About Us
This page contains all the essential stuff you need to know about us. If you have other questions, you might find the answers in our FAQ, or you can contact us.
Membership
BMC Affiliation
Mountaineering and Hill Walking
Mountain Biking
How to book on a trip
What to expect...
The club was founded in 1991 when a group of friends decided that there were enough like-minded people in the area to sustain a club dedicated to mountain activities.
Click here for our Constitution (PDF format).
Click here for the Club rules (PDF format).
A wide range of trips is organised for the year's programme, covering a variety of outdoor pursuits (usually uphill against the wind). Events are mostly organised and run by members of the committee, who book up the accommodation, find out who wants to go, and collect any money.
Membership
Membership of NMC is £20. This cost gets you affiliated BMC membership, up to 20 organised climbing/walking/biking trips throughout the year, and various discounts at gear shops (see BMC section below). You’ll also make some brilliant friends and get out more!
Membership is for 12 months starting 1st January. A reduction in the subscription is offered to new members joining later in the year.
You can join on a Tuesday evening - you just have to fill in a form. Prospective members are welcome to come along to a Tuesday evening meet and/or a weekend trip before deciding if they wish to join.
Download a membership application form (Word format).
BMC Affiliation
Glencoe, 2009
The club has been affiliated to the British Mountaineering Council since its inception. The BMC represents climbers, hillwalkers and mountaineers and are actively promoting and protecting these activities.
NMC members benefit only from the club's third party insurance & strongly recommends that club members take advantage of full BMC membership which provides liability and personal accident insurance cover whilst out in the hills. In addition to this cover, travel insurance specifically tailored to mountain activities is available from the BMC.
As an affiliated member of the BMC you are entitled to discounts at various gear shops - usually 10% (take your NMC membership card with you!). The club also has a 15% discount at Cotswold Outdoor, which you get when you join.
Mountaineering and Hill Walking
Petite Aiguille Verte, 2005
From stretches of coastal path to winter mountaineering in Scotland and the Alps, there's something to suit every owner of a pair of walking boots. Check out the meets list to find out what's available on weekend trips, and also watch out for ad-hoc local evening and day walks.
Mountain Biking
Summer cycle rides, on road and off, are planned occasionally in the local area. The format of the rides is to cycle for a couple of hours, then have a refreshing glass of beer in a pub not too far from Newbury.
How to book on a trip
Trip details are are posted in the Meets section of the website. There is also a monthly newsletter sent out by email, which lists what's coming up and gives you the opportunity to contact trip organisers for more information.
You can book either by emailing the trip organiser, or by talking to them on a Tuesday. Note that some trips need to be booked up well in advance, i.e. foreign trips or huts.
The organiser will take deposits (if required) and coordinate lift sharing for the group.
Our trip organisers have great enthusiasm for walking and climbing and have varying levels of experience. However, they are not qualified climbing instructors or mountain guides and you accompany them at your own risk.
What to expect...
Baggy Point, Devon, 2009
Trips start on a Friday evening, when we run the gauntlet of the British motorway system to get to our destination (which is usually the nearest pub to our accommodation). If not already planned by the organiser, Saturday's activities are sorted out on Friday night - depending what's on offer in the area, there might be one or more walks, an excursion to scale the best local climbing routes on offer, mountain biking... you get the idea. It's entirely up to you what you do. Sunday is then organised along the same lines, before we make our way back to Newbury.
Catering arrangements on the trips are flexible. Summer time is normally camp stove and barbecue season, whilst the bunkhouse, YHA or cottage trips tend to feature a communal meal or pub food. Bring food for breakfast and packed lunches though.