Since establishment in 1951, the purpose and mission of the club has remained the same: to be a strong community of student climbers and mountaineers and to provide opportunities for Bristol students to get climbing. The sport has come a long way since then, and climbing is now more accessible than ever; the introduction of indoor climbing gyms and advancements in safety equipment has made becoming a climber far less intimidating than it once was. Committee members are qualified to teach sport climbing to beginners and do so gratis, with all necessary equipment provided from our club gear store.
UK trips run regularly during term time and allow members to climb beautiful crags in such places as the Peak District, Portland, and Snowdonia at a very reasonable price. There is also the annual Easter trip where we hop on a plane for a week's climbing abroad on world-renowned rock formations, with recent locations including Sicily, Croatia, and Kalymnos. Furthemore, for those interested in competition climbing there are many opportunities to get involved in individual or team competitions, including BUCS, where we compete against other university climbing clubs. The club also subsidises courses for members to learn important skills such as first-aid and self-rescue.
May, 1954 saw the first publishing of the club, a guidebook titled 'Limestone Climbs in Sout West England', authored by co-founder
Hugh Banner, believed to be the first guide to climbs on limestone.
The guide was rewritten in June, 1955 by B. G. N. Page, and a digital copy of this second edition is available to view below.