Who we are
We are the SUMC: Staffordshire University Mountaineering Club!
We are a group of people interested in climbing, but even if you’re not a big climber, our club can be a great way to socialise and meet new people. We love to include everyone - whether you’re an experienced climber, or brand new. If you've ever wanted to try climbing, this is the perfect place to start!
Training Times and Locations
Below training sessions are all included with membership to the club:
Mondays 18:00 - 20:00 @ Kilnworx Climbing Centre - Meet outside the Sir Stanley Matthews Sports Centre at 17:30, transport is provided to and from Kilnworx.
Fridays 17:00 - 19:00 @ Sir Stanley Matthews Sports Centre - Meet either in the reception area or in the sports hall next to the climbing wall.
We are based solely in the stoke campus as that’s where we have our own wall and are partnered with kilnworx climbing centre to provide sessions.
What we do
We regularly hold climbing sessions at our own wall, situated in the Sir Stanley Matthews Sports Centre at the Stoke Campus of the university, we're also holding weekly training sessions at Kilnworx Climbing Centre, an external venue which offers top rope climbing, lead climbing, bouldering and a training and weights room, all included in your membership!
Please follow our Instagram page @staffs_mountaineering to keep up to date and after you’ve bought a membership, you’ll be added to a Whatsapp group chat for this years members.
Trips
We are hoping to plan some trips such as day trips to go hiking or climbing, and possibly some weekend trips depending on interest.
Socials
We pride our club on some social aspects by creating a friendly and incusive space, it’s a great club to just come to chill and chat to your friends. We also try to encourage going to ember lounge for drinks and food after sessions, so members can really get to know each other. We will be trying to organise some socials outside of our regular club sessions as well.
JOIN OUR DISCORD SERVER:
How much does it cost?
The membership for the 25/26 year will be £69.
This covers two weekly sessions (one at Kilnworx and then the Friday sessions on campus), this also covers your transport to Kilnworx.
We do not cover any gear you want to purchase for yourself, or socials like going to ember lounge or gobble. Trips may also be at a personal expense and are NOT mandatory to the club.
The Students Union also requires that you purchase a standard £3 sports insurance fee, which covers you for all sports societies and clubs within the Student Union, and only needs to be bought once. THIS IS INCLUDED IN YOUR MEMBERSHIP FEE.
FAQ’s:
What do I need to join?
Other than a willingness to have a go, nothing! We recommend coming to one of the Give it a Go sessions we hold during the first week of term (come to our sports and societies fair for details on give it a go sessions) to see if you enjoy it! Best thing to wear would be some comfortable, baggy clothes and trainers, so gym clothes or even jogging bottoms would be fine.
Do I need to own any equipment?
You don’t need to bring anything with you! The club boasts a good range of kit.
Do I need to be physically fit to join?
No! Anyone can join and take part in activities regardless of fitness level. Certain medical issues may prevent you from taking part in some activities, so if this is a concern please contact us and we can advise you accordingly.
I am disabled, can I still join?
We can try our best to accommodate you but at the present time, we do not have the correct equipment to help wheelchair users or severely disabled students climb safely. As above, if this is a concern please contact us and we can advise you accordingly.
Do you do any trips?
The committee this year hope to provide day trips and hopefully an overnight trip too, though this is not guaranteed, we will try our best to get the club out and about!
Do you have social events that aren’t to do with climbing?
We do! Throughout the year we will be trying to hold various socials, including (but by no means limited to) movie nights, meals out and much more! Basically, if there’s an idea for a social and enough people want to do it, we’ll try to get it organised!
Do you compete in competitions?
Yes, the main competition we do every year is varsity but we are looking to do more.
The Committee Members for 2025-2026
Katie Manning - Manager / Chair
Aisa Mawer - Finance
Charlie Banner - Comms
Interested in joining the club? Purchase the free expression of interest to recieve updates.
Or get in contact with us on our Instagram @staffs_mountaineering
