Mountaineering Club?

airsofter1234

Hi im 17 and i am interested in hillwalking and have climbed nearly all the mountains in wicklow, i want to get involved with a mountaineering club and do some rock climbing and get to know people my age.

I want to climb some mountains in the Alps and around the world and i am older but i know that it wont happen by just walking up the mountains in Ireland with my parents.

When i look at most of the hillwalking clubs in Dublin they seem to be only for (or mainly) middle aged and older people. Is there any clubs out there for younger people and do climbing aswell and walking?

Thanks

DeepSleeper

Not sure if you're thinking of college / university at this stage, but if you are you should note that the 3rd level mountaineering clubs might suit you well...

http://www.nuigmc.com/

http://www.ucc.ie/mountaineering/doku.php

http://www.ucdmountaineeringclub.com/

http://www.climbing.tcdlife.ie/home/index.php

http://www.ulopc.com/

airsofter1234

thanks but i wont be going to college until next year.
Are them winter skills courses into Scotland any good and would i be too young to do one of them ?

DeepSleeper

I think they're great courses, but they are weather dependant - a week of mild weather can mess up the schedule a bit. There are different levels and each comes with a different staff-student ratio - I did a Snow and Ice Climbing course a few years ago and two of us (friends and climbing partners for years) had one instructor to ourselves for a week, so we got on great. We did have some snow and ice experience beforehand though, so people normally start with a Winter Mountaineering course which usually have 4:1 or 5:1 ratios but then cost a bit less than the more technical Snow and Ice Climbing courses.

sheesh

your 17 everyone seems middle aged including people in their early 20s!

alot of clubs will have an range of ages and yes some will have an older profile I would email some of them and ask.

Evil Phil

Mountaineering Ireland are very involved with younger climbers, they'd be worth getting in contact with: http://www.mountaineering.ie/youth/viewdetails.asp

It seems they have a summer climbing camp just about to start in Glendalough as well.

An Cuinneach

I dunno if you're interested but Wet and Wild are an LGBT outdoor-events group who would do a fair bit of hillwalking/hiking. I know they've done Lug na Coille and Sliabh Donard in the past six months, some trips to Wicklow and a multi-peak challenge last year. They're a great crowd of lads (and ladies!) as well, and there'd be a fair few of us in our twenties (I'm 23).