The Climbing Clan

17/12/2025

Hi lovely Clan folks, we'd like to share a little something fun we've been putting together.

Welcome to your first ever Climbing Clan Wrapped! Let's look back at our year of climbing together ❤️

First, a huge shout out to our community of volunteers, we really couldn't have done this without you!

And thank you to all our climbers, we look forward to another amazing year of climbing and cake!

14/10/2025

It’s been a fab week of climbing and cake for the clan with events at both up and .manchester! As a special treat our south Manchester group had a chance try out the new Ohmega and got to meet , .alex and Bonnie as well as eat Tiramisu from rainbow cups!

Head to the website to sign up for tomorrow’s events if you want to join in on the fun!

[Image description: three people and a fluffy dog standing in front of the clan banner and edelrid poster]

09/10/2025

On Monday our newly elected committee got together for the first time to start the year with bang (and snacks!). Keep an eye out for all the things we're up to!



[Image description: a selection of felt tip self portraits in different colours, scattered over a wooden table.]

07/09/2025

We have exciting news! We are really glad to say that the events at Summit Up are able to restart, following some brilliant people coming forward to volunteer and make it sustainable. The first event will be on 17th of September, so it’s a great chance to check out the centre if you haven’t been, get back in the swing if you’ve been missing it, or just… come and climb and eat cake as usual.

Sign up here to join us: https://www.climbingclan.com/Events/Calendar/View?id=410

Summit Up will continue to offer people who are climbing with the Clan the concession entry price, which will be £11.

And - yes there’s more - back by popular demand, on October 31st-November 2nd we have another round of last year’s sold out and obviously extremely useful First Aid Training weekend.

If you enjoy the outdoors and want to stay safe and be ready to support others, this is for you. All the details are on the website, and if you have any questions, pease send us an email to [email protected]

Join us at Summit Up Climbing Centre!

31/07/2025

Climbers assemble!

After a lot of work behind the scenes, we have found a new home at Big Depot! So from next week (Wednesday 6th), we will be trialing holding our indoor events there.

They’ve been really welcoming to us, which is amazing, and have offered a deal of £12 for entry+equipment hire (when you’re signed up to a Clan Wednesday event).

If you’re a student, don’t forget that Wednesdays are one of their student nights too, and entry is just £7.50. There are also memberships and punchcards available for the rest of us, which offer good value and apply across different Depot sites.

Pairing, cake, and all the usual good times will be happening, and we hope this will be an exciting new adventure for the club. You can already sign up here: https://www.climbingclan.com/Events/Calendar/View?id=51 and we’re really looking forward to getting August started with some fun and great climbs.

Thank you again for your patience and support the last few weeks, and see you there!

[image description: an overhanging wall with big colourful holds, and a climber clipping in. The Climbing Can cake shaped logo in one corner, and the words Big Depot, and Wednesdays - meet at 18:30-18:50.

29/07/2025

Hello all,

We thought a farewell night at Parthian could go ahead tomorrow (Wednesday), but found out today via social media that the centre was closing before this. Parthian was the home for the Clan since its inception, and will be sorely missed as a climbing venue. A chance to come together and celebrate the end of such an era was important to a lot of people, and all of us. However, with such short notice and without a venue, we can’t now go ahead with an event tomorrow, which is gutting.

BUT! - we do encourage you to use the Facebook group if you’d like to arrange an informal climb or social gathering tomorrow night. And to confirm, next week (August 6th) we WILL be able to hold an event and will be in touch later this week with more info.

Big love and see you very soon!

23/06/2025

For our pride celebrations this week we'll be sharing tips on allyship. Over to you! Comment with any ideas or experiences of encountering/being a good ally 🌈

(Kindness only please, anything else will be deleted.)

🏳️‍⚧️

[Image description: the pride progress flag]

17/06/2025

Robin was having a well earned rest after all her hard work with the committee yesterday! If you want to share ideas, give feedback, or understand what the committee are up to, members are very welcome at all meetings, we'd love to see you! (And so would Robin...)



[Image description: a group of smiling people, and a fluffy cockerpoo, sat around a wooden table in an old church. The same cockerpoo curled up fast asleep.]

01/06/2025

On the first Thursday of every month, our outdoor climbing nights are now for *leaders only*.

Supporting others is central to our ethos, but we've also listened to feedback asking for more events geared towards experienced climbers, so we're doing it!

You'll see the sign up option is only available for leaders, so its super easy to do, and if that's you, you have until Wednesday lunchtime, so get on it 🙂

16/05/2025

Some handy tips for the weekend!



Belayer Positioning Can Make or Break Your Gear

When leading on trad gear, we obsess over the quality of our placements, but often forget that a poor belayer position can compromise even the best nut or cam. If your belayer is standing too far out from the wall, the angle of the rope during a fall can exert an outward or upward force on the gear, potentially causing it to rip.

The Zipper Effect

Trad protection is designed to withstand a downward pull. If the rope runs at an angle because the belayer is too far back or offset, the force on your lower placements becomes lateral or even upward in a fall. That’s how a perfectly placed nut can pop. Once the first piece fails, the force continues to the next, unzipping your rack from the wall.

Stand In and Stay Aligned

The solution? Stand in close. The belayer should position themselves directly below the first piece of gear, allowing the rope to run straight up. This keeps the direction of pull consistent with how the gear was placed, downward. It also reduces slack in the system and limits fall distance.

Seen in the Wild

The graphics here were based on a scenario witnessed by one of our members on a real single-pitch trad climb in the UK. The belayer stood back on a ledge, perhaps for better visibility, but in doing so created an off-angle rope line. A fall at this moment could have compromised the entire lower section of gear.

Pro Tip

If the route starts from a blocky base or sloping ground, it’s still better to stand close and secure your stance, on a flat rock, in a groove, or using a ground anchor if needed. Trad doesn’t forgive the same way bolts do.

(Disclaimer: peer advice only, we aren't instructors/professionals. All climbing/belaying/etc at your own risk. We expect our members to belay safely and seek official training when needed.)

[Image description: 1st image, a simple graphic of a belayer standing close to the crag with a green tick, and too far away with a red cross. 2nd image, a climber falling with arrows showing directions of force, and gear unzipping from the crag.]

15/05/2025

Happy Thursday folks!

Just wanted to update you about indoor events over the next few months. With the sun calling and the business of summer, low numbers mean we’ve decided to pause the indoor events at Summit it Up until autumn.

We’ll keep you posted about when they restart and how you can help make them happen. Other regular events are running as usual, and in the meantime, as always, don’t forget this group is a great place to grab a few pals if you’re keen for some indoor climbs!

A reminder too that if you’re coming to any indoor event, signing up early means we can make sure the event is organised and can go ahead.

Thanks all and enjoy your climbs today if you’re headed outdoors!