view
We even have our own mountain hut in Snowdonia nestled into the hills between Llanberis and Bethesda which sleeps 19 and gives club members a home from home up in the hills.
Now the club is on the lookout for younger people to join the group as the average age of the club has been climbing.
The club is open to anyone to join but we don’t teach – rather we facilitate dreams through arranging meets and being a forum for people to meet other people who like to play in the great outdoors.
We have around 100 members to date.
On August 8, the club will be holding a one-day trip to North Wales from Shrewsbury as a taster day, so if you’re over 18, got some basic mountain awareness and a strong pair of boots and don’t want to go up Snowdon again, why not contact us to widen your horizons and make some new friends in high places.
You will need a moderate level of fitness and the ability to walk on rough ground. It will be an eight mile-walk with a 2,000ft ascent and descent. Mental fitness is as important as medial fitness.
Pete McAree, club chairman, said: “The organised meets on the meet card are focus points but other informal trips happen all the time. After our walk or climb on a Tuesday night, the pub is buzzing with members either recounting tales of the weekend before or planning next weekends adventures.
“Although mountaineering is at our heart our members take part in all forms of mountain outdoor pursuits be it rock climbing, snow and ice climbing, fell running, mountain biking, canoeing, sailing, alpine and cross country skiing, even parascending, and we do a lot of hill walking too.”
He added: “One of the advantages of the hills is that you can continue to enjoy them as you get older, but it is important that we encourage younger people to come along as well. A club like ours is always looking for new young aspiring mountaineers.”
Roz Chattam, 31, from Ellesmere, joined up last year via the website www.shrewsburymc.com and has gone from walking in Shropshire to winter mountaineering and this summer will join other club members to attempt the Haute Route across the Alps.
“It’s been amazing,” she said.
“I’ve met up with a great bunch of easy going, fun loving people and have had some great adventures, I’m hooked.”
The secret of our club is we are incredibly laid back and that’s helped it continue for so many years. We are very level and there is no hierarchy.
For more details email mail@shrewsburymc.com or contact Jan Campbell on 01743 236692.
Has joining a local club changed your life or inspired you to do things you never thought you could achieve? Email Kim Bennett at kbennett@shrop shirestar.co.uk
By Tim Tindle
