A Letter from the MAM

The Midlands Association of Mountaineers are our 'parent' organisation, taking on many ex-stoats after they graduate. Read on to find out why you should join!

A Letter from the MAM

Dear Stoat,

I hope you are enjoying your time at Birmingham in UBMC. If you are soon to be graduating and wondering how best to continue crushing, keep up with fellow stoats and meet other psyched mountaineers then look no further than the Midland Association of Mountaineers! You may have already encountered some MAM members on trips, but if their ways are still a mystery to you then read on to find out more about the us and how you can join.

Big smiles amid numerous sends on the President’s Meet based at Star Cottage.

As a Stoat you are automatically an affiliate member of the MAM until graduation, meaning you can book and stay at Glen Dena (North Wales), Low House (Lake District), or Star Cottage (Peak District) and pay members rates for bed nights fees. As a current UBMC member you might have stayed at these huts already on the Ogwen or Low House trips - if you fancy visiting the huts yourself outside of UBMC club trips you can book by contacting the hut booking secretary on the MAM website.

Joining the MAM as a full member means you can book yourself and guests into the huts (either on organized meets or rocking up when you want), use the huts of our Kindred Clubs all over the UK, and run your own meets. It is great to still have access to the huts after graduating, some Stoats even become full MAM members prior to leaving Birmingham for the full MAM benefits! For me, joining the MAM after graduation made it easy to meet up with friends from UBMC and experience more UK climbing with other keen MAM members.

Old Gits on a self-organised fell running challenge from Low House.

The best things about the MAM are the members and the huts. The members have loads of experience mountaineering, rock climbing, hill walking, fell-running, mountain biking and wild swimming among other exploits. As well as being able to recommend class routes and crags (see "A Graded List of a Few Welsh Climbs" Aka ROGER'S LIST on UKC) the members are a friendly (slightly mad) bunch who share the love of rocks, mountains, and the outdoors. The various climbing disciplines are well represented within the club, from gnarly trad fiends to the ever-growing population of boulderers, so you are bound to find meets in the calendar to get on with.

As for the huts, after graduating I was able to visit Glen Dena and Low House in sunny weather. Can you imagine? Trad, sport and bouldering in the sun! Whether you head to the huts with friends or join one of the meets, there is a ton of adventure to be had in these great locations.

If this has peaked your interest then there are a couple of things you’ll need to join the ranks of the MAM:

  • Two people already in the MAM will have to propose and second your membership. They should be people you’ve climbing with who can vouch for your keenness, in turn they will inform you about the hut rules, how to book etc. Plenty of Old Gits are in the MAM so just ask about and you’re bound to know a few already.
  • You also need to have attended three MAM meets in the last three years, these can include joint UBMC/MAM meets such as Low House, Glen Dena/Ogwen trips, and Annual Dinner. If you’re a trip short you can always contact an MAM member about upcoming meets, bonus points for attending a hut maintenance meet!

Then fill in the application form from the website: www.themam.co.uk/index.php/join-the-mam and send it along to the Membership Secretary. The annual subscription is £26 if you’re under 26, and there is a £20 joining fee, but this is waived if you join within one year of finishing your studies at Birmingham. If you have any questions about the MAM or how to join please email or message me on Facebook and I’ll be happy to help you out. Good luck in your exams, and we at the MAM hope to hear from you soon!

Kind Regards,

Hazel

[email protected]       www.facebook.com/hazelly

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